02-19-2010
12:16 AM
3 Loves
HEY!
HEY!
HEY!
Do I have your attention? Doubt it, not within the thousands of other comments. I barely read any because there are too damn many, but I still want to try to add my voice in the matter. I will be making a few points.
I don't understand why what Kevin Smith is saying is missing some people. I'm guessing most people that are siding with Southwest have never read Kevin's blog or listened to Smodcast. I will put out there that I AM a Kevin Smith fan, but I can totally see this from both sides.
Kevin is not asking that they completely remove the policy and he is not asking for any extra money or service from the company. He is only asking for a public apology that pretty much states that he was wrongly ejected from the plane and that he wasn't too fat to fly. He was able to put down both armrests comfortably (as he states) and proved that he was capable of flying without the need of another seat. He is also asking for an apology for the lying and the disclosure of his buying of second seats (which I would do as a thin person because sitting next to strangers is just awkward). If he didn't fit to Southwest's policy, then he would have just owned it and got off the plane, but he did fit to the policy and that's all he's asking for to be stated.
So that people don't think I'm completely one-sided, I will say that Southwest has every right in the world to have a policy and to enforce it. If you are a "person of size", why should a thinner person have to suffer because of it? Know your own weight and if you have to buy a second ticket, then suck it up and do so. Do not make your size somebody else's problem. But honestly, I don't think I need to say this because most larger people already know this. Large people are not just large in body, but hell, most are large at heart as well. Every fatty I have known has been very kind and also knowing of their size and how to avoid making it a problem. For all you thin people who are like "Jeez, this fat person is taking up like half my seat, why didn't they just buy an extra ticket." Please realize a few things: One, they may not be able to afford it. Two, they may not have known the size of the seats as it may be their first time flying on Southwest or flying in general. Finally, they are just as upset about taking up have your seat as you are about them. They are probably feeling the guilt of it the whole flight and chances are, that next time they WILL buy a second ticket because they want to avoid causing someone else discomfort due to their size. Although I realize that there are some ignorant ones, or ones that just don't care, and for them I give them the one finger salute! I hate people who go through life not caring about how they may effect others by their size/smell or any other feature that may affect others.
Sum things up? Probably should. There is no need to change your policy, you just need to follow it yourselves. If a person can fit and put the armrests down, then they are fine to fly with only one seat. If not? Then enforce your policy in a kind way. If the person is out of the way and not troubling anyone, then maybe a kind reminder in a way that does not draw attention, but still allow them to fly. If they are really causing an issue with their size, then maybe they should be removed from that flight and added to the next one.
What to do about Kevin Smith? Give the man some dignity back. Admit that you were wrong and that he shouldn't have been ejected, and if you still feel that he should have been ejected because of the pilot wanting to leave, then at least say that it was because of that and not his size. Honestly, he isn't asking for much and NOTHING bad will come from it, only good.
If somebody already said this, then just chalk me up as being in line with everyone else who has said this before me.
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