Narrative:

Another flight attendant and I were selling duty free from a cart in the main cabin, l-hand side. We came upon a passenger who smelled strongly of alcohol and seemed intoxicated. He was interested in purchasing duty free but was not satisfied with the selection offered. He continually asked for specific items which we do not carry and became more and more irate when told we could not sell him those items. He stated that we had ruined his christmas by not having the appropriate items. The other flight attendant I was working with patiently and kindly attempted to offer substitute items but he just slapped the catalogue away and said our selection was poor. He was getting more and more belligerent and louder and louder so we decided to move on with the cart. The passenger stated he wouldn't buy anything at all since we didn't have all the correct items. We began inquiring whether others desired duty free when the passenger turned around and called the other flight attendant a 'bitch' loudly and then proceeded to hit her in the back. When we continued moving the cart towards the back, he screamed 'F...bitch.' another flight attendant in the aft galley heard the commotion and contacted the purser. Although the passenger appeared drunk, the flight attendants working main cabin said he had only had a couple of drinks. I do not know whether it was ever discovered if he had his own bottle or not. The purser talked with him and made him apologize to the flight attendant. He was denied any further alcohol. I believe he was met at the gate in tokyo, although his interest in doing so had waned once he became sober. The flight attendant on the duty free cart with me who had all the interaction with this passenger did a great job of remaining calm and patient during the whole incident. She even tried some humor to calm the man down. She went above the call of duty in trying to assist him with alternative purchases. The only time she got firm with him is after he hit her, at which time she instructed him not to touch her.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777 CABIN CREW, ENRTE TO RJAA (JAPAN), WERE CONFRONTED BY AN UNRULY PAX.

Narrative: ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT AND I WERE SELLING DUTY FREE FROM A CART IN THE MAIN CABIN, L-HAND SIDE. WE CAME UPON A PAX WHO SMELLED STRONGLY OF ALCOHOL AND SEEMED INTOXICATED. HE WAS INTERESTED IN PURCHASING DUTY FREE BUT WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE SELECTION OFFERED. HE CONTINUALLY ASKED FOR SPECIFIC ITEMS WHICH WE DO NOT CARRY AND BECAME MORE AND MORE IRATE WHEN TOLD WE COULD NOT SELL HIM THOSE ITEMS. HE STATED THAT WE HAD RUINED HIS CHRISTMAS BY NOT HAVING THE APPROPRIATE ITEMS. THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANT I WAS WORKING WITH PATIENTLY AND KINDLY ATTEMPTED TO OFFER SUBSTITUTE ITEMS BUT HE JUST SLAPPED THE CATALOGUE AWAY AND SAID OUR SELECTION WAS POOR. HE WAS GETTING MORE AND MORE BELLIGERENT AND LOUDER AND LOUDER SO WE DECIDED TO MOVE ON WITH THE CART. THE PAX STATED HE WOULDN'T BUY ANYTHING AT ALL SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE CORRECT ITEMS. WE BEGAN INQUIRING WHETHER OTHERS DESIRED DUTY FREE WHEN THE PAX TURNED AROUND AND CALLED THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANT A 'BITCH' LOUDLY AND THEN PROCEEDED TO HIT HER IN THE BACK. WHEN WE CONTINUED MOVING THE CART TOWARDS THE BACK, HE SCREAMED 'F...BITCH.' ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT IN THE AFT GALLEY HEARD THE COMMOTION AND CONTACTED THE PURSER. ALTHOUGH THE PAX APPEARED DRUNK, THE FLT ATTENDANTS WORKING MAIN CABIN SAID HE HAD ONLY HAD A COUPLE OF DRINKS. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER IT WAS EVER DISCOVERED IF HE HAD HIS OWN BOTTLE Or NOT. THE PURSER TALKED WITH HIM AND MADE HIM APOLOGIZE TO THE FLT ATTENDANT. HE WAS DENIED ANY FURTHER ALCOHOL. I BELIEVE HE WAS MET AT THE GATE IN TOKYO, ALTHOUGH HIS INTEREST IN DOING SO HAD WANED ONCE HE BECAME SOBER. THE FLT ATTENDANT ON THE DUTY FREE CART WITH ME WHO HAD ALL THE INTERACTION WITH THIS PAX DID A GREAT JOB OF REMAINING CALM AND PATIENT DURING THE WHOLE INCIDENT. SHE EVEN TRIED SOME HUMOR TO CALM THE MAN DOWN. SHE WENT ABOVE THE CALL OF DUTY IN TRYING TO ASSIST HIM WITH ALTERNATIVE PURCHASES. THE ONLY TIME SHE GOT FIRM WITH HIM IS AFTER HE HIT HER, AT WHICH TIME SHE INSTRUCTED HIM NOT TO TOUCH HER.

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.