Narrative:

During boarding at lgb, flight attendant #3 noticed that both passenger in first class row had pets, and that they were out of their cages. He then advised them of the rules and asked them to please comply, and they said that they would. Prior to departure, I had a few mins, so I took my meal preferences forward to aft. When I got to their seats, I noticed that the dogs were still out, so I advised them once more. They said 'ok, I know!' I walked away assuming they would comply after the second request. During the next 1 1/2 hours, both of us asked them several more times to please put them away. They never did! I even told them that I also had dogs and loved them, but it was just the rules. He became irate and started yelling that he bought first class tickets instead of coach just so he could keep them out! I explained to him very politely that it did not matter which cabin he was in. I then firmly told him to put them in the cages now! He said, 'oh, so you're just going to stand there and watch me?' I said, 'you have 5 mins,' and walked away. Approximately 30 mins later, the #3 flight attendant noticed that both pets were still out of the cages. He then advised me that he was going to fill out the passenger disturbance report, issue the warning, and get the captain involved. As flight attendant #3 issued the written warning to mr X, I approached and stood beside them. Mr X then became very angry and defiant. He started yelling, 'land the plane, I don't care what you do!' after asking for compliance immediately, mr X wadded up the warning and threw it. He then yelled to me, 'stewardess, get away from me now!' after discussing the problem with the captain, we determined that this was no longer a dog issue, but a non compliance and interfering with flight crew issue. This passenger was not going to comply with any request we had of him, including safety related requests the rest of the flight! I then approached mr X again and tried to explain the severity of the non compliance problem of which the captain and I had just discussed. He did not want to listen, and told me to get out of his face! After informing the captain of mr X's reaction, he told me he would have the police meet the flight in new york. Even though mr X was non compliant and took our focus off of all other passenger and potential problems, both the #3 flight attendant and myself managed to stay professional and courteous to all, the entire flight! Upon arrival at jfk, the captain met and escorted both passenger off the aircraft and into the jetbridge where the port authority/authorized and nyc police were waiting. I stayed at the aircraft door while the rest of the crew went to the gate area. I then gave the police and station manager a copy of the disturbance report and answered some questions. After about 30 mins, the captain told me he was handling it now and not to worry. He then told me it was ok to leave for my layover.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT 2 PAX REFUSED TO KEEP THEIR DOGS IN THEIR KENNELS UNDER THEIR SEATS IN FIRST CLASS.

Narrative: DURING BOARDING AT LGB, FLT ATTENDANT #3 NOTICED THAT BOTH PAX IN FIRST CLASS ROW HAD PETS, AND THAT THEY WERE OUT OF THEIR CAGES. HE THEN ADVISED THEM OF THE RULES AND ASKED THEM TO PLEASE COMPLY, AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD. PRIOR TO DEP, I HAD A FEW MINS, SO I TOOK MY MEAL PREFERENCES FORWARD TO AFT. WHEN I GOT TO THEIR SEATS, I NOTICED THAT THE DOGS WERE STILL OUT, SO I ADVISED THEM ONCE MORE. THEY SAID 'OK, I KNOW!' I WALKED AWAY ASSUMING THEY WOULD COMPLY AFTER THE SECOND REQUEST. DURING THE NEXT 1 1/2 HRS, BOTH OF US ASKED THEM SEVERAL MORE TIMES TO PLEASE PUT THEM AWAY. THEY NEVER DID! I EVEN TOLD THEM THAT I ALSO HAD DOGS AND LOVED THEM, BUT IT WAS JUST THE RULES. HE BECAME IRATE AND STARTED YELLING THAT HE BOUGHT FIRST CLASS TICKETS INSTEAD OF COACH JUST SO HE COULD KEEP THEM OUT! I EXPLAINED TO HIM VERY POLITELY THAT IT DID NOT MATTER WHICH CABIN HE WAS IN. I THEN FIRMLY TOLD HIM TO PUT THEM IN THE CAGES NOW! HE SAID, 'OH, SO YOU'RE JUST GOING TO STAND THERE AND WATCH ME?' I SAID, 'YOU HAVE 5 MINS,' AND WALKED AWAY. APPROX 30 MINS LATER, THE #3 FLT ATTENDANT NOTICED THAT BOTH PETS WERE STILL OUT OF THE CAGES. HE THEN ADVISED ME THAT HE WAS GOING TO FILL OUT THE PAX DISTURBANCE RPT, ISSUE THE WARNING, AND GET THE CAPT INVOLVED. AS FLT ATTENDANT #3 ISSUED THE WRITTEN WARNING TO MR X, I APCHED AND STOOD BESIDE THEM. MR X THEN BECAME VERY ANGRY AND DEFIANT. HE STARTED YELLING, 'LAND THE PLANE, I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO!' AFTER ASKING FOR COMPLIANCE IMMEDIATELY, MR X WADDED UP THE WARNING AND THREW IT. HE THEN YELLED TO ME, 'STEWARDESS, GET AWAY FROM ME NOW!' AFTER DISCUSSING THE PROB WITH THE CAPT, WE DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS NO LONGER A DOG ISSUE, BUT A NON COMPLIANCE AND INTERFERING WITH FLT CREW ISSUE. THIS PAX WAS NOT GOING TO COMPLY WITH ANY REQUEST WE HAD OF HIM, INCLUDING SAFETY RELATED REQUESTS THE REST OF THE FLT! I THEN APCHED MR X AGAIN AND TRIED TO EXPLAIN THE SEVERITY OF THE NON COMPLIANCE PROB OF WHICH THE CAPT AND I HAD JUST DISCUSSED. HE DID NOT WANT TO LISTEN, AND TOLD ME TO GET OUT OF HIS FACE! AFTER INFORMING THE CAPT OF MR X'S REACTION, HE TOLD ME HE WOULD HAVE THE POLICE MEET THE FLT IN NEW YORK. EVEN THOUGH MR X WAS NON COMPLIANT AND TOOK OUR FOCUS OFF OF ALL OTHER PAX AND POTENTIAL PROBS, BOTH THE #3 FLT ATTENDANT AND MYSELF MANAGED TO STAY PROFESSIONAL AND COURTEOUS TO ALL, THE ENTIRE FLT! UPON ARR AT JFK, THE CAPT MET AND ESCORTED BOTH PAX OFF THE ACFT AND INTO THE JETBRIDGE WHERE THE PORT AUTH AND NYC POLICE WERE WAITING. I STAYED AT THE ACFT DOOR WHILE THE REST OF THE CREW WENT TO THE GATE AREA. I THEN GAVE THE POLICE AND STATION MGR A COPY OF THE DISTURBANCE RPT AND ANSWERED SOME QUESTIONS. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINS, THE CAPT TOLD ME HE WAS HANDLING IT NOW AND NOT TO WORRY. HE THEN TOLD ME IT WAS OK TO LEAVE FOR MY LAYOVER.

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.