Flight attendant report on passenger smoking in lavatory on DC10 jfk-lax.

Attributes
ACN	436238
Time
Date	199904
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zla.artcc
State Reference	CA
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 6
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 1 flight attendant time total : 1
ASRS Report	436238
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other Other

Narrative:

On descent I had just finished picking up trash in the main cabin and on my way back to the main cabin galley, I saw a passenger come out of the restroom -- he smelled of cigarette and the bathroom was very smoky. We all knew right away he had gone into the lavatory to hide and smoke a cigarette. We approached him about the incident and he could not speak any english, or so he pretended. He would not give us his name and seemed to ignore us -- or maybe he couldn't understand our verbal warnings. Then his travel companion, possibly his wife, came to the galley to speak with us about the incident. She spoke very good english and told us her boyfriend/husband(?) didn't know he was not allowed to smoke on board the aircraft. Also, by this time, one of the other flight attendants had reached into his shirt pocket and grabbed his ticket so we then knew his name, seat number, etc. We felt these passenger were lying. It was obvious that this man would have stayed in his seat to smoke if he thought that it was allowed instead of going into the lavatory to hide.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT ON PAX SMOKING IN LAVATORY ON DC10 JFK-LAX.

Narrative: ON DSCNT I HAD JUST FINISHED PICKING UP TRASH IN THE MAIN CABIN AND ON MY WAY BACK TO THE MAIN CABIN GALLEY, I SAW A PAX COME OUT OF THE RESTROOM -- HE SMELLED OF CIGARETTE AND THE BATHROOM WAS VERY SMOKY. WE ALL KNEW RIGHT AWAY HE HAD GONE INTO THE LAVATORY TO HIDE AND SMOKE A CIGARETTE. WE APCHED HIM ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND HE COULD NOT SPEAK ANY ENGLISH, OR SO HE PRETENDED. HE WOULD NOT GIVE US HIS NAME AND SEEMED TO IGNORE US -- OR MAYBE HE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND OUR VERBAL WARNINGS. THEN HIS TRAVEL COMPANION, POSSIBLY HIS WIFE, CAME TO THE GALLEY TO SPEAK WITH US ABOUT THE INCIDENT. SHE SPOKE VERY GOOD ENGLISH AND TOLD US HER BOYFRIEND/HUSBAND(?) DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO SMOKE ON BOARD THE ACFT. ALSO, BY THIS TIME, ONE OF THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS HAD REACHED INTO HIS SHIRT POCKET AND GRABBED HIS TICKET SO WE THEN KNEW HIS NAME, SEAT NUMBER, ETC. WE FELT THESE PAX WERE LYING. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THIS MAN WOULD HAVE STAYED IN HIS SEAT TO SMOKE IF HE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS ALLOWED INSTEAD OF GOING INTO THE LAVATORY TO HIDE.

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.