Flight attendant report regarding a B767-300 flight during boarding which had an intoxicated passeng...

Narrative:

Passenger appeared intoxicated when boarding plane, smelled of alcohol. His first complaint was his seat. Through this conversation flight attendants involved could smell the alcohol. He started verbally abusing each flight attendant he came in contact with. Since he was loud and abusive and intoxicated, the flight attendants involved realized there was a potential problem starting. The captain was notified as well as the agents. They took the man to the jetbridge and had a talk with him. He returned to his seat, stood in the aisle and was shouting to the other passenger that they couldn't throw him off. The other passenger were clapping, shouting in his defense. Once again, the captain was called and once again we told him of the growing problem with this passenger and we did not feel safe with him on board. After 1/2 hour, the police finally arrived and removed the passenger. This whole situation could have been avoided if the passenger had been removed in the beginning like the flight attendants suggested. The agents were afraid to do anything, the supervisor who was called was afraid to do anything, it wasn't until we told them he goes or we go, that action was taken. An intoxicated passenger causing trouble should not be permitted on the plane. Our opinion should be respected. We are told that intoxicated passenger like this should not be boarded, then when we go to do something, we are not supported. There is a breakdown somewhere here. The capts and agents think that because they talk to the passenger and make him 'promise' not to drink any more that the situation is over. I have seen this happen before and more often than not, this does not fix the problem. The kind of people that fly these days has changed dramatically. They think that because they pay money for their tickets that we are their punching bags for the flight. This cannot be tolerated because of the potential safety problems and besides beating up on a female flight attendant who works for a living like everyone else just isn't cool. We are just trying to create a safe work environment.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING A B767-300 FLT DURING BOARDING WHICH HAD AN INTOXICATED PAX. CABIN ATTENDANTS TRIED TO GET AGENT AND CAPT TO REMOVE PAX. ONLY WHEN REFUSING TO FLY WITH HIM ON BOARD WAS THE PAX REMOVED.

Narrative: PAX APPEARED INTOXICATED WHEN BOARDING PLANE, SMELLED OF ALCOHOL. HIS FIRST COMPLAINT WAS HIS SEAT. THROUGH THIS CONVERSATION FLT ATTENDANTS INVOLVED COULD SMELL THE ALCOHOL. HE STARTED VERBALLY ABUSING EACH FLT ATTENDANT HE CAME IN CONTACT WITH. SINCE HE WAS LOUD AND ABUSIVE AND INTOXICATED, THE FLT ATTENDANTS INVOLVED REALIZED THERE WAS A POTENTIAL PROB STARTING. THE CAPT WAS NOTIFIED AS WELL AS THE AGENTS. THEY TOOK THE MAN TO THE JETBRIDGE AND HAD A TALK WITH HIM. HE RETURNED TO HIS SEAT, STOOD IN THE AISLE AND WAS SHOUTING TO THE OTHER PAX THAT THEY COULDN'T THROW HIM OFF. THE OTHER PAX WERE CLAPPING, SHOUTING IN HIS DEFENSE. ONCE AGAIN, THE CAPT WAS CALLED AND ONCE AGAIN WE TOLD HIM OF THE GROWING PROB WITH THIS PAX AND WE DID NOT FEEL SAFE WITH HIM ON BOARD. AFTER 1/2 HR, THE POLICE FINALLY ARRIVED AND REMOVED THE PAX. THIS WHOLE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE PAX HAD BEEN REMOVED IN THE BEGINNING LIKE THE FLT ATTENDANTS SUGGESTED. THE AGENTS WERE AFRAID TO DO ANYTHING, THE SUPVR WHO WAS CALLED WAS AFRAID TO DO ANYTHING, IT WASN'T UNTIL WE TOLD THEM HE GOES OR WE GO, THAT ACTION WAS TAKEN. AN INTOXICATED PAX CAUSING TROUBLE SHOULD NOT BE PERMITTED ON THE PLANE. OUR OPINION SHOULD BE RESPECTED. WE ARE TOLD THAT INTOXICATED PAX LIKE THIS SHOULD NOT BE BOARDED, THEN WHEN WE GO TO DO SOMETHING, WE ARE NOT SUPPORTED. THERE IS A BREAKDOWN SOMEWHERE HERE. THE CAPTS AND AGENTS THINK THAT BECAUSE THEY TALK TO THE PAX AND MAKE HIM 'PROMISE' NOT TO DRINK ANY MORE THAT THE SIT IS OVER. I HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, THIS DOES NOT FIX THE PROB. THE KIND OF PEOPLE THAT FLY THESE DAYS HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY. THEY THINK THAT BECAUSE THEY PAY MONEY FOR THEIR TICKETS THAT WE ARE THEIR PUNCHING BAGS FOR THE FLT. THIS CANNOT BE TOLERATED BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBS AND BESIDES BEATING UP ON A FEMALE FLT ATTENDANT WHO WORKS FOR A LIVING LIKE EVERYONE ELSE JUST ISN'T COOL. WE ARE JUST TRYING TO CREATE A SAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT.

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.

Attributes
ACN	427037
Time
Date	199901
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	427037
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Flight attendant report regarding a B767-300 flight during boarding which had an intoxicated passenger. Cabin attendants tried to get agent and captain to remove passenger. Only when refusing to fly with him on board was the passenger removed.