Narrative:

The flight was delayed due to an aircraft change. The flight crew was awaiting arrival and inbound aircraft, which was to be our outbound aircraft. While waiting (in airport terminal at gate area), we observed and discussed behavior of a few passenger at the podium, who were displaying abusive (verbal) and violent (pounding on counter and computer terminal) behavior. We agreed to observe the behavior of these passenger during boarding, so that if necessary they would be removed. The captain, at one point, approached the podium and addressed these passenger in an effort to calm the situation. They seemed unreasonable, but did not display an increase or decrease in behavior. Once on board, one of these 3 passenger became verbally abusive to a flight attendant. She just walked away in order to diffuse the situation. This action infuriated the passenger, because he felt ignored, so I asked if I could help him. He said no, he wanted the other flight attendant to speak with him. I said that was not possible at this point. He became loud and began to get other passenger involved and it quickly was becoming out of control. The purser asked me to translate in spanish that he (the passenger) can be removed if he does not calm down. The passenger said he would not calm down and would rather be arrested. Once auths came on to remove him, he refused and literally had to be dragged off kicking and screaming, at which point the captain ran off the aircraft. The passenger was finally removed, the flight finally continued and was uneventful. Personal note: unfortunately, this is not my first experience with dealing with passenger violence or air rage. I continue to give my input in that mandatory training be implemented in dealing with these sits. This is something real and continues to happen more frequently and should be dealt with on a specific level.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT DELAY CAUSED PAX TO BE UPSET, BECAME VERBALLY ABUSIVE. CAPT INTERVENTION, PAX PHYSICALLY REMOVED, KICKING.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS DELAYED DUE TO AN ACFT CHANGE. THE FLC WAS AWAITING ARR AND INBOUND ACFT, WHICH WAS TO BE OUR OUTBOUND ACFT. WHILE WAITING (IN ARPT TERMINAL AT GATE AREA), WE OBSERVED AND DISCUSSED BEHAVIOR OF A FEW PAX AT THE PODIUM, WHO WERE DISPLAYING ABUSIVE (VERBAL) AND VIOLENT (POUNDING ON COUNTER AND COMPUTER TERMINAL) BEHAVIOR. WE AGREED TO OBSERVE THE BEHAVIOR OF THESE PAX DURING BOARDING, SO THAT IF NECESSARY THEY WOULD BE REMOVED. THE CAPT, AT ONE POINT, APCHED THE PODIUM AND ADDRESSED THESE PAX IN AN EFFORT TO CALM THE SIT. THEY SEEMED UNREASONABLE, BUT DID NOT DISPLAY AN INCREASE OR DECREASE IN BEHAVIOR. ONCE ON BOARD, ONE OF THESE 3 PAX BECAME VERBALLY ABUSIVE TO A FLT ATTENDANT. SHE JUST WALKED AWAY IN ORDER TO DIFFUSE THE SIT. THIS ACTION INFURIATED THE PAX, BECAUSE HE FELT IGNORED, SO I ASKED IF I COULD HELP HIM. HE SAID NO, HE WANTED THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANT TO SPEAK WITH HIM. I SAID THAT WAS NOT POSSIBLE AT THIS POINT. HE BECAME LOUD AND BEGAN TO GET OTHER PAX INVOLVED AND IT QUICKLY WAS BECOMING OUT OF CTL. THE PURSER ASKED ME TO TRANSLATE IN SPANISH THAT HE (THE PAX) CAN BE REMOVED IF HE DOES NOT CALM DOWN. THE PAX SAID HE WOULD NOT CALM DOWN AND WOULD RATHER BE ARRESTED. ONCE AUTHS CAME ON TO REMOVE HIM, HE REFUSED AND LITERALLY HAD TO BE DRAGGED OFF KICKING AND SCREAMING, AT WHICH POINT THE CAPT RAN OFF THE ACFT. THE PAX WAS FINALLY REMOVED, THE FLT FINALLY CONTINUED AND WAS UNEVENTFUL. PERSONAL NOTE: UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS NOT MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH DEALING WITH PAX VIOLENCE OR AIR RAGE. I CONTINUE TO GIVE MY INPUT IN THAT MANDATORY TRAINING BE IMPLEMENTED IN DEALING WITH THESE SITS. THIS IS SOMETHING REAL AND CONTINUES TO HAPPEN MORE FREQUENTLY AND SHOULD BE DEALT WITH ON A SPECIFIC LEVEL.

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.