Narrative:

Following all required pre-departure, departure and safety demonstration announcements and demonstrations, during the routine safety compliance check, the flight attendant #1 noticed a passenger still on his cell phone and cordially requested that he turn it off. He replied, 'no, we are not taking off yet, and don't tell me what to do.' flight attendant #1 then said 'a total of 3 announcements have now been made to let everyone know that cell phones have to be turned off now, and as a crew member, I am required to make sure everyone complies with the instructions given.' the passenger then stated flight attendant #1 was not going to tell him what to do and if she (flight attendant #1) tried to order him to do anything, he would pull all her hair out. Flight attendant #1 left and went to the captain to relay situation. Flight attendant #1 was very bothered and shaking. The captain asked her to wait/think for 10 mins, whether she (flight attendant #1) really wanted to have passenger removed or not. Flight attendant #1 said she did not need to wait 10 mins, she definitely wanted him (passenger) or herself removed. The captain said he would return to the gate to remove him for harassment of crew members. The captain returned, the passenger was removed, the passenger's wife yelled at flight attendant #1 at forward entry door and wanted her name, then the passenger's wife got off the plane as well. Underlying factors: ground stop ATC hold at gate forced us to have a delayed departure. This passenger and many others think they can comply with safety regulations on their own discretion/timeframe. This can be changed only through publicized personal penalties. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that she was the #2 flight attendant and overheard the confrontational words between the purser and the passenger. They did not know that the man was traveling with his wife, because they weren't sitting next to each other. The couple didn't know that they were returning to the gate, until the plane stopped and the agent walked on and made them get off. The reporter was very upset with the captain after he had told the purser to wait and calm down (she was crying and shaking) for 10 mins while they were still taxiing, because they could have received takeoff clearance at any time and they could take off with this problem man still onboard. She also felt that the captain wasn't showing a lot of respect for the flight attendant and flight attendants in general. She wanted to report him to the union's professional standards committee, but the purser talked her out of it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON TAXI, MAN REFUSED TO TURN OFF CELL PHONE, PHYSICALLY THREATENED PURSER. PURSER HAD CAPT RETURN TO GATE AND REMOVE PAX.

Narrative: FOLLOWING ALL REQUIRED PRE-DEP, DEP AND SAFETY DEMONSTRATION ANNOUNCEMENTS AND DEMONSTRATIONS, DURING THE ROUTINE SAFETY COMPLIANCE CHK, THE FLT ATTENDANT #1 NOTICED A PAX STILL ON HIS CELL PHONE AND CORDIALLY REQUESTED THAT HE TURN IT OFF. HE REPLIED, 'NO, WE ARE NOT TAKING OFF YET, AND DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO.' FLT ATTENDANT #1 THEN SAID 'A TOTAL OF 3 ANNOUNCEMENTS HAVE NOW BEEN MADE TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT CELL PHONES HAVE TO BE TURNED OFF NOW, AND AS A CREW MEMBER, I AM REQUIRED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE COMPLIES WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN.' THE PAX THEN STATED FLT ATTENDANT #1 WAS NOT GOING TO TELL HIM WHAT TO DO AND IF SHE (FLT ATTENDANT #1) TRIED TO ORDER HIM TO DO ANYTHING, HE WOULD PULL ALL HER HAIR OUT. FLT ATTENDANT #1 LEFT AND WENT TO THE CAPT TO RELAY SIT. FLT ATTENDANT #1 WAS VERY BOTHERED AND SHAKING. THE CAPT ASKED HER TO WAIT/THINK FOR 10 MINS, WHETHER SHE (FLT ATTENDANT #1) REALLY WANTED TO HAVE PAX REMOVED OR NOT. FLT ATTENDANT #1 SAID SHE DID NOT NEED TO WAIT 10 MINS, SHE DEFINITELY WANTED HIM (PAX) OR HERSELF REMOVED. THE CAPT SAID HE WOULD RETURN TO THE GATE TO REMOVE HIM FOR HARASSMENT OF CREW MEMBERS. THE CAPT RETURNED, THE PAX WAS REMOVED, THE PAX'S WIFE YELLED AT FLT ATTENDANT #1 AT FORWARD ENTRY DOOR AND WANTED HER NAME, THEN THE PAX'S WIFE GOT OFF THE PLANE AS WELL. UNDERLYING FACTORS: GND STOP ATC HOLD AT GATE FORCED US TO HAVE A DELAYED DEP. THIS PAX AND MANY OTHERS THINK THEY CAN COMPLY WITH SAFETY REGS ON THEIR OWN DISCRETION/TIMEFRAME. THIS CAN BE CHANGED ONLY THROUGH PUBLICIZED PERSONAL PENALTIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT SHE WAS THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT AND OVERHEARD THE CONFRONTATIONAL WORDS BTWN THE PURSER AND THE PAX. THEY DID NOT KNOW THAT THE MAN WAS TRAVELING WITH HIS WIFE, BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T SITTING NEXT TO EACH OTHER. THE COUPLE DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEY WERE RETURNING TO THE GATE, UNTIL THE PLANE STOPPED AND THE AGENT WALKED ON AND MADE THEM GET OFF. THE RPTR WAS VERY UPSET WITH THE CAPT AFTER HE HAD TOLD THE PURSER TO WAIT AND CALM DOWN (SHE WAS CRYING AND SHAKING) FOR 10 MINS WHILE THEY WERE STILL TAXIING, BECAUSE THEY COULD HAVE RECEIVED TKOF CLRNC AT ANY TIME AND THEY COULD TAKE OFF WITH THIS PROB MAN STILL ONBOARD. SHE ALSO FELT THAT THE CAPT WASN'T SHOWING A LOT OF RESPECT FOR THE FLT ATTENDANT AND FLT ATTENDANTS IN GENERAL. SHE WANTED TO RPT HIM TO THE UNION'S PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE, BUT THE PURSER TALKED HER OUT OF IT.

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.