Jets QB Geno Smith was kicked off a Virgin America flight on Friday because he allegedly refused to stop talking on his cell phone. It seems Smith has been getting attention lately for all the wrong reasons, and this time he seemingly took a page right out of Alec Baldwin’s book of antics.
There is a reason why airlines request electronic devices be turned off when they are leaving the ground. Apparently the signal from a cell phone , iPod, or tablet can interfere with communications between the pilot and air traffic controllers. The average passenger jet is filled with people, luggage, and a lot of fuel, so safety is a serious concern.
The flight attendant had asked Jets QB Geno Smith to stop talking on his cell phone as the Virgin America flight from LAX to his home in Fort Lauderdale remained unmoving. They had allegedly asked him three times before calling LAX police to escort him off the flight. Reportedly Virgin America is one of the least likely airlines to call the police, but Smith allegedly crossed the line.
Geno Smith allegedly escorted off plane by LAX cops: http://t.co/0qJNTlfafh
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) January 17, 2014
At around 2:30pm, Smith was allegedly escorted off of the flight and left talking with police in the airport. The airline allegedly refused to reschedule his flight.
A source from the airport confirmed:
“[Geno Smith] was on the plane. The crew didn’t push off [take-off] because he was on the phone. So, the captain ordered him off the plane. Virgin America wouldn’t rebook him. … When a flight attendant tells you to get off the phone, you get off the phone.”
Jets QB Geno Smith countered the accusations that he was holding up the works on board the flight, allegedly telling the press that it happened “because he was black.” He claims the flight attendant caused the incident.
According to a source close to Geno Smith, the flight attendant had asked the Jets QB to remove his headphones and get off the phone. When the flight attendant allegedly yanked the headphone cord out of the jack, Smith asked why they did that, and they claimed he had been asked to remove them. This was when Smith claims he was asked to leave the plane, and did so on his own.
It is unclear who is telling the truth in this situation, but the New York Jets have confirmed that they heard about the incident and have begun investigation into the matter. Is Virgin America profiling Jets QB Geno Smith, or did Smith actually create the problem?
