A man in Florida has been banned from ever flying United again for wearing a lacy red thong on his face instead of a mask on multiple flights. He told local station NBC 2 after his most recent attempt, “I think the best way to illustrate absurdity is with absurdity.” He was booted from a flight from Fort Lauderdale to Washington, D.C., before it took off, and the Broward County sheriff met him at the gate. Other passengers went so far as to doff their masks and walk off the aircraft with him, he said. “Every single flight has been met with different reactions from the flight crew. Some with a wild appreciation, others confrontational,” he said, adding that he got a full refund for the flight and used the money to buy another ticket for Saturday. “COVID doesn’t know that we’re at cruising altitude. It’s stupid. The whole thing is theater. Hopefully, Spirit Airlines has a better sense of humor tomorrow,” he said.

United said in a statement, “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.”