Narrative:

While I was picking up trays in coach, the passenger said she wanted another meal. I said that the other flight attendant was just about finished and that I could offer them another meal. That's when she said she would pay for it and started swearing and threatening to hit me. The captain was reluctant to become involved, and request the auths to meet the flight, until the rest of the crew pleaded and urged that he do so. He asked if the passenger had struck me yet before he considered helping. I was completely disillusioned with this crew member, not to mention that I knew I could not completely depend on this man in an emergency. If I've learned anything in the last 10 yrs or so, it is that it's been open season on flight attendants and that if we allow passenger to verbally abuse and threaten to strike us and not follow up by reporting the incident immediately, then we've set the flight attendants back yrs. The woman involved threatened physical violence and was vulgar and abusive and never stopped yelling, even when the police and security questioned her. I'd like to know, was I wrong in assuming that the captain should have been willing to assist? And if I'm not, was this captain informed as much? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the entire crew was annoyed that the captain would not act. It seemed that he was waiting for a flight attendant to be actually physically attacked before he would act. It took the input of the cabin attendants to force him to contact security. She has heard that this passenger will no longer be allowed to fly on company aircraft. The captain later apologized to reporter and when assigned on another flight he apologized again. Reporter was gratified at his comments but felt the situation was very demeaning, and a poor example of cabin/cockpit respect.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING A PAX WHO BECAME VERY VOLATILE, VERBALLY ABUSIVE AND THREATENED TO HIT THE FLT ATTENDANT. THE CAPT WAS RELUCTANT TO CONTACT AUTHS TO MEET THE PLANE. HE FINALLY DID WHEN THE REST OF THE CABIN CREW PREVAILED UPON HIM.

Narrative: WHILE I WAS PICKING UP TRAYS IN COACH, THE PAX SAID SHE WANTED ANOTHER MEAL. I SAID THAT THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANT WAS JUST ABOUT FINISHED AND THAT I COULD OFFER THEM ANOTHER MEAL. THAT'S WHEN SHE SAID SHE WOULD PAY FOR IT AND STARTED SWEARING AND THREATENING TO HIT ME. THE CAPT WAS RELUCTANT TO BECOME INVOLVED, AND REQUEST THE AUTHS TO MEET THE FLT, UNTIL THE REST OF THE CREW PLEADED AND URGED THAT HE DO SO. HE ASKED IF THE PAX HAD STRUCK ME YET BEFORE HE CONSIDERED HELPING. I WAS COMPLETELY DISILLUSIONED WITH THIS CREW MEMBER, NOT TO MENTION THAT I KNEW I COULD NOT COMPLETELY DEPEND ON THIS MAN IN AN EMER. IF I'VE LEARNED ANYTHING IN THE LAST 10 YRS OR SO, IT IS THAT IT'S BEEN OPEN SEASON ON FLT ATTENDANTS AND THAT IF WE ALLOW PAX TO VERBALLY ABUSE AND THREATEN TO STRIKE US AND NOT FOLLOW UP BY RPTING THE INCIDENT IMMEDIATELY, THEN WE'VE SET THE FLT ATTENDANTS BACK YRS. THE WOMAN INVOLVED THREATENED PHYSICAL VIOLENCE AND WAS VULGAR AND ABUSIVE AND NEVER STOPPED YELLING, EVEN WHEN THE POLICE AND SECURITY QUESTIONED HER. I'D LIKE TO KNOW, WAS I WRONG IN ASSUMING THAT THE CAPT SHOULD HAVE BEEN WILLING TO ASSIST? AND IF I'M NOT, WAS THIS CAPT INFORMED AS MUCH? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE ENTIRE CREW WAS ANNOYED THAT THE CAPT WOULD NOT ACT. IT SEEMED THAT HE WAS WAITING FOR A FLT ATTENDANT TO BE ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY ATTACKED BEFORE HE WOULD ACT. IT TOOK THE INPUT OF THE CABIN ATTENDANTS TO FORCE HIM TO CONTACT SECURITY. SHE HAS HEARD THAT THIS PAX WILL NO LONGER BE ALLOWED TO FLY ON COMPANY ACFT. THE CAPT LATER APOLOGIZED TO RPTR AND WHEN ASSIGNED ON ANOTHER FLT HE APOLOGIZED AGAIN. RPTR WAS GRATIFIED AT HIS COMMENTS BUT FELT THE SIT WAS VERY DEMEANING, AND A POOR EXAMPLE OF CABIN/COCKPIT RESPECT.

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.