Narrative:

During taxi to runway 27, we received 2 closeout weight manifests over our data link, followed by a message to contact company operations. Their message was that we needed to reseat some passenger who were boarded too far forward for our light fuel load and payload. The first officer was handling company communications and relayed the information to the flight attendants while I taxied and handled ground communications. I knew we would have to reseat, but didn't realize it was taking place until after the effort was started. Our operations manual states 'it's not F.a.right. To stop the airplane if passenger get up.' because we were already in motion, we were slow (maximum 10 KTS), we were sandwiched between taxiing airplanes, we no longer had ramp area to park on, and the taxiway is straight and didn't involve any runway xings nor any potential confrontations with aircraft exiting the 1 parallel runway, we elected to allow the flight attendants to quickly reseat the few passenger involved and report to us when that was accomplished. This irritated a private pilot passenger to the point where he threatened us with a violation. I then requested through our first flight attendant for him to see me when we 'block' at our destination (25 mins away). There, I explained to our passenger how our far 121 weight and balance compliance procedures work and how we pilots aren't directly involved in the calculations. Also, I pointed out to him the wording in our manual pertaining to passenger considerations during airplane movement and how I judged, based on the aforementioned facts, that safety wasn't compromised by not stopping once we were in motion and the process was initiated. This seemed to appease him, somewhat. If there existed any violation, it was perhaps our passenger's violation of far 91.11 with his 'threatening and intimidating' remarks to 'crew members in the performance of the crew member's duties aboard an aircraft being operated.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737 FLC ALLOWS THE CABIN ATTENDANTS TO RESEAT PAX WHILE THE ACFT IS IN MOTION, INDICATING THAT THIS PROC IS APPROVED BY THE FLT OPS MANUAL.

Narrative: DURING TAXI TO RWY 27, WE RECEIVED 2 CLOSEOUT WT MANIFESTS OVER OUR DATA LINK, FOLLOWED BY A MESSAGE TO CONTACT COMPANY OPS. THEIR MESSAGE WAS THAT WE NEEDED TO RESEAT SOME PAX WHO WERE BOARDED TOO FAR FORWARD FOR OUR LIGHT FUEL LOAD AND PAYLOAD. THE FO WAS HANDLING COMPANY COMS AND RELAYED THE INFO TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS WHILE I TAXIED AND HANDLED GND COMS. I KNEW WE WOULD HAVE TO RESEAT, BUT DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS TAKING PLACE UNTIL AFTER THE EFFORT WAS STARTED. OUR OPS MANUAL STATES 'IT'S NOT F.A.R. TO STOP THE AIRPLANE IF PAX GET UP.' BECAUSE WE WERE ALREADY IN MOTION, WE WERE SLOW (MAX 10 KTS), WE WERE SANDWICHED BTWN TAXIING AIRPLANES, WE NO LONGER HAD RAMP AREA TO PARK ON, AND THE TXWY IS STRAIGHT AND DIDN'T INVOLVE ANY RWY XINGS NOR ANY POTENTIAL CONFRONTATIONS WITH ACFT EXITING THE 1 PARALLEL RWY, WE ELECTED TO ALLOW THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO QUICKLY RESEAT THE FEW PAX INVOLVED AND RPT TO US WHEN THAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THIS IRRITATED A PVT PLT PAX TO THE POINT WHERE HE THREATENED US WITH A VIOLATION. I THEN REQUESTED THROUGH OUR FIRST FLT ATTENDANT FOR HIM TO SEE ME WHEN WE 'BLOCK' AT OUR DEST (25 MINS AWAY). THERE, I EXPLAINED TO OUR PAX HOW OUR FAR 121 WT AND BAL COMPLIANCE PROCS WORK AND HOW WE PLTS AREN'T DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE CALCULATIONS. ALSO, I POINTED OUT TO HIM THE WORDING IN OUR MANUAL PERTAINING TO PAX CONSIDERATIONS DURING AIRPLANE MOVEMENT AND HOW I JUDGED, BASED ON THE AFOREMENTIONED FACTS, THAT SAFETY WASN'T COMPROMISED BY NOT STOPPING ONCE WE WERE IN MOTION AND THE PROCESS WAS INITIATED. THIS SEEMED TO APPEASE HIM, SOMEWHAT. IF THERE EXISTED ANY VIOLATION, IT WAS PERHAPS OUR PAX'S VIOLATION OF FAR 91.11 WITH HIS 'THREATENING AND INTIMIDATING' REMARKS TO 'CREW MEMBERS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CREW MEMBER'S DUTIES ABOARD AN ACFT BEING OPERATED.'

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.