B737 flight attendant had an abusive passenger removed prior to departure at sju.

Attributes
ACN	499870
Time
Date	200101
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sju.airport
State Reference	PR
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground other : pax boarding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 6
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 2.5 flight attendant time total : 2.5
ASRS Report	499870
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 2
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

I was not directly involved with confrontation. This is what I heard from flight attendants and captain involved. Passenger tried to board early. Flight attendant, politely and professionally, said that she would have to wait until her row was called. Passenger got upset and hostilly told flight attendant to 'shut up' and boarded anyway. Upon boarding, flight attendant involved approached passenger to further explain policy and diffuse situation. Passenger was still aggressive and threatening. Passenger approached #3 flight attendant and asked for the name of flight attendant involved (#4). Was hostile and aggressive to her. Flight attendant approached captain and said that she feared for her safety. Captain contacted agent to escort passenger off of flight. Agent showed up and escorted passenger off. On the way off aircraft, passenger took it upon herself to stop 'into' the cockpit to speak with captain. Passenger was abusively yelling at captain. Was threatening and said something like, 'it's not as if I had a gun or anything.' agent had to finally force (not physically) passenger out of cockpit and off aircraft. What caused this situation was a person having a bad day. There is no way to prevent these episodes, other than requiring travelers to enroll in a safety/behavior class. This incident could have escalated into someone getting injured. Flight attendant handled this incident correctly and professionally. We need to send a clear message to the public that this behavior will not be tolerated. Perhaps we need to develop a probation-type system for these passenger or even ban them from flying.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT ATTENDANT HAD AN ABUSIVE PAX REMOVED PRIOR TO DEP AT SJU.

Narrative: I WAS NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH CONFRONTATION. THIS IS WHAT I HEARD FROM FLT ATTENDANTS AND CAPT INVOLVED. PAX TRIED TO BOARD EARLY. FLT ATTENDANT, POLITELY AND PROFESSIONALLY, SAID THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL HER ROW WAS CALLED. PAX GOT UPSET AND HOSTILLY TOLD FLT ATTENDANT TO 'SHUT UP' AND BOARDED ANYWAY. UPON BOARDING, FLT ATTENDANT INVOLVED APCHED PAX TO FURTHER EXPLAIN POLICY AND DIFFUSE SIT. PAX WAS STILL AGGRESSIVE AND THREATENING. PAX APCHED #3 FLT ATTENDANT AND ASKED FOR THE NAME OF FLT ATTENDANT INVOLVED (#4). WAS HOSTILE AND AGGRESSIVE TO HER. FLT ATTENDANT APCHED CAPT AND SAID THAT SHE FEARED FOR HER SAFETY. CAPT CONTACTED AGENT TO ESCORT PAX OFF OF FLT. AGENT SHOWED UP AND ESCORTED PAX OFF. ON THE WAY OFF ACFT, PAX TOOK IT UPON HERSELF TO STOP 'INTO' THE COCKPIT TO SPEAK WITH CAPT. PAX WAS ABUSIVELY YELLING AT CAPT. WAS THREATENING AND SAID SOMETHING LIKE, 'IT'S NOT AS IF I HAD A GUN OR ANYTHING.' AGENT HAD TO FINALLY FORCE (NOT PHYSICALLY) PAX OUT OF COCKPIT AND OFF ACFT. WHAT CAUSED THIS SIT WAS A PERSON HAVING A BAD DAY. THERE IS NO WAY TO PREVENT THESE EPISODES, OTHER THAN REQUIRING TRAVELERS TO ENROLL IN A SAFETY/BEHAVIOR CLASS. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE ESCALATED INTO SOMEONE GETTING INJURED. FLT ATTENDANT HANDLED THIS INCIDENT CORRECTLY AND PROFESSIONALLY. WE NEED TO SEND A CLR MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC THAT THIS BEHAVIOR WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. PERHAPS WE NEED TO DEVELOP A PROBATION-TYPE SYS FOR THESE PAX OR EVEN BAN THEM FROM FLYING.

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.