January 1, Man Banned From Airline After Wearing Thong As Mask [Video]

A Florida man was banned from flying on United Airlines after wearing thong underwear as a mask in protest of the federal mandate.

Cape Coral resident Adam Jenne wore a red thong as a mask on board a flight from Washington, D.C., to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. But he didn’t get to complete his trip, as he was booted off the flight before it departed.

“I think the best way to illustrate absurdity is with absurdity,” Jenne said. 

The United Airlines flight wasn’t the first time Jenne wore the undergarment as a mask.

“Every single flight has been met with different reactions from the flight crew,” said Jenne. “Some with a wild appreciation, others confrontational.”

He said he’s ultimately made it to his destination — but not this time. Broward County Sheriff’s Office met him after being removed from the plane.

“Eventually, they called TSA and airport security,” Jenne said. “I ended up staying at the gate for about 45 minutes.”

Jenne said he intended to protest peacefully, “not to ruin anybody else’s day.”

United Airlines released a statement, standing by the employees who confronted Jenne.

“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 on the air.”

“It’s all nonsense. COVID doesn’t know that we’re at cruising altitude. It’s stupid. The whole thing is theater,” Jenne said. 

Jenne received a refund for his flight and booked another in its place.

“Hopefully, Spirit Airlines has a better sense of humor tomorrow,” Jenne said.

During a recent hearing on airline oversight, Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly told a Senate panel that face masks “don’t add much” additional protection against the spread of the coronavirus on airplanes.

“The statistics, I recall, is that 99.97 percent of airborne pathogens are captured by the HEPA [high-efficiency particulate air] filtering system, and it’s turned over every two or three minutes,” Kelly told the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.

“I think the case is very strong that masks don’t add much, if anything, in the air cabin,” he said. “The environment is very safe, very high quality compared to any other indoor setting.”

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Florida man banned from United Airlines after wearing thong as mask in protest