Narrative:

I was passing out/distributing the snack in the main cabin when I reached row X3. Passenger in X3G (was unwilling to give me his name any time during this incident) was standing with a plastic cup of water in hand. I handed him the snack and said 'enjoy.' he then proceeded to wake his wife at which point I quietly suggested to him to let her sleep as we only are catered with a minimum number of snacks only for those passenger who are awake and that if she wakes up; I'd be more than happy to bring her a snack. He then replied; 'I'll do what I wanna do to my wife; you're not gonna tell me what to do!' he then; shoved me forward with his forearm; splashing/spilling the water from the cup all over me. The passenger seated in X2G; in front of him and water on himself as well. He started to rant and became hostile towards me -- I told him to stop immediately; requesting him to take his seat. I advised him that the incident had now 'gotten out of hand and it had to be documented and the captain needed to be informed.' passenger was reeking of alcohol. He was slurring his words and displayed a somewhat violent attitude. Passenger seemed very agitated but informed me that he was a loyal customer at which I said; I really don't think that that has anything to do with the incident that just transpired. He continued to rant as I continued to explain to him the policies that will now take place as he chose to use 'force' on me. He requested the purser at which I told him the purser was on his break and couldn't be disturbed but I told him the captain will be advised as to his behavior and notified of this situation and that if the captain feels that the safety of passenger and crew is being jeopardized; we could possibly be forced to land the flight in the closest city on the west coast; possibly san francisco. I left the passenger to go to first class and retrieve a blank passenger in-flight disturbance report and found that the purser hadn't retired to the crew bunks for his break and immediately explained that we had a 'situation' in the main cabin. He said the captain was in the restroom and as soon as he came out; we would discuss it with him. When captain emerged from the restroom; I explained the situation; describing the pushing/shoving incident. He said that since it had escalated to this level; a disturbance report was appropriate. I returned to passenger with the form and requested that I see some identify to complete the form. Passenger refused telling me that 'he wasn't going to give me a 'expletive' thing because it was me who had pushed him.' his wife then chimed in; stating the same thing along with 2 other passenger seated in the H and J seats (his wife was asleep when the shoving incident took place so she couldn't have seen him shove me and the 2 passenger in the H and J seats didn't have a clear view as I was in the aisle blocking their view --this was totally bogus!). Neither of these passenger were willing to give me their names. Passenger seated behind passenger in seat X5G then said; 'hey buddy; I saw him shove you. If you need someone to verify this; I'd be happy to assist.' since passenger was being uncooperative regarding completing the in-flight disturbance form; I returned to explain further the situation to the purser and the captain. Captain then suggested that the purser go and inquire just what had transpired. I returned to the main cabin; requested that passenger in X5G come with me to the aft of the plane so I could obtain the necessary information from him as he was the only passenger to have a clear view of the actual event and how it transpired. He stated that he had a clear view of the entire incident and yes; passenger shoved/pushed me. I thanked him for the information and told him that I would forward it to the company. He returned to his seat. Purser then explained to passenger that incident that had just taken place was a violation and that the auths will now meet the flight and it will be in his hands. As I was not a witness to this; I do not know exactly what had transpired between the purser and passenger; however; according to the purser; passenger confessed that he 'may have gently pushed' the male flight attendant and it was a simple misunderstanding. According to the purser; passenger was nervous and shaking and complied with the request; supplying him with his name; address and identify. He also said that passenger apologized for the commotion he instigated. Purser then asked me if I wanted to pursue the incident and have the auths meet the flight. I was reluctant/hesitant to do so as the entire flight load of passenger were returning home and that by having the auths involved in the incident would only delay their arrival and eventual reunions with their families; friends and loved ones. Since passenger apologized and I didn't want the passenger inconvenienced any more than they already had by the commotion in the main cabin; I declined to press it any further and thought it in the best interests of the passenger and everyone else involved to 'drop it' and chalk it up to too much alcohol and take no other orders as passenger had been warned by myself and the purser. The captain did not talk to/confront passenger and left it up to the purser and myself. Suggestion: do not serve alcohol to any passenger and have all duty-free liquor purchases boarded in aircraft belly so passenger do not have access to 'their personal supply' till after landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INTOXICATED PAX REPORTEDLY SHOVES CABIN ATTENDANT DURING INTL SNACK SVC. INCIDENT ESCALATES UNTIL PAX IS THREATENED WITH A DIVERSION TO OBTAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERVENTION.

Narrative: I WAS PASSING OUT/DISTRIBUTING THE SNACK IN THE MAIN CABIN WHEN I REACHED ROW X3. PAX IN X3G (WAS UNWILLING TO GIVE ME HIS NAME ANY TIME DURING THIS INCIDENT) WAS STANDING WITH A PLASTIC CUP OF WATER IN HAND. I HANDED HIM THE SNACK AND SAID 'ENJOY.' HE THEN PROCEEDED TO WAKE HIS WIFE AT WHICH POINT I QUIETLY SUGGESTED TO HIM TO LET HER SLEEP AS WE ONLY ARE CATERED WITH A MINIMUM NUMBER OF SNACKS ONLY FOR THOSE PAX WHO ARE AWAKE AND THAT IF SHE WAKES UP; I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO BRING HER A SNACK. HE THEN REPLIED; 'I'LL DO WHAT I WANNA DO TO MY WIFE; YOU'RE NOT GONNA TELL ME WHAT TO DO!' HE THEN; SHOVED ME FORWARD WITH HIS FOREARM; SPLASHING/SPILLING THE WATER FROM THE CUP ALL OVER ME. THE PAX SEATED IN X2G; IN FRONT OF HIM AND WATER ON HIMSELF AS WELL. HE STARTED TO RANT AND BECAME HOSTILE TOWARDS ME -- I TOLD HIM TO STOP IMMEDIATELY; REQUESTING HIM TO TAKE HIS SEAT. I ADVISED HIM THAT THE INCIDENT HAD NOW 'GOTTEN OUT OF HAND AND IT HAD TO BE DOCUMENTED AND THE CAPT NEEDED TO BE INFORMED.' PAX WAS REEKING OF ALCOHOL. HE WAS SLURRING HIS WORDS AND DISPLAYED A SOMEWHAT VIOLENT ATTITUDE. PAX SEEMED VERY AGITATED BUT INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS A LOYAL CUSTOMER AT WHICH I SAID; I REALLY DON'T THINK THAT THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE INCIDENT THAT JUST TRANSPIRED. HE CONTINUED TO RANT AS I CONTINUED TO EXPLAIN TO HIM THE POLICIES THAT WILL NOW TAKE PLACE AS HE CHOSE TO USE 'FORCE' ON ME. HE REQUESTED THE PURSER AT WHICH I TOLD HIM THE PURSER WAS ON HIS BREAK AND COULDN'T BE DISTURBED BUT I TOLD HIM THE CAPT WILL BE ADVISED AS TO HIS BEHAVIOR AND NOTIFIED OF THIS SITUATION AND THAT IF THE CAPT FEELS THAT THE SAFETY OF PAX AND CREW IS BEING JEOPARDIZED; WE COULD POSSIBLY BE FORCED TO LAND THE FLT IN THE CLOSEST CITY ON THE WEST COAST; POSSIBLY SAN FRANCISCO. I LEFT THE PAX TO GO TO FIRST CLASS AND RETRIEVE A BLANK PAX INFLT DISTURBANCE RPT AND FOUND THAT THE PURSER HADN'T RETIRED TO THE CREW BUNKS FOR HIS BREAK AND IMMEDIATELY EXPLAINED THAT WE HAD A 'SIT' IN THE MAIN CABIN. HE SAID THE CAPT WAS IN THE RESTROOM AND AS SOON AS HE CAME OUT; WE WOULD DISCUSS IT WITH HIM. WHEN CAPT EMERGED FROM THE RESTROOM; I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION; DESCRIBING THE PUSHING/SHOVING INCIDENT. HE SAID THAT SINCE IT HAD ESCALATED TO THIS LEVEL; A DISTURBANCE RPT WAS APPROPRIATE. I RETURNED TO PAX WITH THE FORM AND REQUESTED THAT I SEE SOME IDENT TO COMPLETE THE FORM. PAX REFUSED TELLING ME THAT 'HE WASN'T GOING TO GIVE ME A 'EXPLETIVE' THING BECAUSE IT WAS ME WHO HAD PUSHED HIM.' HIS WIFE THEN CHIMED IN; STATING THE SAME THING ALONG WITH 2 OTHER PAX SEATED IN THE H AND J SEATS (HIS WIFE WAS ASLEEP WHEN THE SHOVING INCIDENT TOOK PLACE SO SHE COULDN'T HAVE SEEN HIM SHOVE ME AND THE 2 PAX IN THE H AND J SEATS DIDN'T HAVE A CLR VIEW AS I WAS IN THE AISLE BLOCKING THEIR VIEW --THIS WAS TOTALLY BOGUS!). NEITHER OF THESE PAX WERE WILLING TO GIVE ME THEIR NAMES. PAX SEATED BEHIND PAX IN SEAT X5G THEN SAID; 'HEY BUDDY; I SAW HIM SHOVE YOU. IF YOU NEED SOMEONE TO VERIFY THIS; I'D BE HAPPY TO ASSIST.' SINCE PAX WAS BEING UNCOOPERATIVE REGARDING COMPLETING THE INFLT DISTURBANCE FORM; I RETURNED TO EXPLAIN FURTHER THE SITUATION TO THE PURSER AND THE CAPT. CAPT THEN SUGGESTED THAT THE PURSER GO AND INQUIRE JUST WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED. I RETURNED TO THE MAIN CABIN; REQUESTED THAT PAX IN X5G COME WITH ME TO THE AFT OF THE PLANE SO I COULD OBTAIN THE NECESSARY INFO FROM HIM AS HE WAS THE ONLY PAX TO HAVE A CLR VIEW OF THE ACTUAL EVENT AND HOW IT TRANSPIRED. HE STATED THAT HE HAD A CLR VIEW OF THE ENTIRE INCIDENT AND YES; PAX SHOVED/PUSHED ME. I THANKED HIM FOR THE INFO AND TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD FORWARD IT TO THE COMPANY. HE RETURNED TO HIS SEAT. PURSER THEN EXPLAINED TO PAX THAT INCIDENT THAT HAD JUST TAKEN PLACE WAS A VIOLATION AND THAT THE AUTHS WILL NOW MEET THE FLT AND IT WILL BE IN HIS HANDS. AS I WAS NOT A WITNESS TO THIS; I DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED BTWN THE PURSER AND PAX; HOWEVER; ACCORDING TO THE PURSER; PAX CONFESSED THAT HE 'MAY HAVE GENTLY PUSHED' THE MALE FLT ATTENDANT AND IT WAS A SIMPLE MISUNDERSTANDING. ACCORDING TO THE PURSER; PAX WAS NERVOUS AND SHAKING AND COMPLIED WITH THE REQUEST; SUPPLYING HIM WITH HIS NAME; ADDRESS AND IDENT. HE ALSO SAID THAT PAX APOLOGIZED FOR THE COMMOTION HE INSTIGATED. PURSER THEN ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO PURSUE THE INCIDENT AND HAVE THE AUTHS MEET THE FLT. I WAS RELUCTANT/HESITANT TO DO SO AS THE ENTIRE FLT LOAD OF PAX WERE RETURNING HOME AND THAT BY HAVING THE AUTHS INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT WOULD ONLY DELAY THEIR ARR AND EVENTUAL REUNIONS WITH THEIR FAMILIES; FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES. SINCE PAX APOLOGIZED AND I DIDN'T WANT THE PAX INCONVENIENCED ANY MORE THAN THEY ALREADY HAD BY THE COMMOTION IN THE MAIN CABIN; I DECLINED TO PRESS IT ANY FURTHER AND THOUGHT IT IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PAX AND EVERYONE ELSE INVOLVED TO 'DROP IT' AND CHALK IT UP TO TOO MUCH ALCOHOL AND TAKE NO OTHER ORDERS AS PAX HAD BEEN WARNED BY MYSELF AND THE PURSER. THE CAPT DID NOT TALK TO/CONFRONT PAX AND LEFT IT UP TO THE PURSER AND MYSELF. SUGGESTION: DO NOT SERVE ALCOHOL TO ANY PAX AND HAVE ALL DUTY-FREE LIQUOR PURCHASES BOARDED IN ACFT BELLY SO PAX DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO 'THEIR PERSONAL SUPPLY' TILL AFTER LNDG.

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.