Narrative:

An hour outside of landing, the captain addressed the crew and passenger via the PA that we had a 30 min hold due to air traffic congestion at ord. At that point, passenger X pulled back the first class galley curtain. She looked at myself and 3 other flight attendant crew members, and said, 'I have a $%#^&* problem, now it's your $%#^&* problem. This $%#^&* airline, it's terrible. I am now going to miss my $%#^&* flight.' I then advised her to please watch her language. She was extremely loud as well. She told me she didn't have to due to her first amendment rights. She continued with vulgar language. I turned to a fellow flight attendant and said I was going to the back. She then turned the vulgar language to me. I left and went to the aft galley. The captain then advised us we were out of the holding pattern and to prepare for landing in ord. I was locking down the aft galley. 3 other flight attendants were in the jump seats for landing. Mrs passenger X approached me screaming, 'you're through you $%#^&* $%#@*&%! When we get on the ground you're finished.' she continued to call me $%#@*&%. She put her finger in my face and grabbed for my neck. I told her to take her seat. She left cursing. I called the cockpit and informed them of the event. Police and airline management met flight upon landing at ord. I pointed her out to the police officers, who then questioned her. I wanted to press charges, the officers said I couldn't unless she physically abused me. The officers did write a report of misconduct and turned it in to the FAA. Mrs passenger X continued to be abusive and rude. She was denied the rest of her trip to milwaukee, wi, on airline X. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the woman was traveling with her attorney, who kept saying to her 'get his name! Get his name! I'll take care of it.' the woman was a travel agent, who was on pain medication, and the flight attendants had served her several cocktails. The woman was nasty and verbally abusive to the police, also. Her attorney finally left her at the gate with the police and hurried on to catch their flight to milwaukee. The airline blacklisted her from all future flts with them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, B767-200, SFO-ORD, PAX VERBALLY ABUSED THE FLT ATTENDANTS. CAPT CALLED FOR ORD POLICE. NO CHARGED FILED BECAUSE NO PHYSICAL ASSAULT.

Narrative: AN HR OUTSIDE OF LNDG, THE CAPT ADDRESSED THE CREW AND PAX VIA THE PA THAT WE HAD A 30 MIN HOLD DUE TO AIR TFC CONGESTION AT ORD. AT THAT POINT, PAX X PULLED BACK THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY CURTAIN. SHE LOOKED AT MYSELF AND 3 OTHER FLT ATTENDANT CREW MEMBERS, AND SAID, 'I HAVE A $%#^&* PROB, NOW IT'S YOUR $%#^&* PROB. THIS $%#^&* AIRLINE, IT'S TERRIBLE. I AM NOW GOING TO MISS MY $%#^&* FLT.' I THEN ADVISED HER TO PLEASE WATCH HER LANGUAGE. SHE WAS EXTREMELY LOUD AS WELL. SHE TOLD ME SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO DUE TO HER FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. SHE CONTINUED WITH VULGAR LANGUAGE. I TURNED TO A FELLOW FLT ATTENDANT AND SAID I WAS GOING TO THE BACK. SHE THEN TURNED THE VULGAR LANGUAGE TO ME. I LEFT AND WENT TO THE AFT GALLEY. THE CAPT THEN ADVISED US WE WERE OUT OF THE HOLDING PATTERN AND TO PREPARE FOR LNDG IN ORD. I WAS LOCKING DOWN THE AFT GALLEY. 3 OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS WERE IN THE JUMP SEATS FOR LNDG. MRS PAX X APCHED ME SCREAMING, 'YOU'RE THROUGH YOU $%#^&* $%#@*&%! WHEN WE GET ON THE GND YOU'RE FINISHED.' SHE CONTINUED TO CALL ME $%#@*&%. SHE PUT HER FINGER IN MY FACE AND GRABBED FOR MY NECK. I TOLD HER TO TAKE HER SEAT. SHE LEFT CURSING. I CALLED THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED THEM OF THE EVENT. POLICE AND AIRLINE MGMNT MET FLT UPON LNDG AT ORD. I POINTED HER OUT TO THE POLICE OFFICERS, WHO THEN QUESTIONED HER. I WANTED TO PRESS CHARGES, THE OFFICERS SAID I COULDN'T UNLESS SHE PHYSICALLY ABUSED ME. THE OFFICERS DID WRITE A RPT OF MISCONDUCT AND TURNED IT IN TO THE FAA. MRS PAX X CONTINUED TO BE ABUSIVE AND RUDE. SHE WAS DENIED THE REST OF HER TRIP TO MILWAUKEE, WI, ON AIRLINE X. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE WOMAN WAS TRAVELING WITH HER ATTORNEY, WHO KEPT SAYING TO HER 'GET HIS NAME! GET HIS NAME! I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT.' THE WOMAN WAS A TRAVEL AGENT, WHO WAS ON PAIN MEDICATION, AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD SERVED HER SEVERAL COCKTAILS. THE WOMAN WAS NASTY AND VERBALLY ABUSIVE TO THE POLICE, ALSO. HER ATTORNEY FINALLY LEFT HER AT THE GATE WITH THE POLICE AND HURRIED ON TO CATCH THEIR FLT TO MILWAUKEE. THE AIRLINE BLACKLISTED HER FROM ALL FUTURE FLTS WITH THEM.

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.