West Coast, Messed Coast™ — SW Airlines Just Blew Up its Overweight Bag Policy

Republicans voted with Democrats to continue warrantless spying on American citizens, U.S. taxpayer bank errors continue in Volodymyr Zelenskyy's favor, and Joe Biden is to be impeached. It was a huge news week. And then popular Southwest Airlines made an announcement that crowded out all the rest of the news — especially since it was timed right before the Christmas travelganza. 

Welcome to the West Coast, Messed Coast™ update, where this week, dear reader, the airline that prides itself on organized cattle calls—"moo!"—fell from the slipstream with an announcement that made more than a few ripples with the counting contrails crowd—and everyone else who's ever tried to bring an extra or overweight bag aboard. 

Large Bags

The popular airline confirmed a longstanding yet sotto voce policy after social media users blew up the news that Southwest Airlines literally gives away free-of-charge seats to "customers of size" if they've already purchased one seat. 

But that's not all—they can have the entire aisle if they need it. 

From Fox Business:

Southwest provided its policy to Fox Business which said that passengers of size "have the option of purchasing just one seat and then discussing your seating needs with the Customer Service Agent at the departure gate. If it’s determined that a second (or third) seat is needed, you’ll be accommodated with a complimentary additional seat." 

In a business whose survival is based on precisely balancing weight throughout a metal cigar-shaped tube hurled through the atmosphere or else, the news that overweight people were given free seats on the airline was more than a bit surprising. Reactions ranged from being glad overweight passengers essentially would be getting their own aisle to wondering how the math worked. "All fine and dandy until you are bumped off your flight so a large person can sit in your seat," wrote one person. Another sniped, "Do they get two meals and drinks for the price of one as well?" One publication wondered if "rewarding obesity" was a smart move. 

And why aren't tall people offered extra legroom for free, anyway?

But perhaps the most on-point reactions were from people who wondered why they should be charged for overweight bags when others were rewarded with an extra seat for their extra weight. 

Southwest charges for bags over 50 pounds.  

• Up to 50 pounds each
• 62 inches in size (length + width + height)
• Three+ Bags: $125 per bag
• Oversize Bag: $125 per bag (max 80 inches)
• Overweight Bag: 
  • $100 per bag (51 - 70 lbs.)
  • OR
  • $125 per bag (71 - 100 lbs.)

Many suggested that ticket prices be based on the baggage weight. 

Elk Hunting Legalized in Downtown Portland

During 2020's Summer of Love, Portland Antifa and Black Lives Matter art critics toppled statues of "horrible" and "oppressive" white men, including the president who freed slaves in America, Abraham Lincoln. The evil man who conceived the idea of the national parks system, President Teddy Roosevelt, was also tipped. These acts of vandalism came after the same bunch tried to destroy a statue of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, who possessed more knowledge in his big toe than these Antifa droids do in their entire bodies, including their spray-painted pink hair. As predicted by President Trump, the statue of George Washington was also vandalized. 

Related: Update on the Pilot Who Tried to Bring Down Alaska Airlines Plane With 83 People on Board

For those unfortunate enough to be public school spawn in Portland, let me explain. George Washington was a cisgender Founding Father and beloved general who practiced toxic masculinity by winning the Revolutionary War. He was later elected America's first president. He could have gone home to his big farm on the Potomac River, where he invented better ways to produce crops (including hemp – you'll have been taught all about it) and could have named himself king for life, but due to personal integrity (look it up), after his self-limited terms of office, went back to Mount Vernon, where he freed his slaves. Because he was white, however, his statue was ordered smashed by Antifa and BLM. 

The Transtifa and other males had to sit down to urinate on the statue. 

2 weeks ago, the Washington statue in Portland was toppled, set on fire & urinated upon by antifa. No suspects identified & city removed it. Last night the elk statue was set on fire & has also been removed. @PortlandPolice & city have no intention of protecting public monuments. pic.twitter.com/GxrveObliw

— Andy Ngô 🏳️‍🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) July 3, 2020

After these statue destructions,  the rioters came for a popular elk statue stationed near the federal courthouse and Multnomah County "Justice" Center. 

This is what’s left of the Portland elk fountain after antifa militants set it on fire two days ago in the name of BLM. The flames severely damaged the base of the statue, causing the city to remove the elk over fears it could topple & injure someone.

No one was arrested. pic.twitter.com/gTpYPZga7L

— Andy Ngô 🏳️‍🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) July 3, 2020

The total amount of damage done by these civic thieves has never been firmly established nor disseminated. It runs into the hundreds of millions of dollars at the very least. Taxpayers and insurance companies, the prestige of the city, business owners who bet on the town, were torched. Tourism hasn't recovered and may never fully come back. Businesses are still boarded up. People are afraid to go downtown. 

These are problems of the city's own making by indulging these civil blackmailers. 

This week, we learned that Portland is returning the elk to its old post after paying more than $1.3 million to refurbish and restore it and the fountain on which it stands astride.  

Related: 'Pathological Liar' or 'Brave' Victim? The Curious Case of the 'Islamophobic Hate Crime' at Stanford

Luxury beliefs are expensive. 

City Commissioner Dan Ryan struck a Washingtonian pose when he bravely said, "I’m so grateful it’s an animal." He continued, "Going forward, animals over people for sure, right? It’s easier on everyone’s tolerance... If you can’t get behind the elk, I don’t know what to do with you.” 

Only one person was arrested the night the elk statue was set on fire and nearly destroyed. That charge wasn't for the elk, it was for firebombing the Oregon Historical Society, breaking all the windows, and trying to set it on fire. 

The quick takeaway is that elk hunting is still legal in Portland and the tag is free for Antifa and BLM.

Taking Attendance

Oregon was the first in the nation to give power to the people by way of popular initiative. Recently, the people have shown themselves to be pretty dumb. This isn't a knock on the initiative process per se, but rather on the people, whose intellect, integrity, and civic preparedness are not up to scratch because they are dependent on blue-haired, sexually confused, red-diaper babies with degrees from Portland State University's "teachers" widget factory. 

The "people" have recently passed measures to subvert the Second Amendment, let people experiment with magic mushrooms on the taxpayer dime, and approve open-air drug taking. 

The latest initiative proffered by machine progressives and passed statewide by the people of Portland, seeks to stop lawmakers from using their lack of attendance at the state legislature to deny a quorum to the communists who run the state. Organized walkouts by left and right lawmakers have occurred over the years. However, since the advent of the mail-in ballot, that tool has been used mostly by Republicans since they don't get elected much anymore and are outnumbered.

The initiative mandates that lawmakers who engage in these kinds of tactics be denied the ability to run for legislative office in the future. 

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“Failure to attend, without permission or excuse, ten or more legislative floor sessions called to transact business during a regular or special legislative session shall be deemed disorderly behavior and shall disqualify the member from holding office as a Senator or Representative or the term following the election after the member’s current term is completed.”

This would seem to be unconstitutional on its face, but the measure begins its journey in the state Supreme Court on Friday. Appellants must use their own money. State apparatchiks use house money (that's yours) to defend the dumb idea.

This is how it starts: part 1

When you're a private property owner and are fined by the city for having two cars on your own property: 

$660 fine is insane pic.twitter.com/umisNV8Hkb

— Clown World ™ 🤡 (@ClownWorld_) December 14, 2023

This is how it starts: part 2

pic.twitter.com/l0uLWRUyk0

— Clown World ™ 🤡 (@ClownWorld_) December 14, 2023

Merry Christmas

This story from Nextdoor should happen more often.

I would like to thank the wonderful couple that paid for our meal at Wind N Sea on Wednesday. We are three retired women and were out for a little holiday get together for lunch. As we were finishing up our meal, they walked over and said “Happy Holiday” we paid for your meal! We were in shock as it was the nicest thing anybody has ever done for us! Again, thank you and know you made our Holiday Season wonderful! Happy Holidays!

Until next week, West Coast, Messed Coast™ readers be like that couple.