Narrative:

Passenger appeared intoxicated and was verbally abusive to agent. Agent #1 allowed him to board. I was running electronic gate reader unaware of incident. Agent #1 informed me after all passenger were past the electronic gate reader. I informed the captain. He ordered that the passenger be removed from aircraft. A different agent #2 agreed, but the passenger was not in his seat. After first agent idented passenger (he was in a back row or second to last row in main cabin), the second agent approached and asked the passenger about the incident. He appeared to be intoxicated. I cannot quote precisely, but these words were used. He replied, 'well, she pissed me off, but shit, I wasn't swearing.' agent #2 escorted passenger off plane. The problem arose at the gate. The information about the passenger was not shared until after boarding. The first agent perceived the passenger appeared intoxicated and experienced his abusive behavior, but failed to act and deny boarding. The agent could have enlisted another agent or manager for help. Perhaps she was intimidated or afraid of a confrontation. Agents have a hard job balancing customer service in a timely manner, while screening for potential safety problems. Safety considerations must come first.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, B727, DFW-LGA, GATE AGENT BOARDED INTOXICATED PAX. CAPT HAD HIM REMOVED.

Narrative: PAX APPEARED INTOXICATED AND WAS VERBALLY ABUSIVE TO AGENT. AGENT #1 ALLOWED HIM TO BOARD. I WAS RUNNING ELECTRONIC GATE READER UNAWARE OF INCIDENT. AGENT #1 INFORMED ME AFTER ALL PAX WERE PAST THE ELECTRONIC GATE READER. I INFORMED THE CAPT. HE ORDERED THAT THE PAX BE REMOVED FROM ACFT. A DIFFERENT AGENT #2 AGREED, BUT THE PAX WAS NOT IN HIS SEAT. AFTER FIRST AGENT IDENTED PAX (HE WAS IN A BACK ROW OR SECOND TO LAST ROW IN MAIN CABIN), THE SECOND AGENT APCHED AND ASKED THE PAX ABOUT THE INCIDENT. HE APPEARED TO BE INTOXICATED. I CANNOT QUOTE PRECISELY, BUT THESE WORDS WERE USED. HE REPLIED, 'WELL, SHE PISSED ME OFF, BUT SHIT, I WASN'T SWEARING.' AGENT #2 ESCORTED PAX OFF PLANE. THE PROB AROSE AT THE GATE. THE INFO ABOUT THE PAX WAS NOT SHARED UNTIL AFTER BOARDING. THE FIRST AGENT PERCEIVED THE PAX APPEARED INTOXICATED AND EXPERIENCED HIS ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR, BUT FAILED TO ACT AND DENY BOARDING. THE AGENT COULD HAVE ENLISTED ANOTHER AGENT OR MGR FOR HELP. PERHAPS SHE WAS INTIMIDATED OR AFRAID OF A CONFRONTATION. AGENTS HAVE A HARD JOB BALANCING CUSTOMER SVC IN A TIMELY MANNER, WHILE SCREENING FOR POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBS. SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS MUST COME FIRST.

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.