Narrative:

After boarding was completed; I was told we were weight restr and needed a child count. I counted 7 plus 2 laps. The captain was asked by the customer service representative if anyone asks; you need to say we have we have 23 children on board; it's how we've done the figures for the weight on board.' I repeated what he said and I was shocked at the request to tell a lie if asked. The customer service representative repeated the request. I said 'no way.' I counted 7 children under 12 plus 2 laps X 2. The customer service representatives were lying to me and my flying partners and telling the cockpit this erroneous information. They were lying about the amount of children on board just to make the figures balance out and also to get the flight out. We were over takeoff limits -- we were too heavy to take off.' my flying partners and myself felt unsafe and uncomfortable with the lies being told to us and the cockpit. I advised the captain that we flight attendants felt unsafe and uncomfortable with the ongoing lies and felt unsafe to take off with the customer service representative's blatant lies and their insistence we had 15 children on board when we had 7 and 2 laps. He and the first officer said 'we won't leave until we know for sure we are at legal limits to take off; period.' we felt better but were still apprehensive. Bags were being removed out of cargo bay but how many were taken off and how is the weight considered enough? After push; I noticed 5 people missing in first class and 2 in coach. I asked captain if he was aware of this and he said 'no.' to be asked by a customer service representative to lie and all the customer service representatives' obvious ignorance about the importance of what would happen if we took off too heavy. We would crash and they didn't seem to understand the importance of having legal takeoff weight limits. They just wanted to get the airplane out and on to lax. As we rolled down the runway on takeoff; I was still scared and unsure that maybe we might still be too heavy and crash. We used; what seemed to me; every inch of runway before becoming airborne; as I also know we burned some fuel at the gate during this fiasco. Being asked to lie; at least for flight attendants; is one of the first articles of conduct -- a fireable offense. I was shocked and appalled that anyone would even consider putting my safety in jeopardy; never mind my flying partners and 130+ passenger's safety at risk. We got safety airborne and flew to lax where we landed 1 hour late; but safely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS ATTEMPTS BY BOARDING AGENTS TO FALSIFY NUMBER OF CHILDREN ON BOARD IN ORDER TO REDUCE RPTED TOGW AT OR BELOW MAX.

Narrative: AFTER BOARDING WAS COMPLETED; I WAS TOLD WE WERE WT RESTR AND NEEDED A CHILD COUNT. I COUNTED 7 PLUS 2 LAPS. THE CAPT WAS ASKED BY THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE IF ANYONE ASKS; YOU NEED TO SAY WE HAVE WE HAVE 23 CHILDREN ON BOARD; IT'S HOW WE'VE DONE THE FIGURES FOR THE WT ON BOARD.' I REPEATED WHAT HE SAID AND I WAS SHOCKED AT THE REQUEST TO TELL A LIE IF ASKED. THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE REPEATED THE REQUEST. I SAID 'NO WAY.' I COUNTED 7 CHILDREN UNDER 12 PLUS 2 LAPS X 2. THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVES WERE LYING TO ME AND MY FLYING PARTNERS AND TELLING THE COCKPIT THIS ERRONEOUS INFO. THEY WERE LYING ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF CHILDREN ON BOARD JUST TO MAKE THE FIGURES BAL OUT AND ALSO TO GET THE FLT OUT. WE WERE OVER TKOF LIMITS -- WE WERE TOO HVY TO TAKE OFF.' MY FLYING PARTNERS AND MYSELF FELT UNSAFE AND UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE LIES BEING TOLD TO US AND THE COCKPIT. I ADVISED THE CAPT THAT WE FLT ATTENDANTS FELT UNSAFE AND UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE ONGOING LIES AND FELT UNSAFE TO TAKE OFF WITH THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE'S BLATANT LIES AND THEIR INSISTENCE WE HAD 15 CHILDREN ON BOARD WHEN WE HAD 7 AND 2 LAPS. HE AND THE FO SAID 'WE WON'T LEAVE UNTIL WE KNOW FOR SURE WE ARE AT LEGAL LIMITS TO TAKE OFF; PERIOD.' WE FELT BETTER BUT WERE STILL APPREHENSIVE. BAGS WERE BEING REMOVED OUT OF CARGO BAY BUT HOW MANY WERE TAKEN OFF AND HOW IS THE WT CONSIDERED ENOUGH? AFTER PUSH; I NOTICED 5 PEOPLE MISSING IN FIRST CLASS AND 2 IN COACH. I ASKED CAPT IF HE WAS AWARE OF THIS AND HE SAID 'NO.' TO BE ASKED BY A CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE TO LIE AND ALL THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVES' OBVIOUS IGNORANCE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE TOOK OFF TOO HVY. WE WOULD CRASH AND THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING LEGAL TKOF WT LIMITS. THEY JUST WANTED TO GET THE AIRPLANE OUT AND ON TO LAX. AS WE ROLLED DOWN THE RWY ON TKOF; I WAS STILL SCARED AND UNSURE THAT MAYBE WE MIGHT STILL BE TOO HVY AND CRASH. WE USED; WHAT SEEMED TO ME; EVERY INCH OF RWY BEFORE BECOMING AIRBORNE; AS I ALSO KNOW WE BURNED SOME FUEL AT THE GATE DURING THIS FIASCO. BEING ASKED TO LIE; AT LEAST FOR FLT ATTENDANTS; IS ONE OF THE FIRST ARTICLES OF CONDUCT -- A FIREABLE OFFENSE. I WAS SHOCKED AND APPALLED THAT ANYONE WOULD EVEN CONSIDER PUTTING MY SAFETY IN JEOPARDY; NEVER MIND MY FLYING PARTNERS AND 130+ PAX'S SAFETY AT RISK. WE GOT SAFETY AIRBORNE AND FLEW TO LAX WHERE WE LANDED 1 HR LATE; BUT SAFELY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.