Narrative:

At the top of our flight plan there was a CAT alert for den for moderate turbulence from the surface to FL250 (which we did encounter); one of my first thoughts after seeing this was to tell the flight attendant to remain seated after takeoff; which I did and also that we would call when it was ok to get up. Climbing through about FL230 we heard the forward flight attendant seat hit the bulkhead and then noise in the forward galley. Since it was getting smooth I called back to tell the flight attendants it was ok to get up; but I also added; '...in the future please stay seated until we call you.' the reply was; '...yea; ok.' when the purser came into the cockpit during our restroom break I asked him if he knew how many flight attendants were injured every year because of turbulence. He said he didn't. I said; 'if you keep doing what you did earlier you're going to get hurt someday.' he replied; 'thanks for your concern but it's my body.' I asked him why he got up when they were asked (essentially an order) to stay seated. He said very assertively; 'I had things to do!' I asked him what was more important than his and everybody else's safety. He then aggressively said; 'I don't need your permission or for you to tell me how to do my job!' not wanting to get into a shouting match on the flight deck I simply said to him; 'get out of here.' air carrier's #1 credo is safety. Most people here know that. This purser's jaded; cavalier attitude towards safety should not be tolerated at this airline; and will not be tolerated on my flts. His defiant; insubordinate; and rude behavior merits immediate and serious attention. I do not treat any employee at this airline with disrespect; I did not at all appreciate his self-righteous display of it towards me; especially when it concerns safety. Flight attendants are on board primarily for safety; not the ancillary duties that their jobs entail; which this purser obviously made his priority.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CAPT RPTS CHIEF PURSER IGNORED HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO REMAIN SEATED BECAUSE OF TURB CONCERNS.

Narrative: AT THE TOP OF OUR FLT PLAN THERE WAS A CAT ALERT FOR DEN FOR MODERATE TURB FROM THE SURFACE TO FL250 (WHICH WE DID ENCOUNTER); ONE OF MY FIRST THOUGHTS AFTER SEEING THIS WAS TO TELL THE FLT ATTENDANT TO REMAIN SEATED AFTER TKOF; WHICH I DID AND ALSO THAT WE WOULD CALL WHEN IT WAS OK TO GET UP. CLBING THROUGH ABOUT FL230 WE HEARD THE FORWARD FLT ATTENDANT SEAT HIT THE BULKHEAD AND THEN NOISE IN THE FORWARD GALLEY. SINCE IT WAS GETTING SMOOTH I CALLED BACK TO TELL THE FLT ATTENDANTS IT WAS OK TO GET UP; BUT I ALSO ADDED; '...IN THE FUTURE PLEASE STAY SEATED UNTIL WE CALL YOU.' THE REPLY WAS; '...YEA; OK.' WHEN THE PURSER CAME INTO THE COCKPIT DURING OUR RESTROOM BREAK I ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW HOW MANY FLT ATTENDANTS WERE INJURED EVERY YEAR BECAUSE OF TURB. HE SAID HE DIDN'T. I SAID; 'IF YOU KEEP DOING WHAT YOU DID EARLIER YOU'RE GOING TO GET HURT SOMEDAY.' HE REPLIED; 'THANKS FOR YOUR CONCERN BUT IT'S MY BODY.' I ASKED HIM WHY HE GOT UP WHEN THEY WERE ASKED (ESSENTIALLY AN ORDER) TO STAY SEATED. HE SAID VERY ASSERTIVELY; 'I HAD THINGS TO DO!' I ASKED HIM WHAT WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HIS AND EVERYBODY ELSE'S SAFETY. HE THEN AGGRESSIVELY SAID; 'I DON'T NEED YOUR PERMISSION OR FOR YOU TO TELL ME HOW TO DO MY JOB!' NOT WANTING TO GET INTO A SHOUTING MATCH ON THE FLT DECK I SIMPLY SAID TO HIM; 'GET OUT OF HERE.' ACR'S #1 CREDO IS SAFETY. MOST PEOPLE HERE KNOW THAT. THIS PURSER'S JADED; CAVALIER ATTITUDE TOWARDS SAFETY SHOULD NOT BE TOLERATED AT THIS AIRLINE; AND WILL NOT BE TOLERATED ON MY FLTS. HIS DEFIANT; INSUBORDINATE; AND RUDE BEHAVIOR MERITS IMMEDIATE AND SERIOUS ATTN. I DO NOT TREAT ANY EMPLOYEE AT THIS AIRLINE WITH DISRESPECT; I DID NOT AT ALL APPRECIATE HIS SELF-RIGHTEOUS DISPLAY OF IT TOWARDS ME; ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CONCERNS SAFETY. FLT ATTENDANTS ARE ON BOARD PRIMARILY FOR SAFETY; NOT THE ANCILLARY DUTIES THAT THEIR JOBS ENTAIL; WHICH THIS PURSER OBVIOUSLY MADE HIS PRIORITY.

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.