United Boots Florida Man From Flight for Wearing Thong as Mask

A Florida man who was kicked off a United Airlines flight this week for wearing a woman's thong panties as a facemask says he dons the underwear to protest airline mask mandates, and he thinks he was in compliance with federal regulations because both his nose and mouth were covered.

The passenger, Adam Jenne of Cape Coral, told Southwest Florida news outlet Fox4 that he's worn a thong as a mask on other flights during the pandemic, and "every single flight has been met with different reactions from the flight crew, some with a wild appreciation, others confrontational."

But on Wednesday's flight between Ft. Lauderdale and Washington, D.C., the flight crew decided to remove Jenne, and United said it's standing behind its move.

"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," United said in a statement. 

The airline has banned Jenne until his case goes through a review by the Passenger Incident Review Committee, 

Jenne said about a dozen passengers also left the plane after he was kicked off. 

"It’s nonsense, it’s all nonsense," said Jenne. "COVID doesn’t know that we’re cruising at altitude. It’s stupid, the whole thing is theatre."

Jenne said he still thinks he did nothing wrong and insisted that "your rights end where mine begin. You don't get to tell me how I conduct myself." 

He also said he thinks his thong mask meets the federal and airline guidelines but added that he was also asked to leave a Delta Airlines flight for tying on the underwear rather than a more traditional mask. 

The federal mask mandates for airlines and other interstate transportation sources was one of President Joe Biden's first executive orders. He has renewed those mandates until March.

This fall, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) said it had gotten more than 4,300 reports about passengers being unruly. Most of those complaints were related to the mask mandate. 

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