Narrative:

During taxi out in msp, the #1 flight attendant called the cockpit to tell us that there was an unruly passenger in first class. He was being crass and making sexually suggestive comments and lewd gestures. She stated that she went to the back of the airplane to get away from this passenger. Since we had a male flight attendant in the back, I suggested that he say something to the passenger. Apparently, the passenger then fell asleep. Since we had extensive delays all day and especially on this flight, we were taxiing for some time. The flight attendants were fine until the passenger woke up and started yelling vulgarities. At this time they said that it was possible he may be drunk. He refused to turn his cell phone off when asked by the flight attendants. I talked to all 3 flight attendants and none of them felt comfortable taking off and flying to ord with him on board. The concern was that he might possibly go crazy and do something stupid. Since it was a bad WX day anyway and more delays were likely combined with the flight attendants' discomfort in having this passenger aboard, I decided to taxi back to the gate and have the auths meet the aircraft and remove the passenger. Apparently this passenger had a history in his file as the agent there told me this was the second time he had been a problem on a flight with my company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CAPT RPTED THAT A PAX WAS SO DISRUPTIVE DURING TAXI AT MSP THAT HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE GATE TO OFFLOAD THE PAX.

Narrative: DURING TAXI OUT IN MSP, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE COCKPIT TO TELL US THAT THERE WAS AN UNRULY PAX IN FIRST CLASS. HE WAS BEING CRASS AND MAKING SEXUALLY SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS AND LEWD GESTURES. SHE STATED THAT SHE WENT TO THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE TO GET AWAY FROM THIS PAX. SINCE WE HAD A MALE FLT ATTENDANT IN THE BACK, I SUGGESTED THAT HE SAY SOMETHING TO THE PAX. APPARENTLY, THE PAX THEN FELL ASLEEP. SINCE WE HAD EXTENSIVE DELAYS ALL DAY AND ESPECIALLY ON THIS FLT, WE WERE TAXIING FOR SOME TIME. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE FINE UNTIL THE PAX WOKE UP AND STARTED YELLING VULGARITIES. AT THIS TIME THEY SAID THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE HE MAY BE DRUNK. HE REFUSED TO TURN HIS CELL PHONE OFF WHEN ASKED BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS. I TALKED TO ALL 3 FLT ATTENDANTS AND NONE OF THEM FELT COMFORTABLE TAKING OFF AND FLYING TO ORD WITH HIM ON BOARD. THE CONCERN WAS THAT HE MIGHT POSSIBLY GO CRAZY AND DO SOMETHING STUPID. SINCE IT WAS A BAD WX DAY ANYWAY AND MORE DELAYS WERE LIKELY COMBINED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS' DISCOMFORT IN HAVING THIS PAX ABOARD, I DECIDED TO TAXI BACK TO THE GATE AND HAVE THE AUTHS MEET THE ACFT AND REMOVE THE PAX. APPARENTLY THIS PAX HAD A HISTORY IN HIS FILE AS THE AGENT THERE TOLD ME THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME HE HAD BEEN A PROB ON A FLT WITH MY COMPANY.

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.