Green Day singer booted off flight because of saggy pants

[Deberg_1990]

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-...622?source=rss



Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong was booted off a Southwest Airlines flight Thursday night in Oakland for wearing his pants too low.

The Oakland punk rocker was traveling from Oakland to Burbank on a 6:40 p.m. flight when he was ordered off the plane after a heated argument with a flight attendant, a witness said.

"Just got kicked off a southwest flight because my pants sagged too low! What the (expletive)? No joke!" Armstrong tweeted that night.

Cindy Qiu, an Oakland resident flying south for the three-day weekend, had just settled into her aisle seat about 10 rows from the back when the exchange happened.

"It was a quick argument. A very tense 30 seconds," said Qiu, an associate producer for news website 7Live.

A male flight attendant in his 50s tracked down Armstrong and a male companion as they attempted to stow their bags in the overhead bins, she said.

"The flight attendant walked up to him and said, 'Pull your pants up,'" she said. "And (Armstrong) said, 'Don't you have more important things to do?'"

The male flight attendant again asked him to pull his pants up and warned him he would be kicked off the flight if he did not.

"I'm just trying to get in my (expletive) seat," the rocker responded Qiu said.

And just like that, the musician, a Rodeo native, and his friend were escorted off the plane with the flight attendant. Once the steward returned, the flight left, about 20 minutes late, Qiu said.

Southwest Airlines responded to the incident in an email late Friday.

"As soon as we became aware of what had happened, we reached out to apologize for this customer's experience," said Brad Hawkins, a Southwest spokesman. "He elected to take the next flight. We followed up with this customer and involved employees to get more details and, in our latest conversations, understand from the customer the situation was resolved to his satisfaction."

Calls to Armstrong's management were not immediately returned. Alameda County Sheriff's spokesman J.D. Nelson said his agency, which staffs Oakland airport, never responded to the Thursday night incident.

The argument was tense enough that Qiu, who did not immediately recognize Armstrong, said she avoided eye contact and never fully saw the rocker's alleged saggy pants a few feet away.

During the short flight, rumors circulated that the Green Day frontman was the ejected sagger and Qiu said she only realized who he was when she checked his Twitter page when she reached her destination.

It was not the first Bay Area airport saggy-pants imbroglio.

On June 12, a University of New Mexico football player was kicked off a U.S. Airways flight bound for Albuquerque from San Francisco over his saggy pants. Deshon Marman is now suing the airline over the incident.

Some critics said Marman, who is black, was targeted because of his race, particularly after photos emerged of a white man dressed in woman's lingerie who was allowed to board a U.S. Airways flight days before.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Although I share your opinion its not for me or you to decide what someone else wears. Thats a place I don't want our society or government to visit.

People have a right to dress foolishly. Walking around with one hand holding up your pants is really idiotic. But, to each his own.

Where did I say I wanted gov't action regarding it? As far as society, yes you have a right to wear whatever you want but others also have a right to react to it in a manner they feel is appropriate as well.

[alpha_omega]

The real question is....would he have been admitted to the Power & Light District?

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

Where did I say I wanted gov't action regarding it? As far as society, yes you have a right to wear whatever you want but others also have a right to react to it in a manner they feel is appropriate as well.

Sorry, wasn't really a response to your post. Shoudl have posted it as a stand alone post.

Not the same level obviously but same basic principle.....our fellow citizens want to be Nazis and march down main street saying Heil Hitler. They have that right. Dude wants to wear baggy pants while he is walking down a public sidewalk.....so be it.

[DJJasonp]

While I'm not an advocate for baggy pants.....if one's ass isnt showing, who the hell cares?

But I have to admit, my first thought on this was....what in the HELL is Billie Joe doing on a southwest airlines cattle-car flight?

The man is mega-rich. If not his own plane, you'd think he'd at least be on an airline that offered first-class.

I have this image of Billie Joel, stuck in the middle seat between two fat people....and the kid in front of him with the chair leaned all the way back into his lap.

This does not scream rock-star people.

I understand not wanting to be an elitist and having a persona that says "I'm an average joe, just like you"......but some things, at his income, just arent worth the hassle (such as flying coach with SW airlines).

[Brock]

I'm okay with this.

[Warrior5]

Good job Southwest.

[LiveSteam]

I never see Mexicans wearing saggy pants?

[Demonpenz]

his response? Wake me up when september ends.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

"It was a quick argument. A very tense 30 seconds," said Qiu, an associate producer for news website 7Live.

A male flight attendant in his 50s tracked down Armstrong and a male companion as they attempted to stow their bags in the overhead bins, she said.

"The flight attendant walked up to him and said, 'Pull your pants up,'" she said. "And (Armstrong) said, 'Don't you have more important things to do?'"

The male flight attendant again asked him to pull his pants up and warned him he would be kicked off the flight if he did not.

"I'm just trying to get in my (expletive) seat," the rocker responded Qiu said.

And just like that, the musician, a Rodeo native, and his friend were escorted off the plane with the flight attendant.

Sounds like he actually got booted because he got lippy with the flight attendant. They dont put up with much lip anymore for obvious reasons.

[greg63]

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

Never understood the "coolness" of baggy pants, especially from wanna be gang bangers or thugs. On COPS I saw one of them get chased by the cops, he could of got away from them but his baggy pants fell to his knees and he fell on his face Damn that was funny.

Exactly, people have been doing this for nearly twenty years now; move onto the next ridiculous fashion embarrassment.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by greg63

Exactly, people have been doing this for nearly twenty years now; move onto the next ridiculous fashion embarrassment.

Actually, now that I think about it...I'm not sure I want them to do that. I'm scared of what they will come up with next.

[greg63]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

Actually, now that I think about it...I'm not sure I want them to do that. I'm scared of what they will come up with next.

Good point.

I understand that it originated in the 1990's in prisons to signify ease of "access".

[-King-]

Posted via Mobile Device

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by -King-

Posted via Mobile Device

That's a good point as well. Can't argue with it at all.

[Setsuna]

Dude needs to grow up and dress like a man. He's not 15 anymore. Pathetic.