Southwest Apologizes To Smith

Southwest Air has apologized to Kevin Smith for embarrassing him by asking him to get off of a flight because his weight posed a “safety risk.” However, the airline also said it is standing by its policy because it is intended to ensure the “safety and comfort of all customers.” Smith was seated on the plane when he was asked to leave because he did not fit easily into the single seat. “I broke no regulation, offered no ‘safety risk’ (what, was I gonna roll on a fellow passenger?)” Smith ranted on Twitter. “I saw someone bigger than me on THAT flight! But I wasn’t about to throw a fellow Fatty under the plane as I’m being profiled. But he & I made eye contact, & he was like ‘Please don’t tell ...’“ Despite offering Smith its “heartfelt apologies,” Southwest said, “If a customer cannot comfortably lower the armrest and infringes on a portion of another seat, a customer seated adjacent would be very uncomfortable and a timely exit from the aircraft in the event of an emergency might be compromised if we allow a cramped, restricted seating arrangement.”