A disabled passenger and customer service pressure a flight attendant to accommodate a scooter when ...

Narrative:

Upon checking in at the gate for flight the gate agents were dealing with a woman with an electric scooter. The customer wanted to place the scooter in the first class closet in pieces. She couldn't tell us how much it weighed. I looked in the operations manual for direction on what to do with a scooter. There was nothing in the operations manual on this item. I am aware that it is important requirement for us to be sensitive to the special needs of passenger with disabilities; specifically those traveling with a wheelchair. I went down to the plane and when placing my bags in their proper stowage location per the operations manual; I checked the weight limit for the floor. The weight limit was 110 pounds; I made an estimate of the weight of my bags which are to go in the first class closet per the operations manual. I called the cust service rep at this point and told them what the weight limit was and what additional weight we could accommodate. The cust service reps asked if we could store some of the parts in there and the rest in the overhead bin. I said no to this; the only approved stowage area for a passenger wheelchair on this aircraft was the first class closet. At this time the passenger said to the cust service rep to take my bags out to accommodate her scooter. I also realize it is an equally important requirement that I adhere to far's and air carrier policy as established in the operations manual. I feel I made the right decision by choosing to maintain far's and policy and advocate for alternate stowage of the passenger wheelchair. The passenger kept insisting that we violated her rights under the ada; which states that we must accommodate a wheelchair on board an aircraft. Our operations manual has this information. The operations manual states (the air carrier act requires airlines to provide onboard stowage for 1 customer folding wheelchair); it has no direction on scooters. We decided to gate check the scooter; which was brought back up when we landed. A decision needs to be made as to how an individual flight attendant facing unique challenges; such as this one; may be authority/authorized to either deviate from far and policy; or does the flight attendant choose to advocate for alternate stowage of assistive devices for the disabled.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISABLED PAX AND CUSTOMER SVC PRESSURE A FLT ATTENDANT TO ACCOMMODATE A SCOOTER WHEN THE APPLICABLE REG AND COMPANY GUIDANCE ONLY REQUIRES A WHEEL CHAIR TO BE ACCOMMODATED ON AN ACFT.

Narrative: UPON CHKING IN AT THE GATE FOR FLT THE GATE AGENTS WERE DEALING WITH A WOMAN WITH AN ELECTRIC SCOOTER. THE CUSTOMER WANTED TO PLACE THE SCOOTER IN THE FIRST CLASS CLOSET IN PIECES. SHE COULDN'T TELL US HOW MUCH IT WEIGHED. I LOOKED IN THE OPS MANUAL FOR DIRECTION ON WHAT TO DO WITH A SCOOTER. THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE OPS MANUAL ON THIS ITEM. I AM AWARE THAT IT IS IMPORTANT REQUIREMENT FOR US TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF PAX WITH DISABILITIES; SPECIFICALLY THOSE TRAVELING WITH A WHEELCHAIR. I WENT DOWN TO THE PLANE AND WHEN PLACING MY BAGS IN THEIR PROPER STOWAGE LOCATION PER THE OPS MANUAL; I CHKED THE WT LIMIT FOR THE FLOOR. THE WT LIMIT WAS 110 LBS; I MADE AN ESTIMATE OF THE WT OF MY BAGS WHICH ARE TO GO IN THE FIRST CLASS CLOSET PER THE OPS MANUAL. I CALLED THE CUST SVC REP AT THIS POINT AND TOLD THEM WHAT THE WT LIMIT WAS AND WHAT ADDITIONAL WT WE COULD ACCOMMODATE. THE CUST SVC REPS ASKED IF WE COULD STORE SOME OF THE PARTS IN THERE AND THE REST IN THE OVERHEAD BIN. I SAID NO TO THIS; THE ONLY APPROVED STOWAGE AREA FOR A PAX WHEELCHAIR ON THIS ACFT WAS THE FIRST CLASS CLOSET. AT THIS TIME THE PAX SAID TO THE CUST SVC REP TO TAKE MY BAGS OUT TO ACCOMMODATE HER SCOOTER. I ALSO REALIZE IT IS AN EQUALLY IMPORTANT REQUIREMENT THAT I ADHERE TO FAR'S AND ACR POLICY AS ESTABLISHED IN THE OPS MANUAL. I FEEL I MADE THE RIGHT DECISION BY CHOOSING TO MAINTAIN FAR'S AND POLICY AND ADVOCATE FOR ALTERNATE STOWAGE OF THE PAX WHEELCHAIR. THE PAX KEPT INSISTING THAT WE VIOLATED HER RIGHTS UNDER THE ADA; WHICH STATES THAT WE MUST ACCOMMODATE A WHEELCHAIR ON BOARD AN ACFT. OUR OPS MANUAL HAS THIS INFO. THE OPS MANUAL STATES (THE ACR ACT REQUIRES AIRLINES TO PROVIDE ONBOARD STOWAGE FOR 1 CUSTOMER FOLDING WHEELCHAIR); IT HAS NO DIRECTION ON SCOOTERS. WE DECIDED TO GATE CHK THE SCOOTER; WHICH WAS BROUGHT BACK UP WHEN WE LANDED. A DECISION NEEDS TO BE MADE AS TO HOW AN INDIVIDUAL FLT ATTENDANT FACING UNIQUE CHALLENGES; SUCH AS THIS ONE; MAY BE AUTH TO EITHER DEVIATE FROM FAR AND POLICY; OR DOES THE FLT ATTENDANT CHOOSE TO ADVOCATE FOR ALTERNATE STOWAGE OF ASSISTIVE DEVICES FOR THE DISABLED.

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.

Attributes
ACN	714724
Time
Date	200608
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
ASRS Report	714724
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger electronic device non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : cab
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Company FAA Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

A disabled passenger and customer service pressure a flight attendant to accommodate a scooter when the applicable regulation and company guidance only requires a wheel chair to be accommodated on an aircraft.