An MD80 flight attendant reported that a first class passenger became disruptive and rude after she ...

Attributes
ACN	608339
Time
Date	200401
Day	Wed
Place
Locale Reference	airport : san.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : luk.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 5
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 12 flight attendant time total : 12 flight attendant time type : 60
ASRS Report	608339
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance Cabin Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

2 steps into the aircraft, male passenger demands to flight attendant #1 to have his fur coat hung up. She kindly explained to him that once he was seated, we could come and hang it up for him. I followed him back to his seat and stand at closet, hanging a passenger's coat that I had picked up on the way back. While I was marking the tag, male passenger with fur coat, first class, literally throws his fur coat onto the floor of the coat closet and puts his bag into the overhead bin. He remarks 'that is $10000 laying on the floor.' once he gets his bag in the overhead bin, he starts to move into his row. I asked him if he was going to pick his coat up and hand it to me or if he was just going to throw it and leave it on the floor. He started yelling that he can't pick it up because he had to put his own bag in the overhead bin. I go immediately to the captain and tell him we have a problem with this passenger and that I would keep him updated. A non-revenue flight attendant in uniform boards the aircraft. Passenger asks her loudly if 'the head cheese' was at the top of the jetbridge because he had a complaint. She replies that if he has a complaint, he could talk to a gate agent. He gets out his cell phone and calls someone to get the number for customer service for company. His tone of voice is very loud. He is basically yelling that 'this stewardess' wouldn't put his bag up and hang his coat. He was trying to intimidate and threaten me with his loud words and verbal actions. He kept on and on, so I leaned over to him and touched his arm and said, 'sir, I hate to tell you this, but I am not afraid of you...calling customer service. If you are unhappy with this flight you are more than welcome to take another flight.' he yells, 'how dare you touch me. Don't touch me! She is threatening me, she is threatening me!' at that point, I went straight to the captain and told him about this man's behavior. He was removed from the flight because he was disturbing the passenger and interfering with the crew member's duties.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT A FIRST CLASS PAX BECAME DISRUPTIVE AND RUDE AFTER SHE INITIALLY REFUSED TO HANG UP HIS FUR COAT DURING BOARDING.

Narrative: 2 STEPS INTO THE ACFT, MALE PAX DEMANDS TO FLT ATTENDANT #1 TO HAVE HIS FUR COAT HUNG UP. SHE KINDLY EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT ONCE HE WAS SEATED, WE COULD COME AND HANG IT UP FOR HIM. I FOLLOWED HIM BACK TO HIS SEAT AND STAND AT CLOSET, HANGING A PAX'S COAT THAT I HAD PICKED UP ON THE WAY BACK. WHILE I WAS MARKING THE TAG, MALE PAX WITH FUR COAT, FIRST CLASS, LITERALLY THROWS HIS FUR COAT ONTO THE FLOOR OF THE COAT CLOSET AND PUTS HIS BAG INTO THE OVERHEAD BIN. HE REMARKS 'THAT IS $10000 LAYING ON THE FLOOR.' ONCE HE GETS HIS BAG IN THE OVERHEAD BIN, HE STARTS TO MOVE INTO HIS ROW. I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS GOING TO PICK HIS COAT UP AND HAND IT TO ME OR IF HE WAS JUST GOING TO THROW IT AND LEAVE IT ON THE FLOOR. HE STARTED YELLING THAT HE CAN'T PICK IT UP BECAUSE HE HAD TO PUT HIS OWN BAG IN THE OVERHEAD BIN. I GO IMMEDIATELY TO THE CAPT AND TELL HIM WE HAVE A PROB WITH THIS PAX AND THAT I WOULD KEEP HIM UPDATED. A NON-REVENUE FLT ATTENDANT IN UNIFORM BOARDS THE ACFT. PAX ASKS HER LOUDLY IF 'THE HEAD CHEESE' WAS AT THE TOP OF THE JETBRIDGE BECAUSE HE HAD A COMPLAINT. SHE REPLIES THAT IF HE HAS A COMPLAINT, HE COULD TALK TO A GATE AGENT. HE GETS OUT HIS CELL PHONE AND CALLS SOMEONE TO GET THE NUMBER FOR CUSTOMER SVC FOR COMPANY. HIS TONE OF VOICE IS VERY LOUD. HE IS BASICALLY YELLING THAT 'THIS STEWARDESS' WOULDN'T PUT HIS BAG UP AND HANG HIS COAT. HE WAS TRYING TO INTIMIDATE AND THREATEN ME WITH HIS LOUD WORDS AND VERBAL ACTIONS. HE KEPT ON AND ON, SO I LEANED OVER TO HIM AND TOUCHED HIS ARM AND SAID, 'SIR, I HATE TO TELL YOU THIS, BUT I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU...CALLING CUSTOMER SVC. IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY WITH THIS FLT YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO TAKE ANOTHER FLT.' HE YELLS, 'HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME. DON'T TOUCH ME! SHE IS THREATENING ME, SHE IS THREATENING ME!' AT THAT POINT, I WENT STRAIGHT TO THE CAPT AND TOLD HIM ABOUT THIS MAN'S BEHAVIOR. HE WAS REMOVED FROM THE FLT BECAUSE HE WAS DISTURBING THE PAX AND INTERFERING WITH THE CREW MEMBER'S DUTIES.

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.

An MD80 flight attendant reported that a first class passenger became disruptive and rude after she initially refused to hang up his fur coat during boarding.