Narrative:

Upon landing, passenger jumped up and opened overhead bin to retrieve bags. Flight attendant #2 went in aisle to instruct passenger to take seats, fasten seatbelts and close overhead bin. Passenger became argumentative, abusive, wouldn't take seat, kept reopening overhead bin and began cussing out flight attendant #2 and tried to hit him in the face. He came to the galley and I went to try and get her to take her seat and fasten her seatbelt. She was screaming, cussing kept reopening her overhead bin trying to get her bags. She wanted to know why she had to take a seat and fasten her seatbelt so I told her. I asked her please, then she said I don't have to do anything that you say. She verbally abused me, created a major safety problem and was irrational. I told her I wasn't going to argue with her anymore and was scared she would attack me or another passenger. I went to the purser (while #2 called cockpit to have police meet flight) to tell her what was happening. The lady jumps up grabs her stuff and is heading for first class as #1 is going to back. The lady is yelling and cussing. We get to gate, police aren't there. #1 is telling her to be quiet. She asks if she will be arrested? We said yes, probably. She begins looking for something and at the door she says 'well I better do something else to you and make (the arrest) really count. Two flight attendants and passenger are on edge of seat giving me signals they will help if she attacks me. She is yelling and I assume looking for something to come at me with. (I have begun self defense.) I changed my stance fully prepared for her attack. After 10 mins police arrive, we open door, they take her and she begins cussing and yelling at them. I feared for the safety of the passenger, cockpit, crew and myself. She exhibited behavior completely unacceptable for airline travel and any other situation as well. She endangered the safety of other passenger. Interfered with duty of crewmembers. Threatened crewmembers and verbally assaulted us. She is dangerous, unstable and violent. I feel that our training helped. I also felt taking self defense benefited the most because I felt in control and knew I could handle her to protect passenger, cockpit and crew. Gave me a mental and physical edge over her. She was not allowed to continue on. They didn't arrest her. The union said she is to be fined. How do we maintain control if people aren't arrested for this type of behavior?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FLT ATTENDANT RPT ON THE UNSTABLE ACTIONS OF A PAX WHO REFUSED TO KEEP HER SEAT DURING TAXI INTO MIA, FL.

Narrative: UPON LNDG, PAX JUMPED UP AND OPENED OVERHEAD BIN TO RETRIEVE BAGS. FLT ATTENDANT #2 WENT IN AISLE TO INSTRUCT PAX TO TAKE SEATS, FASTEN SEATBELTS AND CLOSE OVERHEAD BIN. PAX BECAME ARGUMENTATIVE, ABUSIVE, WOULDN'T TAKE SEAT, KEPT REOPENING OVERHEAD BIN AND BEGAN CUSSING OUT FLT ATTENDANT #2 AND TRIED TO HIT HIM IN THE FACE. HE CAME TO THE GALLEY AND I WENT TO TRY AND GET HER TO TAKE HER SEAT AND FASTEN HER SEATBELT. SHE WAS SCREAMING, CUSSING KEPT REOPENING HER OVERHEAD BIN TRYING TO GET HER BAGS. SHE WANTED TO KNOW WHY SHE HAD TO TAKE A SEAT AND FASTEN HER SEATBELT SO I TOLD HER. I ASKED HER PLEASE, THEN SHE SAID I DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING THAT YOU SAY. SHE VERBALLY ABUSED ME, CREATED A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM AND WAS IRRATIONAL. I TOLD HER I WASN'T GOING TO ARGUE WITH HER ANYMORE AND WAS SCARED SHE WOULD ATTACK ME OR ANOTHER PAX. I WENT TO THE PURSER (WHILE #2 CALLED COCKPIT TO HAVE POLICE MEET FLT) TO TELL HER WHAT WAS HAPPENING. THE LADY JUMPS UP GRABS HER STUFF AND IS HEADING FOR FIRST CLASS AS #1 IS GOING TO BACK. THE LADY IS YELLING AND CUSSING. WE GET TO GATE, POLICE AREN'T THERE. #1 IS TELLING HER TO BE QUIET. SHE ASKS IF SHE WILL BE ARRESTED? WE SAID YES, PROBABLY. SHE BEGINS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING AND AT THE DOOR SHE SAYS 'WELL I BETTER DO SOMETHING ELSE TO YOU AND MAKE (THE ARREST) REALLY COUNT. TWO FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX ARE ON EDGE OF SEAT GIVING ME SIGNALS THEY WILL HELP IF SHE ATTACKS ME. SHE IS YELLING AND I ASSUME LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO COME AT ME WITH. (I HAVE BEGUN SELF DEFENSE.) I CHANGED MY STANCE FULLY PREPARED FOR HER ATTACK. AFTER 10 MINS POLICE ARRIVE, WE OPEN DOOR, THEY TAKE HER AND SHE BEGINS CUSSING AND YELLING AT THEM. I FEARED FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PAX, COCKPIT, CREW AND MYSELF. SHE EXHIBITED BEHAVIOR COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE FOR AIRLINE TRAVEL AND ANY OTHER SITUATION AS WELL. SHE ENDANGERED THE SAFETY OF OTHER PAX. INTERFERED WITH DUTY OF CREWMEMBERS. THREATENED CREWMEMBERS AND VERBALLY ASSAULTED US. SHE IS DANGEROUS, UNSTABLE AND VIOLENT. I FEEL THAT OUR TRAINING HELPED. I ALSO FELT TAKING SELF DEFENSE BENEFITED THE MOST BECAUSE I FELT IN CTL AND KNEW I COULD HANDLE HER TO PROTECT PAX, COCKPIT AND CREW. GAVE ME A MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EDGE OVER HER. SHE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO CONTINUE ON. THEY DIDN'T ARREST HER. THE UNION SAID SHE IS TO BE FINED. HOW DO WE MAINTAIN CTL IF PEOPLE AREN'T ARRESTED FOR THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR?

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.