A man says he has been 'banned' from flying with United Airlines after he wore a thong as a face mask during a recent flight. Watch below:
Adam Jenne, from Cape Coral, boarded a flight from Fort Lauderdale Airport bound for Washington, DC, on Wednesday (15 December).
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But rather than wearing the standard face mask most people have taken to using over the the past couple of years, he decided to make a statement, donning a bright red thong.
However, the stunt didn't go down too well with cabin crew, who confronted Mr Jenne about his mask and kicked him off for refusing to comply with the rules.
Speaking to Fox News, Mr Jenne said it was a farce and that he doesn't believe the masks make a difference.
He said: "There's nothing more absurd than having to wear a mask until I get to cruising altitude so that I can order Tito's by the double and snack on pretzels.
"And illustrating that absurdity by wearing women’s underwear on my face sounds perfect."
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Mr Jenne told NBC News that it was all just completely ridiculous.
"It’s all nonsense, it's all nonsense," he told the channel
"COVID doesn’t know that we’re at cruising altitude. It’s stupid. The whole thing is theatre."
Mr Jenne explained that this isn't the first time he has worn a thong on a plane, revealing that he has done it about two dozen times in the past.
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And he said that each time he has been met with a different reaction from airline staff.
"Every single flight has been met with different reactions from the flight crew," he said.
"Some with a wild appreciation, others confrontational."
But while you might think that this would be a pretty cut and dry issue, with Mr Jenne being booted off and the plane then heading of on its merry way, it wasn't.
After witnessing the stand-off, other passengers reportedly got involved, with some even leaving the flight in protest.
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Mr Jenne said: "People started following, just filing off the plane, maybe a dozen, something like that."
But he said he wasn't put off by the treatment he received and planned to pull the same stunt again.
He added: "Hopefully, Spirit Airlines has a better sense of humour."
In a statement about the incident, United Airlines said it was proud of the way its staff handled the situation.
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A spokesperson for the airline said: "The customer clearly wasn’t in compliance with the federal mask mandate and we appreciate that our team addressed the issue on the ground prior to takeoff, avoiding any potential disruptions [in] the air."
Featured Image Credit: NBC NewsTopics: Coronavirus, Health, US News, United Airlines, Travel