Narrative:

The passenger boarded the aircraft 5 mins prior to departure. His seat was in the second row of main cabin. The incident began when 'his' overhead bin was full. I explained to him that the overhead bins are shared space, that people bring on a lot of carry-on bags, and that there was plenty of room for his bag since the plane was not full. He then put his air carrier member card close to my face and yelled that he 'was supposed to situation in first class anyway' and that I had better find him room up there for his bags. That was not possible because it was completely full as well as all of the closets. Meanwhile, I had also been helping a woman to find a space for her bags. I made room for her about 3 overhead bins back from him. When the angry man saw that I had found a space for the woman, he yelled in her face that she 'was a disgrace' and that she had 'better move her bag' so that he could have that space. While this was going on, I cleared the overhead bin immediately behind hers. He yelled that it was not close enough to his seat and that he didn't like the way I handled the situation and demanded my name. I told him that I was not permitted to give him my name for security purposes and that I didn't understand why because I was very accommodating to him. He wanted to talk to who was in charge. I said that I was, and the captain. I asked for his help and his reaction was, 'I can't be bothered with this, go get the agent.' I thought that this was wrong because we are always told that the captain was in charge of his aircraft. I feel that he should have at least had a word with the man, to tell him that if he did not stop this behavior, that he would be removed from the flight. He should at least be aware of who will be on his aircraft, who may cause a further disturbance during the flight. The agent then gave him my name and closed the door as I said to them that I did not want to be on this plane with this man. They told me that he would probably behave the rest of the flight. How could they know? This is the kind of person who thinks that if they cause a big enough scene on the airplane, that the airline will give them whatever they want. They create an explosive situation where there really isn't a problem. I think that flight attendants should have the absolute authority/authorized as police officers do, to have a passenger taken off a flight.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING AN UNRULY PAX WHO EXPECTED SPECIAL TREATMENT WHEN THE OVERHEAD BIN WAS FILLED. HE WAS OBNOXIOUS TO THE FLT ATTENDANT AND TO ANOTHER PAX.

Narrative: THE PAX BOARDED THE ACFT 5 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. HIS SEAT WAS IN THE SECOND ROW OF MAIN CABIN. THE INCIDENT BEGAN WHEN 'HIS' OVERHEAD BIN WAS FULL. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT THE OVERHEAD BINS ARE SHARED SPACE, THAT PEOPLE BRING ON A LOT OF CARRY-ON BAGS, AND THAT THERE WAS PLENTY OF ROOM FOR HIS BAG SINCE THE PLANE WAS NOT FULL. HE THEN PUT HIS ACR MEMBER CARD CLOSE TO MY FACE AND YELLED THAT HE 'WAS SUPPOSED TO SIT IN FIRST CLASS ANYWAY' AND THAT I HAD BETTER FIND HIM ROOM UP THERE FOR HIS BAGS. THAT WAS NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT WAS COMPLETELY FULL AS WELL AS ALL OF THE CLOSETS. MEANWHILE, I HAD ALSO BEEN HELPING A WOMAN TO FIND A SPACE FOR HER BAGS. I MADE ROOM FOR HER ABOUT 3 OVERHEAD BINS BACK FROM HIM. WHEN THE ANGRY MAN SAW THAT I HAD FOUND A SPACE FOR THE WOMAN, HE YELLED IN HER FACE THAT SHE 'WAS A DISGRACE' AND THAT SHE HAD 'BETTER MOVE HER BAG' SO THAT HE COULD HAVE THAT SPACE. WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON, I CLRED THE OVERHEAD BIN IMMEDIATELY BEHIND HERS. HE YELLED THAT IT WAS NOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO HIS SEAT AND THAT HE DIDN'T LIKE THE WAY I HANDLED THE SIT AND DEMANDED MY NAME. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS NOT PERMITTED TO GIVE HIM MY NAME FOR SECURITY PURPOSES AND THAT I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY BECAUSE I WAS VERY ACCOMMODATING TO HIM. HE WANTED TO TALK TO WHO WAS IN CHARGE. I SAID THAT I WAS, AND THE CAPT. I ASKED FOR HIS HELP AND HIS REACTION WAS, 'I CAN'T BE BOTHERED WITH THIS, GO GET THE AGENT.' I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS WRONG BECAUSE WE ARE ALWAYS TOLD THAT THE CAPT WAS IN CHARGE OF HIS ACFT. I FEEL THAT HE SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST HAD A WORD WITH THE MAN, TO TELL HIM THAT IF HE DID NOT STOP THIS BEHAVIOR, THAT HE WOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE FLT. HE SHOULD AT LEAST BE AWARE OF WHO WILL BE ON HIS ACFT, WHO MAY CAUSE A FURTHER DISTURBANCE DURING THE FLT. THE AGENT THEN GAVE HIM MY NAME AND CLOSED THE DOOR AS I SAID TO THEM THAT I DID NOT WANT TO BE ON THIS PLANE WITH THIS MAN. THEY TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD PROBABLY BEHAVE THE REST OF THE FLT. HOW COULD THEY KNOW? THIS IS THE KIND OF PERSON WHO THINKS THAT IF THEY CAUSE A BIG ENOUGH SCENE ON THE AIRPLANE, THAT THE AIRLINE WILL GIVE THEM WHATEVER THEY WANT. THEY CREATE AN EXPLOSIVE SIT WHERE THERE REALLY ISN'T A PROB. I THINK THAT FLT ATTENDANTS SHOULD HAVE THE ABSOLUTE AUTH AS POLICE OFFICERS DO, TO HAVE A PAX TAKEN OFF A FLT.

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.