A San Antonio man returning home Monday from Los Angeles was kicked off a Spirit Airlines flight after refusing to remove a hoodie with an implied curse word printed on the front and back.
John Garcia Jr. said he’d worn the hoodie with the “FVCK HATE WORLD TOUR” insignia on several flights before and encountered no trouble.
But it was clear from the moment he boarded the plane that this trip would not go as smoothly.
Before takeoff, according to Garcia, a flight attendant asked if he was in the right seat. She returned and told him he needed to remove his hoodie.
“I’m like, are you serious?” Garcia told KHOU-TV in Houston.
An argument commenced after he questioned whether his hoodie violated Spirit rules.
According to Spirit’s code of conduct, passengers can be forced off a plane if their clothing is deemed lewd, obscene, or offensive in nature.
“It’s anti-hate,” Garcia said. “It was just unique to me.”
A few minutes later, another airline employee approached him, accompanied by a security guard. He was told if he didn’t take the hoodie off, he’d be escorted off the plane.
“He’s just like, let’s just get you from point A to point B, and I’m like, man, that’s all I’m trying to do,” Garcia said.
Garcia removed the garment, seemingly ending the impasse. But when the Spirit employee noticed another passenger had filmed the encounter, he told Garcia he could file a complaint online if he felt it necessary.
“Of course, if I’m going to file a complaint, I need names, so I tell him, ‘Well, I need all three of y’all’s name,’ and that’s when you can see him say, ‘Get him off, get him off,’” Garcia said.
Before exiting the plane, Garcia made a point to put the hoodie, designed by a friend, back on.
“What I’m saying is, why did he kick me off? Just because I asked for his name, which is ultimately going to have to be given during a complaint,” he said.
In a statement, Spirit Airlines said it was aware of the video and has opened an investigation.
“We want all our Guests to feel welcome and have a great experience while traveling with us,” the statement read.
Social media users largely roasted the airline, with one cryptically noting, “Didn’t know this was North Korean Airlines.”
“Over a hoodie? Ppl really need to mind their business. It’s not that serious. Smh,” posted another on Instagram.
A few commenters expressed support for Spirit.
“You shouldn’t wear vulgarities in public. I’m far from a prude, but there’s class and civility, and then there’s not,” an Instagram user wrote.
But the most incisive observation came from an Instagram commenter who said, “Jesus Christ. Imagine if they cared about their arrival times as much.”
By the way, Garcia eventually made his way home on a different Spirit flight.
