Narrative:

Passenger mr X boarded with open container of alcohol. Flight attendant, who was hired and working for 1 week, came to ask me to tell mr X to comply with regulations. She informed me that he smelled of alcohol and thought his drink he brought on board was a beer. I approached mr X and asked him, as I took the seat next to him, as not to embarrass him, what he was drinking and replied in a very caustic, sarcastic manner, 'root beer.' I leaned forward and I could smell the alcohol in the full container placed on the tray table. I told mr X that it was against FAA regulations to bring on personal alcohol or any open container and that I would need to take it. There was no apology or mention that he was not aware of the regulation, but instead started yelling that I was being picky. He repeated and bantered these remarks over and over, 'you're just being picky!' I told him he could ask the captain and I invited him to come forward. I asked the captain to smell the drink. He supported the fact that it was alcohol, beer or liquor, and told mr X that he needed to listen to me that the regulations are...and I repeated them. He then started saying how picky I was since the last flight attendants he came in from sat let him bring on an open can of beer and said nothing about it. During our beverage service, we did not serve him alcohol and again we had to put up with his abusive remarks. I had told the captain that I did not care to have him as a passenger because he would most likely cause problems later. I called the captain. He said that he would come out if he bothered us again, and I said that would probably be a fine for him if he, the captain, has to leave the cockpit. I wasn't informed, but the captain spoke to a captain who was pass-riding and seated 2 rows behind mr X, asking captain to assist in the matter if need be. On landing, mr X was at the agent's desk demanding my name. He wrote a letter to company and as I was reporting the incident by phone, started yelling again. I told the captain that he needed to talk to this man, assist me in this matter. He elected to stay 'out of it,' and called a lead agent. Mr X, in his yelling, said he didn't know the regulations and I was insulting to him by taking his drink. In his abrasive streams of accusations, I reminded him that my initial question was 'what was he drinking?' his answer to me was root beer. He thought his answer was comical. I stated this is not a joking matter, and as a 'frequent' passenger he should be aware of the regulations. Mr X is a 'frequent' passenger. My suggestion is to have this regulation posted everywhere in the bars, restaurants, jetbridge doors, ticket flyers, etc. Small wording on page 65 in the company magazine (as we showed him) doesn't impress or sound at all threatening or believable. Please help us!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING AN S80 FLT ON WHICH A PAX BOARDED WITH AN OPEN CONTAINER OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE. WHEN TOLD OF THE REGS HE BECAME ABUSIVE AND SHOUTED AT THE FLT ATTENDANT. CAPT DID NOT REMOVE THE PAX WHEN FLT ATTENDANT INDICATED SHE WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH HIM ON BOARD.

Narrative: PAX MR X BOARDED WITH OPEN CONTAINER OF ALCOHOL. FLT ATTENDANT, WHO WAS HIRED AND WORKING FOR 1 WK, CAME TO ASK ME TO TELL MR X TO COMPLY WITH REGS. SHE INFORMED ME THAT HE SMELLED OF ALCOHOL AND THOUGHT HIS DRINK HE BROUGHT ON BOARD WAS A BEER. I APCHED MR X AND ASKED HIM, AS I TOOK THE SEAT NEXT TO HIM, AS NOT TO EMBARRASS HIM, WHAT HE WAS DRINKING AND REPLIED IN A VERY CAUSTIC, SARCASTIC MANNER, 'ROOT BEER.' I LEANED FORWARD AND I COULD SMELL THE ALCOHOL IN THE FULL CONTAINER PLACED ON THE TRAY TABLE. I TOLD MR X THAT IT WAS AGAINST FAA REGS TO BRING ON PERSONAL ALCOHOL OR ANY OPEN CONTAINER AND THAT I WOULD NEED TO TAKE IT. THERE WAS NO APOLOGY OR MENTION THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE OF THE REG, BUT INSTEAD STARTED YELLING THAT I WAS BEING PICKY. HE REPEATED AND BANTERED THESE REMARKS OVER AND OVER, 'YOU'RE JUST BEING PICKY!' I TOLD HIM HE COULD ASK THE CAPT AND I INVITED HIM TO COME FORWARD. I ASKED THE CAPT TO SMELL THE DRINK. HE SUPPORTED THE FACT THAT IT WAS ALCOHOL, BEER OR LIQUOR, AND TOLD MR X THAT HE NEEDED TO LISTEN TO ME THAT THE REGS ARE...AND I REPEATED THEM. HE THEN STARTED SAYING HOW PICKY I WAS SINCE THE LAST FLT ATTENDANTS HE CAME IN FROM SAT LET HIM BRING ON AN OPEN CAN OF BEER AND SAID NOTHING ABOUT IT. DURING OUR BEVERAGE SVC, WE DID NOT SERVE HIM ALCOHOL AND AGAIN WE HAD TO PUT UP WITH HIS ABUSIVE REMARKS. I HAD TOLD THE CAPT THAT I DID NOT CARE TO HAVE HIM AS A PAX BECAUSE HE WOULD MOST LIKELY CAUSE PROBS LATER. I CALLED THE CAPT. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD COME OUT IF HE BOTHERED US AGAIN, AND I SAID THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE A FINE FOR HIM IF HE, THE CAPT, HAS TO LEAVE THE COCKPIT. I WASN'T INFORMED, BUT THE CAPT SPOKE TO A CAPT WHO WAS PASS-RIDING AND SEATED 2 ROWS BEHIND MR X, ASKING CAPT TO ASSIST IN THE MATTER IF NEED BE. ON LNDG, MR X WAS AT THE AGENT'S DESK DEMANDING MY NAME. HE WROTE A LETTER TO COMPANY AND AS I WAS RPTING THE INCIDENT BY PHONE, STARTED YELLING AGAIN. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT HE NEEDED TO TALK TO THIS MAN, ASSIST ME IN THIS MATTER. HE ELECTED TO STAY 'OUT OF IT,' AND CALLED A LEAD AGENT. MR X, IN HIS YELLING, SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW THE REGS AND I WAS INSULTING TO HIM BY TAKING HIS DRINK. IN HIS ABRASIVE STREAMS OF ACCUSATIONS, I REMINDED HIM THAT MY INITIAL QUESTION WAS 'WHAT WAS HE DRINKING?' HIS ANSWER TO ME WAS ROOT BEER. HE THOUGHT HIS ANSWER WAS COMICAL. I STATED THIS IS NOT A JOKING MATTER, AND AS A 'FREQUENT' PAX HE SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE REGS. MR X IS A 'FREQUENT' PAX. MY SUGGESTION IS TO HAVE THIS REG POSTED EVERYWHERE IN THE BARS, RESTAURANTS, JETBRIDGE DOORS, TICKET FLYERS, ETC. SMALL WORDING ON PAGE 65 IN THE COMPANY MAGAZINE (AS WE SHOWED HIM) DOESN'T IMPRESS OR SOUND AT ALL THREATENING OR BELIEVABLE. PLEASE HELP US!

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.