Narrative:

I was the purser onboard this trip. This event was reported to me by flight attendant #7. Several passenger in the area she was monitoring reported a male passenger taking pictures of galley and lavatory areas and also drawing detailed diagrams of same areas. When confronted by flight attendant, this passenger asked detailed questions about how many passenger aboard and said he was upset at the lavatory-to-passenger ratio. The captain contacted dispatch re passenger. Air carrier sent 2 women in business attire, our 'security coordinators,' who instructed the captain speak with the passenger and discuss his behavior onboard the aircraft. Entire crew was dissatisfied with this response to event. What was this passenger going to do with such detailed aircraft information? This passenger caused great distress for other passenger who also thought this to be suspicious behavior. Was the fact that he was a caucasian american (united states) citizen make him less of a risk? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was the purser and mentioned that her information is primarily second hand. She gave this information: the irritation of the passenger was apparently over the fact that the airline policy is to use the service carts to block the aisle in-flight to prevent free movement of passenger between cabins. This prevents the use of an unused lavatory in another cabin by a passenger not seated there. When confronted, the passenger changed his story from being upset about the passenger lavatory ratio to the fact that he was a student majoring in architecture. He was a young man of college age, who was determined through airborne dispatch to be a united states citizen. The company and union officials were notified. Company supervisors downplayed the incident as not serious.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A YOUNG MALE PAX CAUSES CONCERN ON AN INTL FLT WHEN HE TAKES PHOTOGRAPHS AND MAKES DRAWINGS OF ACFT GALLEYS AND LAVATORIES.

Narrative: I WAS THE PURSER ONBOARD THIS TRIP. THIS EVENT WAS RPTED TO ME BY FLT ATTENDANT #7. SEVERAL PAX IN THE AREA SHE WAS MONITORING RPTED A MALE PAX TAKING PICTURES OF GALLEY AND LAVATORY AREAS AND ALSO DRAWING DETAILED DIAGRAMS OF SAME AREAS. WHEN CONFRONTED BY FLT ATTENDANT, THIS PAX ASKED DETAILED QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW MANY PAX ABOARD AND SAID HE WAS UPSET AT THE LAVATORY-TO-PAX RATIO. THE CAPT CONTACTED DISPATCH RE PAX. ACR SENT 2 WOMEN IN BUSINESS ATTIRE, OUR 'SECURITY COORDINATORS,' WHO INSTRUCTED THE CAPT SPEAK WITH THE PAX AND DISCUSS HIS BEHAVIOR ONBOARD THE ACFT. ENTIRE CREW WAS DISSATISFIED WITH THIS RESPONSE TO EVENT. WHAT WAS THIS PAX GOING TO DO WITH SUCH DETAILED ACFT INFO? THIS PAX CAUSED GREAT DISTRESS FOR OTHER PAX WHO ALSO THOUGHT THIS TO BE SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR. WAS THE FACT THAT HE WAS A CAUCASIAN AMERICAN (UNITED STATES) CITIZEN MAKE HIM LESS OF A RISK? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS THE PURSER AND MENTIONED THAT HER INFO IS PRIMARILY SECOND HAND. SHE GAVE THIS INFO: THE IRRITATION OF THE PAX WAS APPARENTLY OVER THE FACT THAT THE AIRLINE POLICY IS TO USE THE SVC CARTS TO BLOCK THE AISLE INFLT TO PREVENT FREE MOVEMENT OF PAX BTWN CABINS. THIS PREVENTS THE USE OF AN UNUSED LAVATORY IN ANOTHER CABIN BY A PAX NOT SEATED THERE. WHEN CONFRONTED, THE PAX CHANGED HIS STORY FROM BEING UPSET ABOUT THE PAX LAVATORY RATIO TO THE FACT THAT HE WAS A STUDENT MAJORING IN ARCHITECTURE. HE WAS A YOUNG MAN OF COLLEGE AGE, WHO WAS DETERMINED THROUGH AIRBORNE DISPATCH TO BE A UNITED STATES CITIZEN. THE COMPANY AND UNION OFFICIALS WERE NOTIFIED. COMPANY SUPVRS DOWNPLAYED THE INCIDENT AS NOT SERIOUS.

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.