Anti-Masker's Bizarre Airplane Story Has Rough Landing On Twitter
A philanthropist and entrepreneur who has been accused of spreading misinformation on COVID-19 was thoroughly mocked on social media Friday after a smug post about an incident he supposedly had on an airplane.
Steve Kirsch, the founder of an anti-vaccine group called Vaccine Safety Research Foundation and a former HuffPost contributor, took to Twitter to relay an experience he said he had with a fellow passenger who, unlike him, was wearing a mask.
“I am on board a Delta flight right now. The person sitting next to me in first class refused $100,000 to remove her mask for the entire flight,” he wrote alongside a selfie from the plane. “She works for a pharma company.”
I am on board a Delta flight right now. The person sitting next to me in first class refused $100,000 to remove her mask for the entire flight. No joke. This was after I explained they don’t work. She works for a pharma company. pic.twitter.com/Q8Hwzhkmxf
— Steve Kirsch (@stkirsch) March 10, 2023
In a thread, Kirsch detailed how he had offered the woman the money and why he did so — not seeming to realize he came across as the seatmate from hell, full of self-righteousness but little self-awareness.
And I started the bidding at $100.
— Steve Kirsch (@stkirsch) March 10, 2023
And I pointed out that when she removed the mask for eating and drinking, she could be infected with one breath. So she had full disclosure.
— Steve Kirsch (@stkirsch) March 10, 2023
Maybe next time I’ll sit next to someone who had an account at Silicon Valley Bank.
— Steve Kirsch (@stkirsch) March 10, 2023
The tweet seemed to be a sequel to one he posted Tuesday, when he said he offered $10,000 to others on a plane if they would take off their masks for the duration of the flight.
He said they declined, and he wondered if increasing the amount would “quantify the amount of brainwashing.”
Kirsch did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While Kirsch may have viewed himself as a truth-seeker only trying to help people find their way in a weary world, other Twitter users had different ideas.
Some suggested that maybe, just maybe, he should have left his fellow Delta passenger alone.
Aside from this doofus being wrong about mask efficacy (we don’t know what kind of mask this woman was wearing), imagine having to be harassed by this feral dweeb and self-identified “critical thinker” while you’re just trying to enjoy your flight. https://t.co/WzKx2ZzkRI
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) March 10, 2023
The fact that this absolute clown thought posting a selfie made this less creepy. https://t.co/TeEILSvUWM
— Sophie Rae Lichterman (@why_sophie_why) March 10, 2023
Maybe she refused because you're a creepy looking douchebag stranger bothering her and she felt threatened? That's most likely the part you left out https://t.co/HZuQcrdoLg
— William K. Wolfrum (@Wolfrum) March 10, 2023
I like to watch a movie on the plane or do a little journaling, personally. Sometimes I talk to my seat mate when someone needs to get up to pee. “excuse me,” “you’re welcome,” things of that nature https://t.co/0CtHa7jF6j
— Anna Merlan (@annamerlan) March 10, 2023
if a rando old dude on a flight started trying to pay me to take off my mask, I would assume they were an unhinged creep and ignore them
and in your case, my assumption would be correct https://t.co/bZbubCV3B9— sam (@sam_d_1995) March 10, 2023
All this faux drama you created because the person sitting next to you was minding their own business. Stop bothering people.
No joke. https://t.co/s64e5iUTOb— JerriLynn (@Jerri_Lynn25) March 10, 2023
This lady speaks for everyone reading this thread. https://t.co/D07Rbw1awBpic.twitter.com/oe1PYFplBC
— John A. Daly (@JohnDalyBooks) March 10, 2023
If this guy did this to me I would take off my socks on the plane https://t.co/99nN9CAh3f
— Ernie Smith is also @ernie@writing.exchange (@ShortFormErnie) March 10, 2023
Others felt there was a good reason for the woman to say no to Kirsch’s offer.
if the dad from alf offered me a cartoonish amount of money to take off an article of my clothing on a flight I would also say no https://t.co/MbxIiQc0bA
— Miss Gender (@girldrawsghosts) March 10, 2023
Some felt Kirsch was making assumptions about people without knowing the full story.
these tweets are so weird… what if they were visiting an elderly relative or a severely immunocompromised person? are you supposed to put a price on their life? you don’t know their story https://t.co/xE3Axb3k6x
— LeGate (@williamlegate) March 10, 2023
Others saw a potential business opportunity.
brb, going to the airport to wear my mask and ask all balding middle-aged white men with glasses for $100,000 https://t.co/0r3Mvm3CHp
— siraj hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) March 10, 2023
I will pay $100,000 to the first person to provide video proof of wiggling their bare feet against this man’s neck on an airplane https://t.co/ujr7tLBx79
— Holly Anderson 🍇 (@HollyAnderson) March 10, 2023
But one man found a solution that would have pleased everyone.
Taking my mask off, collecting the money, then whispering “I have it” into this guy’s ear https://t.co/jfTHdElaGK
— Chase Mitchell (@ChaseMit) March 10, 2023