Narrative:

After a lengthy situation on the taxiway due to thunderstorms in dfw (in which I served beverage and meal service in first class), the flight crew (flight attendants only) went illegal as per FARS regarding length of duty day. Unfortunately, it took an equal length of time to taxi back to a gate, so that there were lengthy delays on the taxiway long after passenger knew we were going to have to return to the terminal. One passenger in particular became hostile after having trouble rebooking a flight from his cell phone. He got up out of his seat to use the lavatory, and as he came out of it afterward, blocked me in the aisle. He raised his voice to a yell as he questioned me about the status of our flight, and ignored my repeated requests for him to calm down and take a seat. I managed to squeeze past him and ran to the crew phone, from where I called the captain to let him know we had a hostile passenger. I consider this not only passenger misconduct, but interference with flight crew, as he would not let me past him to complete a routine walk-through. His friend managed to convince him to situation down. At this point, his friend let me know that they had taken alcohol and tranquilizers before the flight. (Note: as both passenger had fallen asleep soon after gate departure, I did not realize that they were intoxicated. However, many other passenger on board told me later that this man had been exceptionally boisterous and rude in the boarding lounge.) once we got to the gate, the security officers detained the passenger and took him off the airplane. (He had, by the way, ignored the captain's request for all passenger to remain seated and immediately jumped out of his seat to get off the plane.) I am also disappointed that although this man was rptedly a problem in the terminal, agents still allowed him to get on the flight. This is, in my opinion, the root of many passenger misconduct issues. It is illegal for an agent to board an intoxicated passenger, yet this man got on while under the influence of alcohol and tranquilizers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CABIN CREW, DURING AN EXTENSIVE DELAY AT DFW, WERE CONFRONTED BY AN UNRULY PAX.

Narrative: AFTER A LENGTHY SIT ON THE TXWY DUE TO TSTMS IN DFW (IN WHICH I SERVED BEVERAGE AND MEAL SVC IN FIRST CLASS), THE FLC (FLT ATTENDANTS ONLY) WENT ILLEGAL AS PER FARS REGARDING LENGTH OF DUTY DAY. UNFORTUNATELY, IT TOOK AN EQUAL LENGTH OF TIME TO TAXI BACK TO A GATE, SO THAT THERE WERE LENGTHY DELAYS ON THE TXWY LONG AFTER PAX KNEW WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO RETURN TO THE TERMINAL. ONE PAX IN PARTICULAR BECAME HOSTILE AFTER HAVING TROUBLE REBOOKING A FLT FROM HIS CELL PHONE. HE GOT UP OUT OF HIS SEAT TO USE THE LAVATORY, AND AS HE CAME OUT OF IT AFTERWARD, BLOCKED ME IN THE AISLE. HE RAISED HIS VOICE TO A YELL AS HE QUESTIONED ME ABOUT THE STATUS OF OUR FLT, AND IGNORED MY REPEATED REQUESTS FOR HIM TO CALM DOWN AND TAKE A SEAT. I MANAGED TO SQUEEZE PAST HIM AND RAN TO THE CREW PHONE, FROM WHERE I CALLED THE CAPT TO LET HIM KNOW WE HAD A HOSTILE PAX. I CONSIDER THIS NOT ONLY PAX MISCONDUCT, BUT INTERFERENCE WITH FLC, AS HE WOULD NOT LET ME PAST HIM TO COMPLETE A ROUTINE WALK-THROUGH. HIS FRIEND MANAGED TO CONVINCE HIM TO SIT DOWN. AT THIS POINT, HIS FRIEND LET ME KNOW THAT THEY HAD TAKEN ALCOHOL AND TRANQUILIZERS BEFORE THE FLT. (NOTE: AS BOTH PAX HAD FALLEN ASLEEP SOON AFTER GATE DEP, I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THEY WERE INTOXICATED. HOWEVER, MANY OTHER PAX ON BOARD TOLD ME LATER THAT THIS MAN HAD BEEN EXCEPTIONALLY BOISTEROUS AND RUDE IN THE BOARDING LOUNGE.) ONCE WE GOT TO THE GATE, THE SECURITY OFFICERS DETAINED THE PAX AND TOOK HIM OFF THE AIRPLANE. (HE HAD, BY THE WAY, IGNORED THE CAPT'S REQUEST FOR ALL PAX TO REMAIN SEATED AND IMMEDIATELY JUMPED OUT OF HIS SEAT TO GET OFF THE PLANE.) I AM ALSO DISAPPOINTED THAT ALTHOUGH THIS MAN WAS RPTEDLY A PROB IN THE TERMINAL, AGENTS STILL ALLOWED HIM TO GET ON THE FLT. THIS IS, IN MY OPINION, THE ROOT OF MANY PAX MISCONDUCT ISSUES. IT IS ILLEGAL FOR AN AGENT TO BOARD AN INTOXICATED PAX, YET THIS MAN GOT ON WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL AND TRANQUILIZERS.

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.