Narrative:

An intoxicated passenger lit a cigarette while we were taxiing to the gate. Flight attendant #2 got out of his jump seat and told him to extinguish the cigarette. We could smell the smoke, and that's how we knew he was smoking. This passenger was also throwing food at other passenger during the flight. To prevent a recurrence, our airline needs to prosecute passenger for FAA-violating behavior, eg, smoking on the aircraft. Our airline does not currently follow through when passenger smoke on the aircraft during flight (including taxi). Flight attendant #2 and I (flight attendant #4) had to get out of our jump seats during taxi and demand that this passenger extinguish his cigarette. The captain said he'd file a report, so flight attendant #2 gave him all pertinent information. I don't believe our airline followed through on their end and had this passenger federally prosecuted/fined. I believe this passenger's intoxication caused his behavior. Our airline needs to back up their flight attendants when passenger are intoxicated and violate the FAA regulations, such as intimidating/threatening crew members, smoking in flight, disturbing other passenger and putting their safety at risk/intimidating them. Before an intoxicated passenger defecates on one of our airline's carts (as in another airline's incident), we need to work together and crack down on these far-violating passenger. Also, 4-5 non revenue employees (mechanics, pilots, flight attendants) approached us as we were deplaning, gave flight attendant #2 their names, and said they'd back our crew in prosecuting this passenger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, MD80. INTOXICATED MAN THREW FOOD ON OTHER PAX, SMOKED IN SEAT ON TAXI. CAPT FILED A RPT.

Narrative: AN INTOXICATED PAX LIT A CIGARETTE WHILE WE WERE TAXIING TO THE GATE. FLT ATTENDANT #2 GOT OUT OF HIS JUMP SEAT AND TOLD HIM TO EXTINGUISH THE CIGARETTE. WE COULD SMELL THE SMOKE, AND THAT'S HOW WE KNEW HE WAS SMOKING. THIS PAX WAS ALSO THROWING FOOD AT OTHER PAX DURING THE FLT. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE, OUR AIRLINE NEEDS TO PROSECUTE PAX FOR FAA-VIOLATING BEHAVIOR, EG, SMOKING ON THE ACFT. OUR AIRLINE DOES NOT CURRENTLY FOLLOW THROUGH WHEN PAX SMOKE ON THE ACFT DURING FLT (INCLUDING TAXI). FLT ATTENDANT #2 AND I (FLT ATTENDANT #4) HAD TO GET OUT OF OUR JUMP SEATS DURING TAXI AND DEMAND THAT THIS PAX EXTINGUISH HIS CIGARETTE. THE CAPT SAID HE'D FILE A RPT, SO FLT ATTENDANT #2 GAVE HIM ALL PERTINENT INFO. I DON'T BELIEVE OUR AIRLINE FOLLOWED THROUGH ON THEIR END AND HAD THIS PAX FEDERALLY PROSECUTED/FINED. I BELIEVE THIS PAX'S INTOXICATION CAUSED HIS BEHAVIOR. OUR AIRLINE NEEDS TO BACK UP THEIR FLT ATTENDANTS WHEN PAX ARE INTOXICATED AND VIOLATE THE FAA REGS, SUCH AS INTIMIDATING/THREATENING CREW MEMBERS, SMOKING IN FLT, DISTURBING OTHER PAX AND PUTTING THEIR SAFETY AT RISK/INTIMIDATING THEM. BEFORE AN INTOXICATED PAX DEFECATES ON ONE OF OUR AIRLINE'S CARTS (AS IN ANOTHER AIRLINE'S INCIDENT), WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER AND CRACK DOWN ON THESE FAR-VIOLATING PAX. ALSO, 4-5 NON REVENUE EMPLOYEES (MECHS, PLTS, FLT ATTENDANTS) APCHED US AS WE WERE DEPLANING, GAVE FLT ATTENDANT #2 THEIR NAMES, AND SAID THEY'D BACK OUR CREW IN PROSECUTING THIS PAX.

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.