Narrative:

I was closing overhead bins for on-time departure. Passenger asked me for blanket. I told him I'd get back to him. I collected blankets to pass out, and he was in the aisle. Asked what he was looking for, he yelled 'the blanket I asked you for.' I told him I would get it for him. He yelled 'I'll get it myself.' he then approached me quickly, and once again yelled, telling me, 'you have no *(&^%$@ right to treat me that way!' I walked away. Another flight attendant (male) talked to him and, with the cooperation of the surrounding passenger, told him to stay in his seat and not to say a word. Other male passenger were my 'guards' to keep an eye out for me. His behavior made others uncomfortable and we did have 1/2 dozen passenger ask him to be removed. We had already left the gate. There were no further problems. It was not apparent to any of us what provoked his behavior. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that they had time to remove the man before closing the door and taxiing. The reporter had gone up to the cockpit to tell the captain about him, because the other passenger wanted him removed, as she did. The captain nonchalantly said, 'let's just go to san diego, if we need to, we'll just drop him off somewhere.' the male passenger sitting around the man told the reporter that they would keep an eye on him and restrain him if necessary. The reporter was really disappointed in the captain's cavalier attitude, but recognizes that there are 2 extremes of pilots, 'the ones that will go out of their way to back up the flight attendants, and the ones who won't do anything to help.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, S80, DFW-SAN, VERBALLY ABUSIVE PAX ON BOARDING. OTHER PAX WANTED HIM REMOVED, CAPT REFUSED.

Narrative: I WAS CLOSING OVERHEAD BINS FOR ON-TIME DEP. PAX ASKED ME FOR BLANKET. I TOLD HIM I'D GET BACK TO HIM. I COLLECTED BLANKETS TO PASS OUT, AND HE WAS IN THE AISLE. ASKED WHAT HE WAS LOOKING FOR, HE YELLED 'THE BLANKET I ASKED YOU FOR.' I TOLD HIM I WOULD GET IT FOR HIM. HE YELLED 'I'LL GET IT MYSELF.' HE THEN APCHED ME QUICKLY, AND ONCE AGAIN YELLED, TELLING ME, 'YOU HAVE NO *(&^%$@ RIGHT TO TREAT ME THAT WAY!' I WALKED AWAY. ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT (MALE) TALKED TO HIM AND, WITH THE COOPERATION OF THE SURROUNDING PAX, TOLD HIM TO STAY IN HIS SEAT AND NOT TO SAY A WORD. OTHER MALE PAX WERE MY 'GUARDS' TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR ME. HIS BEHAVIOR MADE OTHERS UNCOMFORTABLE AND WE DID HAVE 1/2 DOZEN PAX ASK HIM TO BE REMOVED. WE HAD ALREADY LEFT THE GATE. THERE WERE NO FURTHER PROBS. IT WAS NOT APPARENT TO ANY OF US WHAT PROVOKED HIS BEHAVIOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THEY HAD TIME TO REMOVE THE MAN BEFORE CLOSING THE DOOR AND TAXIING. THE RPTR HAD GONE UP TO THE COCKPIT TO TELL THE CAPT ABOUT HIM, BECAUSE THE OTHER PAX WANTED HIM REMOVED, AS SHE DID. THE CAPT NONCHALANTLY SAID, 'LET'S JUST GO TO SAN DIEGO, IF WE NEED TO, WE'LL JUST DROP HIM OFF SOMEWHERE.' THE MALE PAX SITTING AROUND THE MAN TOLD THE RPTR THAT THEY WOULD KEEP AN EYE ON HIM AND RESTRAIN HIM IF NECESSARY. THE RPTR WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTED IN THE CAPT'S CAVALIER ATTITUDE, BUT RECOGNIZES THAT THERE ARE 2 EXTREMES OF PLTS, 'THE ONES THAT WILL GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO BACK UP THE FLT ATTENDANTS, AND THE ONES WHO WON'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP.'

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.