Narrative:

During taxi into jackson, ms, after landing, a passenger in the aft cabin got up from his seat and proceeded to the forward entry door, so that he would be the first to exit the aircraft. Other passengers observing this began to stand up also. I found this out when saying goodbye to the passengers at the entry door and an FAA inspector, who had been seated next to the first passenger, informed me. He also made the comment the F/a told the passenger it was ok to get up. This really surprised me because not only does the company emphasize the importance of keeping the passenger seated until the aircraft has come to a stop at the gate in F/a training but I also emphasized it in our crew brief before departure. After all the passengers had departed I discussed what had happened with all the F/a's. It seems the passenger was on his way to a funeral and was late. He asked if he could disembark first and the F/a told him he would have to wait until we stopped at the gate before he could get up. He became very insistent and the F/a then told him 'if he did get up and go the the exit before the aircraft stopped she guessed there was nothing she could do to stop him'. I told the F/a that the way she worded it, sounded almost like an invitation to get up even though that was not her intent. In the future she should always make any safety action with a passenger sound like an inequivocal order. It appears that good communications are not only important in the cockpit and with ATC but also in dealing with passengers. Perhaps our company should place more importance on assertiveness and command training for our F/a's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PASSENGER ON ACR FLT LEAVES HIS SEAT WHILE ACFT IS TAXIING IN SO THAT HE MAY BE FIRST OFF THE ACFT.

Narrative: DURING TAXI INTO JACKSON, MS, AFTER LNDG, A PAX IN THE AFT CABIN GOT UP FROM HIS SEAT AND PROCEEDED TO THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR, SO THAT HE WOULD BE THE FIRST TO EXIT THE ACFT. OTHER PAXS OBSERVING THIS BEGAN TO STAND UP ALSO. I FOUND THIS OUT WHEN SAYING GOODBYE TO THE PAXS AT THE ENTRY DOOR AND AN FAA INSPECTOR, WHO HAD BEEN SEATED NEXT TO THE FIRST PAX, INFORMED ME. HE ALSO MADE THE COMMENT THE F/A TOLD THE PAX IT WAS OK TO GET UP. THIS REALLY SURPRISED ME BECAUSE NOT ONLY DOES THE COMPANY EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING THE PAX SEATED UNTIL THE ACFT HAS COME TO A STOP AT THE GATE IN F/A TRNING BUT I ALSO EMPHASIZED IT IN OUR CREW BRIEF BEFORE DEP. AFTER ALL THE PAXS HAD DEPARTED I DISCUSSED WHAT HAD HAPPENED WITH ALL THE F/A'S. IT SEEMS THE PAX WAS ON HIS WAY TO A FUNERAL AND WAS LATE. HE ASKED IF HE COULD DISEMBARK FIRST AND THE F/A TOLD HIM HE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL WE STOPPED AT THE GATE BEFORE HE COULD GET UP. HE BECAME VERY INSISTENT AND THE F/A THEN TOLD HIM 'IF HE DID GET UP AND GO THE THE EXIT BEFORE THE ACFT STOPPED SHE GUESSED THERE WAS NOTHING SHE COULD DO TO STOP HIM'. I TOLD THE F/A THAT THE WAY SHE WORDED IT, SOUNDED ALMOST LIKE AN INVITATION TO GET UP EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS NOT HER INTENT. IN THE FUTURE SHE SHOULD ALWAYS MAKE ANY SAFETY ACTION WITH A PAX SOUND LIKE AN INEQUIVOCAL ORDER. IT APPEARS THAT GOOD COMS ARE NOT ONLY IMPORTANT IN THE COCKPIT AND WITH ATC BUT ALSO IN DEALING WITH PAXS. PERHAPS OUR COMPANY SHOULD PLACE MORE IMPORTANCE ON ASSERTIVENESS AND COMMAND TRNING FOR OUR F/A'S.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.