Narrative:

During the flight, a passenger seated in xb, mr X, had his 2-WAY pager on. I stopped and asked him if it was a 2-WAY pager. He said 'yes.' I then told him the power needed to be turned off while on the aircraft, once the seat belt signs turned on for departure. He rudely and forcefully put the pager in my face yelling 'the transmitter is off, you're so damn stupid.' I again told him our procedure is the power must be off. He repeated and continued to repeat, 'you're so stupid, you're so damn stupid.' I replied I'd enlighten the captain of his opinion of my stupidity and went to the cockpit. The captain agreed he should be given the bottom portion of the in-flight disturbance report after looking it over. I went to deliver the warning. Flight attendant #4 was behind me and when I gave mr X the paper, I explained it was a warning and unless there was further conflict or problem at that time, the auths would be involved. He replied 'you can count on it. There's a big problem and I will continue to make problems.' he then replied he was going to write to management telling them the problem and how stupid I was. I told him the auths would be meeting the flight. He then repeated and confirmed that he was going to be a problem. I said 'yes sir, I will let the captain know.' he said 'yes, do that and I have some words for him also.' I notified the captain. Flight attendant #1 went to obtain his address, and I received 2 passenger reports who witnessed the incident and by the flight attendant #4, the paper was completed with the captain's signature and employee number, with first officer number as a witness. We all agreed the passenger was wrong, but somewhere down the road, the captain decided not to have the auths or anyone meet the flight. He then told me, when I questioned why not, he said what happens in this situation was we would facsimile the paper to the company crisis people, they would facsimile it to the FAA and fbi, who would handle it from there. I said, 'I'm sure someone could meet the flight' and pointed out the routing on the paper includes the local auths to receive a copy. I took the forms to the FYI desk at my base, helped pass on the forms. Unfortunately, because the captain made the decision not to follow through, this passenger walked away, probably laughing, and did confirm in this man's opinion of me being stupid. I was and am very upset my airline makes a policy and the follow-through doesn't happen, at my personal expense. It's very frustrating and terribly wrong when the people involved say one thing, but don't do what needs to be done to follow the rules.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, S80, ORD-SJC. PAX ANGRY WHEN ASKED TO TURN OFF PAGER, VERBALLY ABUSIVE. CABIN ATTENDANT WANTED CAPT TO HAVE AUTHS TO MEET FLT, CAPT REFUSED.

Narrative: DURING THE FLT, A PAX SEATED IN XB, MR X, HAD HIS 2-WAY PAGER ON. I STOPPED AND ASKED HIM IF IT WAS A 2-WAY PAGER. HE SAID 'YES.' I THEN TOLD HIM THE PWR NEEDED TO BE TURNED OFF WHILE ON THE ACFT, ONCE THE SEAT BELT SIGNS TURNED ON FOR DEP. HE RUDELY AND FORCEFULLY PUT THE PAGER IN MY FACE YELLING 'THE XMITTER IS OFF, YOU'RE SO DAMN STUPID.' I AGAIN TOLD HIM OUR PROC IS THE PWR MUST BE OFF. HE REPEATED AND CONTINUED TO REPEAT, 'YOU'RE SO STUPID, YOU'RE SO DAMN STUPID.' I REPLIED I'D ENLIGHTEN THE CAPT OF HIS OPINION OF MY STUPIDITY AND WENT TO THE COCKPIT. THE CAPT AGREED HE SHOULD BE GIVEN THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE INFLT DISTURBANCE RPT AFTER LOOKING IT OVER. I WENT TO DELIVER THE WARNING. FLT ATTENDANT #4 WAS BEHIND ME AND WHEN I GAVE MR X THE PAPER, I EXPLAINED IT WAS A WARNING AND UNLESS THERE WAS FURTHER CONFLICT OR PROB AT THAT TIME, THE AUTHS WOULD BE INVOLVED. HE REPLIED 'YOU CAN COUNT ON IT. THERE'S A BIG PROB AND I WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE PROBS.' HE THEN REPLIED HE WAS GOING TO WRITE TO MGMNT TELLING THEM THE PROB AND HOW STUPID I WAS. I TOLD HIM THE AUTHS WOULD BE MEETING THE FLT. HE THEN REPEATED AND CONFIRMED THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE A PROB. I SAID 'YES SIR, I WILL LET THE CAPT KNOW.' HE SAID 'YES, DO THAT AND I HAVE SOME WORDS FOR HIM ALSO.' I NOTIFIED THE CAPT. FLT ATTENDANT #1 WENT TO OBTAIN HIS ADDRESS, AND I RECEIVED 2 PAX RPTS WHO WITNESSED THE INCIDENT AND BY THE FLT ATTENDANT #4, THE PAPER WAS COMPLETED WITH THE CAPT'S SIGNATURE AND EMPLOYEE NUMBER, WITH FO NUMBER AS A WITNESS. WE ALL AGREED THE PAX WAS WRONG, BUT SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD, THE CAPT DECIDED NOT TO HAVE THE AUTHS OR ANYONE MEET THE FLT. HE THEN TOLD ME, WHEN I QUESTIONED WHY NOT, HE SAID WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS SIT WAS WE WOULD FAX THE PAPER TO THE COMPANY CRISIS PEOPLE, THEY WOULD FAX IT TO THE FAA AND FBI, WHO WOULD HANDLE IT FROM THERE. I SAID, 'I'M SURE SOMEONE COULD MEET THE FLT' AND POINTED OUT THE ROUTING ON THE PAPER INCLUDES THE LCL AUTHS TO RECEIVE A COPY. I TOOK THE FORMS TO THE FYI DESK AT MY BASE, HELPED PASS ON THE FORMS. UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE THE CAPT MADE THE DECISION NOT TO FOLLOW THROUGH, THIS PAX WALKED AWAY, PROBABLY LAUGHING, AND DID CONFIRM IN THIS MAN'S OPINION OF ME BEING STUPID. I WAS AND AM VERY UPSET MY AIRLINE MAKES A POLICY AND THE FOLLOW-THROUGH DOESN'T HAPPEN, AT MY PERSONAL EXPENSE. IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING AND TERRIBLY WRONG WHEN THE PEOPLE INVOLVED SAY ONE THING, BUT DON'T DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO FOLLOW THE RULES.

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.