Narrative:

Seemed like a routine flight at the onset, however, that didn't last for long. Passenger assigned seat X was among the last passenger to board. He plopped his carry-ONS and suitcase against the bulkhead and stood mid cabin in the left aisle. In addition, I might add that passenger seemed hot and bothered and was sweating profusely (it showed through his clothing -- especially at the underarms). I nicely asked passenger if those were his bags (to which he replied in the affirmative) and I simply asked him to put them in an overhead or under the seat. At this point, he pointedly told me that he would be sitting here, and would put all his bags under that seat. I tried to explain what his ticket meant, but passenger was adamant, at which point I went to gate agent and told him the scenario and asked him to talk to passenger. Spoke with passenger and decided to reseat him. No problem there. We closed aircraft door and I went to business class to deliver pillow for business class passenger, etc. On my return via side, I noticed passenger had put 1 bag under seat before him and buckled the other into seat. I nicely asked him to put bag under seat or in overhead bin. I was not prepared for passenger comment. 'All you black people are the same. I refuse to move my bag. It's staying there!' mouth ajar, I stared at passenger, then said, '1 min, I'll be back!' I proceeded to cockpit. I decided this passenger was a candidate for cockpit intervention. I wasn't going to deal with him on his sub zero level! I related incident to captain person #4 and first officer and relief person #3. Person #3 and I went back to passenger. Person #3 was very professional and diplomatic in asking passenger to put bag in overhead, but passenger once again refused. Person #3 was miffed and shocked at passenger indignation. He went back to cockpit and told captain that it was his turn. Captain and I went back. Captain said that there were only 2 things he had to say: 1) passenger only paid for 1 seat and that was the one he was sitting in, and 2) it is an FAA regulation that bags go in the overhead or under seat in front of passenger, so what was his next move. Passenger vehemently told captain that he would not put bag under seat, it travels beside him or he would prefer to deplane. Captain then told him to gather his bags because he had another plane to catch! Unknown to passenger at that time, flight attendants in business class had upgraded his wife to business class in order to accommodate 2 other passenger who were separated between cabins and would rather situation together (anywhere) and chose to do so in coach. His wife being the lucky person to situation in the only available business class seat as soon as he left, the entire first class cabin started to applaud. It was here that passenger turned around and said (in french) 'I'm the only [one] whose got balls, I stood up to them!' along with a few other choice words! We were all glad that he deplaned. Because I could see a problem of a different color (pun) taking form, passenger #2 later told me that he was checking in before passenger #1 and he was being problematic from that time. Later on, first officer told me that he suspected passenger #1 was going to try to put his wife beside him in first class, hence his possible reluctance to leave seat vacant. I guess he (passenger #1) was just being territorial!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, B767-300, PARIS-JFK, VERBALLY ABUSIVE PAX, REFUSED TO STOW LUGGAGE, PAX REMOVED.

Narrative: SEEMED LIKE A ROUTINE FLT AT THE ONSET, HOWEVER, THAT DIDN'T LAST FOR LONG. PAX ASSIGNED SEAT X WAS AMONG THE LAST PAX TO BOARD. HE PLOPPED HIS CARRY-ONS AND SUITCASE AGAINST THE BULKHEAD AND STOOD MID CABIN IN THE L AISLE. IN ADDITION, I MIGHT ADD THAT PAX SEEMED HOT AND BOTHERED AND WAS SWEATING PROFUSELY (IT SHOWED THROUGH HIS CLOTHING -- ESPECIALLY AT THE UNDERARMS). I NICELY ASKED PAX IF THOSE WERE HIS BAGS (TO WHICH HE REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE) AND I SIMPLY ASKED HIM TO PUT THEM IN AN OVERHEAD OR UNDER THE SEAT. AT THIS POINT, HE POINTEDLY TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD BE SITTING HERE, AND WOULD PUT ALL HIS BAGS UNDER THAT SEAT. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN WHAT HIS TICKET MEANT, BUT PAX WAS ADAMANT, AT WHICH POINT I WENT TO GATE AGENT AND TOLD HIM THE SCENARIO AND ASKED HIM TO TALK TO PAX. SPOKE WITH PAX AND DECIDED TO RESEAT HIM. NO PROB THERE. WE CLOSED ACFT DOOR AND I WENT TO BUSINESS CLASS TO DELIVER PILLOW FOR BUSINESS CLASS PAX, ETC. ON MY RETURN VIA SIDE, I NOTICED PAX HAD PUT 1 BAG UNDER SEAT BEFORE HIM AND BUCKLED THE OTHER INTO SEAT. I NICELY ASKED HIM TO PUT BAG UNDER SEAT OR IN OVERHEAD BIN. I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR PAX COMMENT. 'ALL YOU BLACK PEOPLE ARE THE SAME. I REFUSE TO MOVE MY BAG. IT'S STAYING THERE!' MOUTH AJAR, I STARED AT PAX, THEN SAID, '1 MIN, I'LL BE BACK!' I PROCEEDED TO COCKPIT. I DECIDED THIS PAX WAS A CANDIDATE FOR COCKPIT INTERVENTION. I WASN'T GOING TO DEAL WITH HIM ON HIS SUB ZERO LEVEL! I RELATED INCIDENT TO CAPT PERSON #4 AND FO AND RELIEF PERSON #3. PERSON #3 AND I WENT BACK TO PAX. PERSON #3 WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND DIPLOMATIC IN ASKING PAX TO PUT BAG IN OVERHEAD, BUT PAX ONCE AGAIN REFUSED. PERSON #3 WAS MIFFED AND SHOCKED AT PAX INDIGNATION. HE WENT BACK TO COCKPIT AND TOLD CAPT THAT IT WAS HIS TURN. CAPT AND I WENT BACK. CAPT SAID THAT THERE WERE ONLY 2 THINGS HE HAD TO SAY: 1) PAX ONLY PAID FOR 1 SEAT AND THAT WAS THE ONE HE WAS SITTING IN, AND 2) IT IS AN FAA REG THAT BAGS GO IN THE OVERHEAD OR UNDER SEAT IN FRONT OF PAX, SO WHAT WAS HIS NEXT MOVE. PAX VEHEMENTLY TOLD CAPT THAT HE WOULD NOT PUT BAG UNDER SEAT, IT TRAVELS BESIDE HIM OR HE WOULD PREFER TO DEPLANE. CAPT THEN TOLD HIM TO GATHER HIS BAGS BECAUSE HE HAD ANOTHER PLANE TO CATCH! UNKNOWN TO PAX AT THAT TIME, FLT ATTENDANTS IN BUSINESS CLASS HAD UPGRADED HIS WIFE TO BUSINESS CLASS IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE 2 OTHER PAX WHO WERE SEPARATED BTWN CABINS AND WOULD RATHER SIT TOGETHER (ANYWHERE) AND CHOSE TO DO SO IN COACH. HIS WIFE BEING THE LUCKY PERSON TO SIT IN THE ONLY AVAILABLE BUSINESS CLASS SEAT AS SOON AS HE LEFT, THE ENTIRE FIRST CLASS CABIN STARTED TO APPLAUD. IT WAS HERE THAT PAX TURNED AROUND AND SAID (IN FRENCH) 'I'M THE ONLY [ONE] WHOSE GOT BALLS, I STOOD UP TO THEM!' ALONG WITH A FEW OTHER CHOICE WORDS! WE WERE ALL GLAD THAT HE DEPLANED. BECAUSE I COULD SEE A PROB OF A DIFFERENT COLOR (PUN) TAKING FORM, PAX #2 LATER TOLD ME THAT HE WAS CHKING IN BEFORE PAX #1 AND HE WAS BEING PROBLEMATIC FROM THAT TIME. LATER ON, FO TOLD ME THAT HE SUSPECTED PAX #1 WAS GOING TO TRY TO PUT HIS WIFE BESIDE HIM IN FIRST CLASS, HENCE HIS POSSIBLE RELUCTANCE TO LEAVE SEAT VACANT. I GUESS HE (PAX #1) WAS JUST BEING TERRITORIAL!

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.