Narrative:

I was working #1 in first class on aug/xa/00, reno, nv, to dallas, tx. I decided to assist coach by providing coffee. A request for 'light' coffee came from passenger mrs X seat sf. Coffee was provided to mrs X with 'heavy' style cream. Mrs X requested more cream, stating that first amount was not enough. I very politely suggested to mrs X that she stir the coffee, as the cream was heavy and may have settled to the bottom of the cup. 'More' mrs X then stated without acknowledging my suggestion, or even looking at me, thrusting the cup toward me. I again, very politely, provided more cream to the cup. Mrs X then stated rudely and abruptly, as if desiring a confrontation, 'I drink coffee everyday, I know how I like my coffee.' I then politely stated to her 'I am only trying to help and serve you ma'am.' mrs X then stated, again rudely and abruptly, 'no you're not.' she then also stated 'you know I'm a social worker and I know...I work with people.' after approximately 5 mins, it was brought to my attention by the service crew in coach that mrs X and her husband mr X were inquiring from flight attendant #3 as to my name and employee number. Confused as to what could be the motivation for this request, I returned to row xy to inquire. Mr X informed me that he required my name and employee number in order to report this 'incident' to a higher authority/authorized. Not understanding that an incident had even occurred, and in an effort to appease the situation, I asked 'why do you need my name and employee number?' mr X stated that he wanted 'to report your attitude.' at this point mr X put his hand up to my face and in a very aggressive and loud voice told me to stop addressing his wife, who he claimed had already been upset by me, and demanded to talk to 'a higher authority/authorized.' it was during this outburst that mrs X made a reference, although not completely clear to me, to 'air rage' -- something to the effect that she was aware of or understood 'air rage.' I provided passenger with an in-flight disturbance report form and informed him that he could utilize it to report the incident to a higher authority/authorized, as he had requested. At this point, seeing the concerned and alarmed reaction of the passenger in close proximity to mr X's outburst, I informed mr X that I would provide him the 'high authority/authorized' he demanded, and decided to walk away from the area, concerned that passenger safety may be compromised. Mrs X is a very large woman, her size combined with both of their anger was a formidable and potential threat to me and the passenger around me. I was convinced that this irrational behavior was a calculated attempt to provoke a confrontation. I believed that I had done all I could do to satisfy 2 obviously unreasonable individuals and decided to request the assistance of the flight crew, not only as a way to attempt to calm mr X, but also because I was concerned for my safety, the safety of the crew, and especially the safety of the passenger. I entered the cockpit and informed the flight crew of the situation. Visually upset, check airman X, captain of flight XXXY informed me that he would speak with mr and mrs X to discuss the situation. As captain X approached row, mr X was on the flight phone and, again rudely and abruptly, instructed captain X to speak with whomever was on the phone. Captain X took the phone and listened for a short time, handed the phone back to mr X then instructed mr X to refrain from his outbursts and to stop harassing me and the rest of his flight crew. As captain X spoke to mr X, mrs X began to cry as she told me 'I'm a very nervous flyer and we have our dog traveling with us.' without further conversation with them, captain X returned to the cockpit. As I was walking away, mr X shouted to me that he wanted to speak to a higher authority/authorized, and stated 'it's ok to have the flight met by police in dallas.' I informed the captain of mr X's request. Captain X, agreeing that mr X's attitude and demeanor was confrontational, stated he would agree to his request to have flight met by auths. From this point I had no more contact with them and was not involved with any further activities related to this incident. Flight xx was met in dallas by 2 dallas police officers and 2 dallas customer service mgrs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, MD80, RNO-DFW. PURSER HAD CONFRONTATION WITH A COUPLE IN COACH CLASS. CAPT LEFT COCKPIT TO DEAL WITH THEM. POLICE MET FLT.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING #1 IN FIRST CLASS ON AUG/XA/00, RENO, NV, TO DALLAS, TX. I DECIDED TO ASSIST COACH BY PROVIDING COFFEE. A REQUEST FOR 'LIGHT' COFFEE CAME FROM PAX MRS X SEAT SF. COFFEE WAS PROVIDED TO MRS X WITH 'HVY' STYLE CREAM. MRS X REQUESTED MORE CREAM, STATING THAT FIRST AMOUNT WAS NOT ENOUGH. I VERY POLITELY SUGGESTED TO MRS X THAT SHE STIR THE COFFEE, AS THE CREAM WAS HVY AND MAY HAVE SETTLED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE CUP. 'MORE' MRS X THEN STATED WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING MY SUGGESTION, OR EVEN LOOKING AT ME, THRUSTING THE CUP TOWARD ME. I AGAIN, VERY POLITELY, PROVIDED MORE CREAM TO THE CUP. MRS X THEN STATED RUDELY AND ABRUPTLY, AS IF DESIRING A CONFRONTATION, 'I DRINK COFFEE EVERYDAY, I KNOW HOW I LIKE MY COFFEE.' I THEN POLITELY STATED TO HER 'I AM ONLY TRYING TO HELP AND SERVE YOU MA'AM.' MRS X THEN STATED, AGAIN RUDELY AND ABRUPTLY, 'NO YOU'RE NOT.' SHE THEN ALSO STATED 'YOU KNOW I'M A SOCIAL WORKER AND I KNOW...I WORK WITH PEOPLE.' AFTER APPROX 5 MINS, IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN BY THE SVC CREW IN COACH THAT MRS X AND HER HUSBAND MR X WERE INQUIRING FROM FLT ATTENDANT #3 AS TO MY NAME AND EMPLOYEE NUMBER. CONFUSED AS TO WHAT COULD BE THE MOTIVATION FOR THIS REQUEST, I RETURNED TO ROW XY TO INQUIRE. MR X INFORMED ME THAT HE REQUIRED MY NAME AND EMPLOYEE NUMBER IN ORDER TO RPT THIS 'INCIDENT' TO A HIGHER AUTH. NOT UNDERSTANDING THAT AN INCIDENT HAD EVEN OCCURRED, AND IN AN EFFORT TO APPEASE THE SIT, I ASKED 'WHY DO YOU NEED MY NAME AND EMPLOYEE NUMBER?' MR X STATED THAT HE WANTED 'TO RPT YOUR ATTITUDE.' AT THIS POINT MR X PUT HIS HAND UP TO MY FACE AND IN A VERY AGGRESSIVE AND LOUD VOICE TOLD ME TO STOP ADDRESSING HIS WIFE, WHO HE CLAIMED HAD ALREADY BEEN UPSET BY ME, AND DEMANDED TO TALK TO 'A HIGHER AUTH.' IT WAS DURING THIS OUTBURST THAT MRS X MADE A REF, ALTHOUGH NOT COMPLETELY CLR TO ME, TO 'AIR RAGE' -- SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT SHE WAS AWARE OF OR UNDERSTOOD 'AIR RAGE.' I PROVIDED PAX WITH AN INFLT DISTURBANCE RPT FORM AND INFORMED HIM THAT HE COULD UTILIZE IT TO RPT THE INCIDENT TO A HIGHER AUTH, AS HE HAD REQUESTED. AT THIS POINT, SEEING THE CONCERNED AND ALARMED REACTION OF THE PAX IN CLOSE PROX TO MR X'S OUTBURST, I INFORMED MR X THAT I WOULD PROVIDE HIM THE 'HIGH AUTH' HE DEMANDED, AND DECIDED TO WALK AWAY FROM THE AREA, CONCERNED THAT PAX SAFETY MAY BE COMPROMISED. MRS X IS A VERY LARGE WOMAN, HER SIZE COMBINED WITH BOTH OF THEIR ANGER WAS A FORMIDABLE AND POTENTIAL THREAT TO ME AND THE PAX AROUND ME. I WAS CONVINCED THAT THIS IRRATIONAL BEHAVIOR WAS A CALCULATED ATTEMPT TO PROVOKE A CONFRONTATION. I BELIEVED THAT I HAD DONE ALL I COULD DO TO SATISFY 2 OBVIOUSLY UNREASONABLE INDIVIDUALS AND DECIDED TO REQUEST THE ASSISTANCE OF THE FLC, NOT ONLY AS A WAY TO ATTEMPT TO CALM MR X, BUT ALSO BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY, THE SAFETY OF THE CREW, AND ESPECIALLY THE SAFETY OF THE PAX. I ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED THE FLC OF THE SIT. VISUALLY UPSET, CHK AIRMAN X, CAPT OF FLT XXXY INFORMED ME THAT HE WOULD SPEAK WITH MR AND MRS X TO DISCUSS THE SIT. AS CAPT X APCHED ROW, MR X WAS ON THE FLT PHONE AND, AGAIN RUDELY AND ABRUPTLY, INSTRUCTED CAPT X TO SPEAK WITH WHOMEVER WAS ON THE PHONE. CAPT X TOOK THE PHONE AND LISTENED FOR A SHORT TIME, HANDED THE PHONE BACK TO MR X THEN INSTRUCTED MR X TO REFRAIN FROM HIS OUTBURSTS AND TO STOP HARASSING ME AND THE REST OF HIS FLT CREW. AS CAPT X SPOKE TO MR X, MRS X BEGAN TO CRY AS SHE TOLD ME 'I'M A VERY NERVOUS FLYER AND WE HAVE OUR DOG TRAVELING WITH US.' WITHOUT FURTHER CONVERSATION WITH THEM, CAPT X RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT. AS I WAS WALKING AWAY, MR X SHOUTED TO ME THAT HE WANTED TO SPEAK TO A HIGHER AUTH, AND STATED 'IT'S OK TO HAVE THE FLT MET BY POLICE IN DALLAS.' I INFORMED THE CAPT OF MR X'S REQUEST. CAPT X, AGREEING THAT MR X'S ATTITUDE AND DEMEANOR WAS CONFRONTATIONAL, STATED HE WOULD AGREE TO HIS REQUEST TO HAVE FLT MET BY AUTHS. FROM THIS POINT I HAD NO MORE CONTACT WITH THEM AND WAS NOT INVOLVED WITH ANY FURTHER ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THIS INCIDENT. FLT XX WAS MET IN DALLAS BY 2 DALLAS POLICE OFFICERS AND 2 DALLAS CUSTOMER SVC MGRS.

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.