Narrative:

While on the ground in rome on flight to jfk on nov/xx/93, I was typing on my laptop computer with the computer case behind my legs. Flight attendant X told me to put my laptop computer case in the overhead baggage compartment. Once I sat down, I closed the computer top, and held it on my lap. Ms. X gave me a loud, aggressive order to put the laptop itself in the overhead. Now, the computer was clearly not in use, and I found the tone overly aggressive. I responded that I thought that she should have told me that earlier, when I got up to put the case in the overhead. Ms. X continued to harass me with taunts and threats. I mentioned that I am a pilot, in the hope that she would relent, give me some respect, and understand that I understood the regulations. Stewardess Y was a witness to this, so were the passenger sitting next to me, who will be writing air carrier. Nevertheless, I got up again and put the computer in the case in the overhead. This insult continued each time ms. X saw me during the flight, which was 9 1/2 hours. While waiting in the back of the aircraft to use the bathroom, ms. X barked that I had to return to my seat, again in a harsh, humiliating way. Please let me state that I never told her that I won't follow FAA rules. I merely told her that I'm a pilot, and that I understand both the letter and spirit of the law. Her response was always offensive, and insulting in front of many passenger and stewards. Ultimately, ms. X called the flight engineer to talk with me. I gave him my name and address, and he told me that regrettably, the FAA would be getting a letter. Later, when the PIC came to talk with me, he expressed regrets this was happening, and suggested I write the air carrier. I must state clearly: I never disobeyed an order of the flight attendant. I never 'flaunted' FAA regulations. I only answered ms. X in the tone in which she addressed me. At one point, before the flight engineer, ms. X yelled at me 'you need a psychiatrist! You have a problem taking orders from women!' standing over me while I was seated, seat belt fastened, she screamed, 'will you obey FAA rules?!' over and over. I told her not to hit me, and she said 'I did not know you had contagious diseases.' on disembarking, I was met by ms. X and an FAA representative. Before departing passenger, I was asked to produce my airman's certificate, and I repeated that I never claimed immunity from FAA rules. At no time did I impede smooth operation of the aircraft or crew. I never threatened anyone, and I never got physical in any way. I only tried to regain my dignity in the face of ms. X's repeated public insults. I know of no FAA regulations that I violated during this flight. I doubt the justification in copying my airman's certificate. I was a paying passenger, not a member of the crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX COMPLAINT IN REBUTTAL TO POSSIBLE CHARGES TO BE FILED BY ACR AGAINST PAX. CABIN ATTENDANT BEHAVIOR AGGRESSION.

Narrative: WHILE ON THE GND IN ROME ON FLT TO JFK ON NOV/XX/93, I WAS TYPING ON MY LAPTOP COMPUTER WITH THE COMPUTER CASE BEHIND MY LEGS. FLT ATTENDANT X TOLD ME TO PUT MY LAPTOP COMPUTER CASE IN THE OVERHEAD BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. ONCE I SAT DOWN, I CLOSED THE COMPUTER TOP, AND HELD IT ON MY LAP. MS. X GAVE ME A LOUD, AGGRESSIVE ORDER TO PUT THE LAPTOP ITSELF IN THE OVERHEAD. NOW, THE COMPUTER WAS CLRLY NOT IN USE, AND I FOUND THE TONE OVERLY AGGRESSIVE. I RESPONDED THAT I THOUGHT THAT SHE SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME THAT EARLIER, WHEN I GOT UP TO PUT THE CASE IN THE OVERHEAD. MS. X CONTINUED TO HARASS ME WITH TAUNTS AND THREATS. I MENTIONED THAT I AM A PLT, IN THE HOPE THAT SHE WOULD RELENT, GIVE ME SOME RESPECT, AND UNDERSTAND THAT I UNDERSTOOD THE REGS. STEWARDESS Y WAS A WITNESS TO THIS, SO WERE THE PAX SITTING NEXT TO ME, WHO WILL BE WRITING ACR. NEVERTHELESS, I GOT UP AGAIN AND PUT THE COMPUTER IN THE CASE IN THE OVERHEAD. THIS INSULT CONTINUED EACH TIME MS. X SAW ME DURING THE FLT, WHICH WAS 9 1/2 HRS. WHILE WAITING IN THE BACK OF THE ACFT TO USE THE BATHROOM, MS. X BARKED THAT I HAD TO RETURN TO MY SEAT, AGAIN IN A HARSH, HUMILIATING WAY. PLEASE LET ME STATE THAT I NEVER TOLD HER THAT I WON'T FOLLOW FAA RULES. I MERELY TOLD HER THAT I'M A PLT, AND THAT I UNDERSTAND BOTH THE LETTER AND SPIRIT OF THE LAW. HER RESPONSE WAS ALWAYS OFFENSIVE, AND INSULTING IN FRONT OF MANY PAX AND STEWARDS. ULTIMATELY, MS. X CALLED THE FE TO TALK WITH ME. I GAVE HIM MY NAME AND ADDRESS, AND HE TOLD ME THAT REGRETTABLY, THE FAA WOULD BE GETTING A LETTER. LATER, WHEN THE PIC CAME TO TALK WITH ME, HE EXPRESSED REGRETS THIS WAS HAPPENING, AND SUGGESTED I WRITE THE ACR. I MUST STATE CLRLY: I NEVER DISOBEYED AN ORDER OF THE FLT ATTENDANT. I NEVER 'FLAUNTED' FAA REGS. I ONLY ANSWERED MS. X IN THE TONE IN WHICH SHE ADDRESSED ME. AT ONE POINT, BEFORE THE FE, MS. X YELLED AT ME 'YOU NEED A PSYCHIATRIST! YOU HAVE A PROB TAKING ORDERS FROM WOMEN!' STANDING OVER ME WHILE I WAS SEATED, SEAT BELT FASTENED, SHE SCREAMED, 'WILL YOU OBEY FAA RULES?!' OVER AND OVER. I TOLD HER NOT TO HIT ME, AND SHE SAID 'I DID NOT KNOW YOU HAD CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.' ON DISEMBARKING, I WAS MET BY MS. X AND AN FAA REPRESENTATIVE. BEFORE DEPARTING PAX, I WAS ASKED TO PRODUCE MY AIRMAN'S CERTIFICATE, AND I REPEATED THAT I NEVER CLAIMED IMMUNITY FROM FAA RULES. AT NO TIME DID I IMPEDE SMOOTH OP OF THE ACFT OR CREW. I NEVER THREATENED ANYONE, AND I NEVER GOT PHYSICAL IN ANY WAY. I ONLY TRIED TO REGAIN MY DIGNITY IN THE FACE OF MS. X'S REPEATED PUBLIC INSULTS. I KNOW OF NO FAA REGS THAT I VIOLATED DURING THIS FLT. I DOUBT THE JUSTIFICATION IN COPYING MY AIRMAN'S CERTIFICATE. I WAS A PAYING PAX, NOT A MEMBER OF THE CREW.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.