Narrative:

Flight was weight restr to 144300 pounds for a takeoff on runway 13 with a 5 KT headwind. The closeout was received before the door was closed showing a takeoff weight of 145006 pounds. The actual weight at the gate was 145900 pounds. A child count of 8 was obtained. Dispatch was informed of our situation and given the child count. A new closeout was received showing a takeoff weight of 144166 pounds for a takeoff on runway 13 with a 6 KT headwind. The actual weight at the gate was now 145000 pounds. We were then informed that my child count would not be used. The agent's count of 6 would be used, which brought the weight at the gate up to 145200 pounds. Since the taxi to runway 13 was a short one, I determined that we would probably burn only 1/2 of the 800 pounds allotted for taxi. I made the decision that some passenger would have to be taken off. Agent never came to the aircraft to do this. One of the flight attendants walked up to the ticket counter to ask agent why he was not helping us. His reply was that if the captain will not change his numbers, then I will come down when I am not busy here. I decided to go talk with him personally and received the same reply with lots of attitude. I asked another agent to call a supervisor. After the supervisor arrived, she and the agent (who had now taken his name tag off) removed more passenger than we actually needed removed. With the problem resolved, we left.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 IS DELAYED AT THE GATE WHILE THE CAPT AND THE FLT ATTENDANT ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE AN OVERWT CONDITION ON THEIR ACFT AND THE TKOF PERFORMANCE DATA WITH THE GATE AGENT. TOO MANY PAX ON BOARD.

Narrative: FLT WAS WT RESTR TO 144300 LBS FOR A TKOF ON RWY 13 WITH A 5 KT HEADWIND. THE CLOSEOUT WAS RECEIVED BEFORE THE DOOR WAS CLOSED SHOWING A TKOF WT OF 145006 LBS. THE ACTUAL WT AT THE GATE WAS 145900 LBS. A CHILD COUNT OF 8 WAS OBTAINED. DISPATCH WAS INFORMED OF OUR SIT AND GIVEN THE CHILD COUNT. A NEW CLOSEOUT WAS RECEIVED SHOWING A TKOF WT OF 144166 LBS FOR A TKOF ON RWY 13 WITH A 6 KT HEADWIND. THE ACTUAL WT AT THE GATE WAS NOW 145000 LBS. WE WERE THEN INFORMED THAT MY CHILD COUNT WOULD NOT BE USED. THE AGENT'S COUNT OF 6 WOULD BE USED, WHICH BROUGHT THE WT AT THE GATE UP TO 145200 LBS. SINCE THE TAXI TO RWY 13 WAS A SHORT ONE, I DETERMINED THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY BURN ONLY 1/2 OF THE 800 LBS ALLOTTED FOR TAXI. I MADE THE DECISION THAT SOME PAX WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN OFF. AGENT NEVER CAME TO THE ACFT TO DO THIS. ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS WALKED UP TO THE TICKET COUNTER TO ASK AGENT WHY HE WAS NOT HELPING US. HIS REPLY WAS THAT IF THE CAPT WILL NOT CHANGE HIS NUMBERS, THEN I WILL COME DOWN WHEN I AM NOT BUSY HERE. I DECIDED TO GO TALK WITH HIM PERSONALLY AND RECEIVED THE SAME REPLY WITH LOTS OF ATTITUDE. I ASKED ANOTHER AGENT TO CALL A SUPVR. AFTER THE SUPVR ARRIVED, SHE AND THE AGENT (WHO HAD NOW TAKEN HIS NAME TAG OFF) REMOVED MORE PAX THAN WE ACTUALLY NEEDED REMOVED. WITH THE PROB RESOLVED, WE LEFT.

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.