Narrative:

I was working as #1 flight attendant on flight xx bna-lga, when we closed the door, ready for departure. We reopened the door to allow 2 more passenger to board. We reclosed the door and we departed. As we taxied out and performed our safety demonstrations, I noticed that a passenger in the rear of the aircraft was still standing and flight attendant #2 was talking to him (I believe asking him to be seated). I made an announcement that 'all passenger must be seated for taxi or we would have to stop the aircraft.' we proceeded to do our safety demonstration. When we finished, flight attendant #2 approached me and explained the situation of what was happening with that passenger. She told me 'that passenger was upset because he wanted to go to the lavatory and she requested him to take a seat because we were taxiing. Then, she found him using his cellular phone and she asked him to turn it off and put it away. He began yelling at her and using profanities at her. Meanwhile, flight attendant #2 was explaining the situation to me. Flight attendant #3 approached to advise me she found the same passenger using the phone again. She asked him to put it away and he refused. She had no other choice but to retrieve the phone from him. She came to me and gave me the phone for me to hold. They both went to obtain their seats, as we prepared for takeoff. Suddenly, the captain made a PA that we had to return to the gate. I was totally unaware of what was happening. When we arrived at the gate and we opened the door, I noticed there were 4 uniformed police officers. They asked me who was the passenger and I said I didn't know what they were talking about. The captain came out of the cockpit and handled the rest of the situation and had the passenger removed. Supplemental information from acn 468845: 2 passenger were unreasonable, irate and belligerent to 2 crew members and wouldn't comply with no cell phone usage. After being asked many times to turn a cell phone off, we decided to let our captain decide what to do about the situation. The 2 passenger were extremely threatening towards 1 female crew member, and passenger were scared as well. Our captain made a wise decision to have them removed before takeoff. We also learned these same 2 passenger were belligerent at the gate as well, prior to boarding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, MD80, BNA-LGA. PAX TRIED TO GO TO LAVATORY ON TAXI, REFUSED TO QUIT USING CELL PHONE, WAS VERBALLY ABUSIVE. RETURN TO GATE. POLICE REMOVED PAX.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING AS #1 FLT ATTENDANT ON FLT XX BNA-LGA, WHEN WE CLOSED THE DOOR, READY FOR DEP. WE REOPENED THE DOOR TO ALLOW 2 MORE PAX TO BOARD. WE RECLOSED THE DOOR AND WE DEPARTED. AS WE TAXIED OUT AND PERFORMED OUR SAFETY DEMONSTRATIONS, I NOTICED THAT A PAX IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT WAS STILL STANDING AND FLT ATTENDANT #2 WAS TALKING TO HIM (I BELIEVE ASKING HIM TO BE SEATED). I MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT 'ALL PAX MUST BE SEATED FOR TAXI OR WE WOULD HAVE TO STOP THE ACFT.' WE PROCEEDED TO DO OUR SAFETY DEMONSTRATION. WHEN WE FINISHED, FLT ATTENDANT #2 APCHED ME AND EXPLAINED THE SIT OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THAT PAX. SHE TOLD ME 'THAT PAX WAS UPSET BECAUSE HE WANTED TO GO TO THE LAVATORY AND SHE REQUESTED HIM TO TAKE A SEAT BECAUSE WE WERE TAXIING. THEN, SHE FOUND HIM USING HIS CELLULAR PHONE AND SHE ASKED HIM TO TURN IT OFF AND PUT IT AWAY. HE BEGAN YELLING AT HER AND USING PROFANITIES AT HER. MEANWHILE, FLT ATTENDANT #2 WAS EXPLAINING THE SIT TO ME. FLT ATTENDANT #3 APCHED TO ADVISE ME SHE FOUND THE SAME PAX USING THE PHONE AGAIN. SHE ASKED HIM TO PUT IT AWAY AND HE REFUSED. SHE HAD NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO RETRIEVE THE PHONE FROM HIM. SHE CAME TO ME AND GAVE ME THE PHONE FOR ME TO HOLD. THEY BOTH WENT TO OBTAIN THEIR SEATS, AS WE PREPARED FOR TKOF. SUDDENLY, THE CAPT MADE A PA THAT WE HAD TO RETURN TO THE GATE. I WAS TOTALLY UNAWARE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE AND WE OPENED THE DOOR, I NOTICED THERE WERE 4 UNIFORMED POLICE OFFICERS. THEY ASKED ME WHO WAS THE PAX AND I SAID I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT. THE CAPT CAME OUT OF THE COCKPIT AND HANDLED THE REST OF THE SIT AND HAD THE PAX REMOVED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 468845: 2 PAX WERE UNREASONABLE, IRATE AND BELLIGERENT TO 2 CREW MEMBERS AND WOULDN'T COMPLY WITH NO CELL PHONE USAGE. AFTER BEING ASKED MANY TIMES TO TURN A CELL PHONE OFF, WE DECIDED TO LET OUR CAPT DECIDE WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE SIT. THE 2 PAX WERE EXTREMELY THREATENING TOWARDS 1 FEMALE CREW MEMBER, AND PAX WERE SCARED AS WELL. OUR CAPT MADE A WISE DECISION TO HAVE THEM REMOVED BEFORE TKOF. WE ALSO LEARNED THESE SAME 2 PAX WERE BELLIGERENT AT THE GATE AS WELL, PRIOR TO BOARDING.

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.