Narrative:

During boarding, passenger said she'd had back surgery, could not lift her suitcase, would I do it for her? I responded I couldn't lift it alone, but would assist her. I asked her where her bag was. She abruptly shouted at me, 'stop yelling, you're really rude, I don't want your help, I'm writing you up' -- all the while backing down the aisle, her voice getting louder. I tried to talk to her, to call her, but she seemed irrational, very agitated, unusually so, telling me to 'get away.' I informed the agent and captain of her behavior. I returned to passenger again and apologized if she misunderstood. She then dramatically covered both ears with her hands and started shaking her head from side-to-side telling me to 'get away -- I don't listen to you -- I'm warning you, get away, I'm going to tell the captain that you're harassing me.' I walked away. Captain then spoke with her and removed her from the flight. I cannot speculate why passenger reacted in such an irrational manner. There was never anything said or done to warrant her behavior. Was she possibly on medication? Did she not receive the response she wanted from me? Whatever the reasons, it was an upsetting and uncomfortable scene. [Other] passenger later in-flight expressed their appreciation for the manner in which the incident was handled, which shows that the flying public is concerned and intolerant of any onboard misconduct.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIMARY OF MULTIPLE FLT ATTENDANT RPT, F100, AUS-ORD, BOARDING IN AUS, EMOTIONAL, IRRATIONAL PAX REMOVED BY CAPT.

Narrative: DURING BOARDING, PAX SAID SHE'D HAD BACK SURGERY, COULD NOT LIFT HER SUITCASE, WOULD I DO IT FOR HER? I RESPONDED I COULDN'T LIFT IT ALONE, BUT WOULD ASSIST HER. I ASKED HER WHERE HER BAG WAS. SHE ABRUPTLY SHOUTED AT ME, 'STOP YELLING, YOU'RE REALLY RUDE, I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP, I'M WRITING YOU UP' -- ALL THE WHILE BACKING DOWN THE AISLE, HER VOICE GETTING LOUDER. I TRIED TO TALK TO HER, TO CALL HER, BUT SHE SEEMED IRRATIONAL, VERY AGITATED, UNUSUALLY SO, TELLING ME TO 'GET AWAY.' I INFORMED THE AGENT AND CAPT OF HER BEHAVIOR. I RETURNED TO PAX AGAIN AND APOLOGIZED IF SHE MISUNDERSTOOD. SHE THEN DRAMATICALLY COVERED BOTH EARS WITH HER HANDS AND STARTED SHAKING HER HEAD FROM SIDE-TO-SIDE TELLING ME TO 'GET AWAY -- I DON'T LISTEN TO YOU -- I'M WARNING YOU, GET AWAY, I'M GOING TO TELL THE CAPT THAT YOU'RE HARASSING ME.' I WALKED AWAY. CAPT THEN SPOKE WITH HER AND REMOVED HER FROM THE FLT. I CANNOT SPECULATE WHY PAX REACTED IN SUCH AN IRRATIONAL MANNER. THERE WAS NEVER ANYTHING SAID OR DONE TO WARRANT HER BEHAVIOR. WAS SHE POSSIBLY ON MEDICATION? DID SHE NOT RECEIVE THE RESPONSE SHE WANTED FROM ME? WHATEVER THE REASONS, IT WAS AN UPSETTING AND UNCOMFORTABLE SCENE. [OTHER] PAX LATER INFLT EXPRESSED THEIR APPRECIATION FOR THE MANNER IN WHICH THE INCIDENT WAS HANDLED, WHICH SHOWS THAT THE FLYING PUBLIC IS CONCERNED AND INTOLERANT OF ANY ONBOARD MISCONDUCT.

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.