Narrative:

This involves 2 distinct but related items. This will debrief the first. Prior to gate departure; I received a call from the back of the plane that 1 of our passenger was verbally assaulting a neighboring female passenger who had come to the flight attendant in tears. He had been trying to interest her in drugs and was escalating his rhetoric. I called for an agent and security to accompany them. The response was a male agent who I asked to talk to the flight attendant involved for information and then remove the passenger. The agent was advised that the passenger had dilated eyes and was acting abusive and irrational. When the passenger was brought to the jetbridge; he was emphatic that he wanted to remain on the plane. At this point; the agents wanted to re-board him and simply change his seat to another. At this point; the #1 flight attendant had to enter the argument to prevent this from happening. Now the only concern of the agents was to close the door and depart. I informed them that I had yet to ascertain if the abused passenger wanted to press charges and required police involvement. After accomplishing this; I asked why no security personnel had been called; as the situation on the jetbridge appeared close to becoming physical; but never got an answer. While in the final stages of boarding; a situation developed between passenger that I determined needed intervention. I called several times with no answer. I then switched to ramp control and requested security to come to my plane. They told me to make my request to operations. I informed them operations was not responding; so they forwarded my request. Sometime later during the event; it became apparent that it was escalating; and only an agent had responded. I again called operations to request police response. This time; an agent answered but was very confused; asking if the police were already at the gate. I emphatically said no; I needed them to be called. At this point; the agent keyed the microphone button and held it for what seemed several mins. Someone in the backgnd at operations could be heard telling the agent to let go of the microphone. This was followed by the agent saying over the air several times that it wasn't them. When they were finally convinced to check their microphone; the frequency once again became usable. I again requested police response; but there was no answer. Repeat plea -- no answer. I then asked for the agent's initials or employee number for my report -- frequency remained dead for the remainder of the event. Request was passed through ramp control who was busy clearing other flts for push/taxi. Operations agent was clearly overmatched for the simple task of relaying a request for security. This could have easily been a very ugly situation; spiraling out of control with no recourse for the crew but to become directly; physically involved. Unacceptable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CAPT REPORTS PAX MISCONDUCT PRIOR TO DEPARTURE REQUIRING SECURITY INTERVENTION BUT IS UNABLE TO RAISE THE COMPANY OR GET THE GATE AGENT TO CALL THEM.

Narrative: THIS INVOLVES 2 DISTINCT BUT RELATED ITEMS. THIS WILL DEBRIEF THE FIRST. PRIOR TO GATE DEP; I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE BACK OF THE PLANE THAT 1 OF OUR PAX WAS VERBALLY ASSAULTING A NEIGHBORING FEMALE PAX WHO HAD COME TO THE FLT ATTENDANT IN TEARS. HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO INTEREST HER IN DRUGS AND WAS ESCALATING HIS RHETORIC. I CALLED FOR AN AGENT AND SECURITY TO ACCOMPANY THEM. THE RESPONSE WAS A MALE AGENT WHO I ASKED TO TALK TO THE FLT ATTENDANT INVOLVED FOR INFO AND THEN REMOVE THE PAX. THE AGENT WAS ADVISED THAT THE PAX HAD DILATED EYES AND WAS ACTING ABUSIVE AND IRRATIONAL. WHEN THE PAX WAS BROUGHT TO THE JETBRIDGE; HE WAS EMPHATIC THAT HE WANTED TO REMAIN ON THE PLANE. AT THIS POINT; THE AGENTS WANTED TO RE-BOARD HIM AND SIMPLY CHANGE HIS SEAT TO ANOTHER. AT THIS POINT; THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT HAD TO ENTER THE ARGUMENT TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. NOW THE ONLY CONCERN OF THE AGENTS WAS TO CLOSE THE DOOR AND DEPART. I INFORMED THEM THAT I HAD YET TO ASCERTAIN IF THE ABUSED PAX WANTED TO PRESS CHARGES AND REQUIRED POLICE INVOLVEMENT. AFTER ACCOMPLISHING THIS; I ASKED WHY NO SECURITY PERSONNEL HAD BEEN CALLED; AS THE SITUATION ON THE JETBRIDGE APPEARED CLOSE TO BECOMING PHYSICAL; BUT NEVER GOT AN ANSWER. WHILE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF BOARDING; A SITUATION DEVELOPED BTWN PAX THAT I DETERMINED NEEDED INTERVENTION. I CALLED SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO ANSWER. I THEN SWITCHED TO RAMP CTL AND REQUESTED SECURITY TO COME TO MY PLANE. THEY TOLD ME TO MAKE MY REQUEST TO OPS. I INFORMED THEM OPS WAS NOT RESPONDING; SO THEY FORWARDED MY REQUEST. SOMETIME LATER DURING THE EVENT; IT BECAME APPARENT THAT IT WAS ESCALATING; AND ONLY AN AGENT HAD RESPONDED. I AGAIN CALLED OPS TO REQUEST POLICE RESPONSE. THIS TIME; AN AGENT ANSWERED BUT WAS VERY CONFUSED; ASKING IF THE POLICE WERE ALREADY AT THE GATE. I EMPHATICALLY SAID NO; I NEEDED THEM TO BE CALLED. AT THIS POINT; THE AGENT KEYED THE MIKE BUTTON AND HELD IT FOR WHAT SEEMED SEVERAL MINS. SOMEONE IN THE BACKGND AT OPS COULD BE HEARD TELLING THE AGENT TO LET GO OF THE MIKE. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY THE AGENT SAYING OVER THE AIR SEVERAL TIMES THAT IT WASN'T THEM. WHEN THEY WERE FINALLY CONVINCED TO CHK THEIR MIKE; THE FREQ ONCE AGAIN BECAME USABLE. I AGAIN REQUESTED POLICE RESPONSE; BUT THERE WAS NO ANSWER. REPEAT PLEA -- NO ANSWER. I THEN ASKED FOR THE AGENT'S INITIALS OR EMPLOYEE NUMBER FOR MY RPT -- FREQ REMAINED DEAD FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENT. REQUEST WAS PASSED THROUGH RAMP CTL WHO WAS BUSY CLRING OTHER FLTS FOR PUSH/TAXI. OPS AGENT WAS CLEARLY OVERMATCHED FOR THE SIMPLE TASK OF RELAYING A REQUEST FOR SECURITY. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN A VERY UGLY SITUATION; SPIRALING OUT OF CTL WITH NO RECOURSE FOR THE CREW BUT TO BECOME DIRECTLY; PHYSICALLY INVOLVED. UNACCEPTABLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.