Florida man started United flight for wearing underwear as mask in protest

A Florida man has kicked off a United flight for wearing a thong as a mask to protest the airline’s mask mandate.

The passenger, Adam Jenne, told the local news outlet. NBC2 that he believes he fulfilled the airline’s mask mandate, as the thong covered his nose and mouth on the December 15 flight between Ft. Lauderdale and Washington, DC

The airline staff, however, disagreed and took him off the flight.

Jenne, who compared herself to civil rights icon Rosa Parks, said she had previously worn a thong as a mask on several previous flights, with mixed responses from crew members.

“Every flight has had different reactions from the flight crew,” Jenne told NBC2. “Some with savage appreciation, others with confrontation.”

In a statement, United said it supports its staff’s decision to remove Jenne. The airline said that “the customer clearly did not comply with the federal mask mandate and we appreciate that our team addressed the issue on the ground prior to takeoff, avoiding potential disruptions in the air.”

United did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

Jenne has been barred from the airline until her case is reviewed by the Passenger Incident Review Committee, according to a local outlet. WTF, who also spoke to Jenne.

Additionally, he told WTFX that approximately a dozen passengers left the plane following his protest against the mask.

One man, he said, asked the cabin crew: “Did you just get fired for wearing a mask? I’m leaving here, forget it. I’m leaving here.”

Federal authorities and airline personnel have stepped up their efforts to crack down on unruly passengers after a series of high-profile incidents.

In late September, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) said it had received more than 4,300 incident reports from unruly passengers, the vast majority of which were related to masks.