Los Angeles: Kevin Smith says he`s "way fat," but that shouldn`t stop him from flying.
The director and actor says a pilot ejected him from a Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland to Burbank, Calif., saying he didn`t fit properly in a single seat.
Smith raised a stink about the incident on his Twitter page Sunday, saying "I`m way fat, but I`m not there just yet," and "If you look like me, you may be ejected from Southwest Air."
He posted a picture of himself sitting on the plane with his cheeks puffed out.
Southwest says it "Customer of Size" policy require travelers must be able to fit safely and comfortably in one seat or make other arrangements.
After a storm of angry online comments from Smith and his fans, the airline issued an apology first from its own Twitter account and later in a statement on its Web site titled "Not So Silent Bob," a jovial jab at the Silent Bob character Smith plays in many of his films.
"We would like to echo our tweets and again offer our heartfelt apologies to you," the statement said.
The airline said it also accommodated Smith on a later flight, gave him a $100 voucher and apologized by phone.
Both Smith and the airline acknowledged that he had bought two seats for his original flight from Oakland, where he had spoken at the Macworld Expo conference.
But he was flying standby in order to catch an earlier flight, and only one was available.
Smith insisted that he was still able to put both armrests down and buckle his seat belt, which is Southwest`s standard.
Smith is the director of the new Bruce Willis movie `Cop Out,` and previously directed the films `Clerks` and `Chasing Amy.`
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.