Narrative:

A passenger approached flight attendants in the aft galley, advising all flight attendants he needed to smoke, and was going into the bathroom to have a couple of puffs. His comments were that 'the terminals are non-smoking, and now the planes are non-smoking, what's a person to do?' we advised him that he could not smoke in the aircraft at all, that maybe a mint or gum might be of help. The passenger had drank several liquor drinks, I feel causing the need for a smoke. We were joking that we understood his problem, but smoking on the aircraft was a federal offense. I told him as he entered the bathroom that I was going to stand right outside and sniff at the door, and would know if he were smoking. I thought that this would stop him from trying to smoke. I was wrong. As he opened the door, and I stood by, I could smell smoke as he left the bathroom. I confronted him by saying, 'man, why did you do that after we told you not to smoke?' his comment was 'I only had 2 puffs.' my first concern and question was, where did you put the smoke out at. He stated he flushed it down the toilet. At this point, I gave the passenger a good tongue lashing, telling him that this would not happen again, and why would you after we warned him against it. His comments were something to the effect, 'I've been in several prisons and I'm not afraid to go again.' one of my co-workers had called the purser, in the forward galley, to advise her of what had happened. The purser proceeded with the first officer to talk to the passenger about why he smoked onboard the aircraft. He was advised of a possible $2000 fine. He seemed to get more and more aggressive, being confronted by more and more people. I overhead him say if I knew that I was going to get a $2000 fine, I would have smoked the whole cigarette. He seemed to calm down, but after the purser and first officer left, he returned to the bathroom and smoked again. I confronted him again, but his comments were 'I don't want to #@!@#@# talk to you.' I advised the galley flight attendant and she called up to the purser again. At this point, I stepped away feeling that he might become violent towards a male flight attendant, allowing the purser to handle it with the captain and first officer. Passenger was arrested at jfk upon arrival. Supplemental information from acn 386087: after the way flight attendant #2 and I were treated, we requested charges be pressed. He was not concerned, he said, because he'd already been to several prisons before.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B777, LHR-JFK. PAX REFUSED TO QUIT SMOKING IN LAVATORY. FO INTERVENED, THREATENED WITH FINE, JAIL TO NO AVAIL. POLICE ARRESTED PAX ON ARR.

Narrative: A PAX APCHED FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE AFT GALLEY, ADVISING ALL FLT ATTENDANTS HE NEEDED TO SMOKE, AND WAS GOING INTO THE BATHROOM TO HAVE A COUPLE OF PUFFS. HIS COMMENTS WERE THAT 'THE TERMINALS ARE NON-SMOKING, AND NOW THE PLANES ARE NON-SMOKING, WHAT'S A PERSON TO DO?' WE ADVISED HIM THAT HE COULD NOT SMOKE IN THE ACFT AT ALL, THAT MAYBE A MINT OR GUM MIGHT BE OF HELP. THE PAX HAD DRANK SEVERAL LIQUOR DRINKS, I FEEL CAUSING THE NEED FOR A SMOKE. WE WERE JOKING THAT WE UNDERSTOOD HIS PROB, BUT SMOKING ON THE ACFT WAS A FEDERAL OFFENSE. I TOLD HIM AS HE ENTERED THE BATHROOM THAT I WAS GOING TO STAND RIGHT OUTSIDE AND SNIFF AT THE DOOR, AND WOULD KNOW IF HE WERE SMOKING. I THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD STOP HIM FROM TRYING TO SMOKE. I WAS WRONG. AS HE OPENED THE DOOR, AND I STOOD BY, I COULD SMELL SMOKE AS HE LEFT THE BATHROOM. I CONFRONTED HIM BY SAYING, 'MAN, WHY DID YOU DO THAT AFTER WE TOLD YOU NOT TO SMOKE?' HIS COMMENT WAS 'I ONLY HAD 2 PUFFS.' MY FIRST CONCERN AND QUESTION WAS, WHERE DID YOU PUT THE SMOKE OUT AT. HE STATED HE FLUSHED IT DOWN THE TOILET. AT THIS POINT, I GAVE THE PAX A GOOD TONGUE LASHING, TELLING HIM THAT THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, AND WHY WOULD YOU AFTER WE WARNED HIM AGAINST IT. HIS COMMENTS WERE SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT, 'I'VE BEEN IN SEVERAL PRISONS AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO GO AGAIN.' ONE OF MY CO-WORKERS HAD CALLED THE PURSER, IN THE FORWARD GALLEY, TO ADVISE HER OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE PURSER PROCEEDED WITH THE FO TO TALK TO THE PAX ABOUT WHY HE SMOKED ONBOARD THE ACFT. HE WAS ADVISED OF A POSSIBLE $2000 FINE. HE SEEMED TO GET MORE AND MORE AGGRESSIVE, BEING CONFRONTED BY MORE AND MORE PEOPLE. I OVERHEAD HIM SAY IF I KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO GET A $2000 FINE, I WOULD HAVE SMOKED THE WHOLE CIGARETTE. HE SEEMED TO CALM DOWN, BUT AFTER THE PURSER AND FO LEFT, HE RETURNED TO THE BATHROOM AND SMOKED AGAIN. I CONFRONTED HIM AGAIN, BUT HIS COMMENTS WERE 'I DON'T WANT TO #@!@#@# TALK TO YOU.' I ADVISED THE GALLEY FLT ATTENDANT AND SHE CALLED UP TO THE PURSER AGAIN. AT THIS POINT, I STEPPED AWAY FEELING THAT HE MIGHT BECOME VIOLENT TOWARDS A MALE FLT ATTENDANT, ALLOWING THE PURSER TO HANDLE IT WITH THE CAPT AND FO. PAX WAS ARRESTED AT JFK UPON ARR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 386087: AFTER THE WAY FLT ATTENDANT #2 AND I WERE TREATED, WE REQUESTED CHARGES BE PRESSED. HE WAS NOT CONCERNED, HE SAID, BECAUSE HE'D ALREADY BEEN TO SEVERAL PRISONS BEFORE.

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.