Narrative:

I was a crew member on a flight from jfk to lax. After takeoff, the lead flight attendant came up to the cockpit and notified us that there was a couple in business class traveling with an approximately 3 yr old daughter. The couple was allowing the girl to lay on the floor of the cabin during taxi and takeoff, with the fasten seatbelt sign illuminated. When the flight attendant told them to please have the child in the seat with belt on when the seatbelt sign was illuminated, they refused and were verbally abusive. The captain had the flight attendant tell them the captain requested them to comply, again they refused. This continued across the country and we had a customer service supervisor meet the airplane in lax. The customer service agent said there was nothing they could do, unless there was some physical abuse involved and the flight attendant pressed charges. These people walked away from the gate after endangering their child, interfering with a crew member doing their duties, breaking FARS and possibly endangering other passenger. We need consequences for people like this, just as there would have been consequences for my airline had their child been injured in turbulence with the seatbelt sign off. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the couple had purchased a seat for the child, but they wanted the child on the floor. They had 3 seats abreast in business class, so they had room for the child to lay in them. As the reporter exited the plane in lax, he overheard the couple say to the customer service supervisor that 'I bought a ticket on your airline, I can do anything I please,' and then proceeded out to limo waiting for them. The reporter is very concerned that the child on the floor can become a projectile in turbulence or a crash and hurt other people.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT, B767-200, JFK-LAX. COUPLE REFUSED DIRECT ORDER FROM CAPT TO PUT 3 YR OLD CHILD IN SEAT, WITH SEATBELT ON. CHILD ON FLOOR WHOLE FLT.

Narrative: I WAS A CREW MEMBER ON A FLT FROM JFK TO LAX. AFTER TKOF, THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP TO THE COCKPIT AND NOTIFIED US THAT THERE WAS A COUPLE IN BUSINESS CLASS TRAVELING WITH AN APPROX 3 YR OLD DAUGHTER. THE COUPLE WAS ALLOWING THE GIRL TO LAY ON THE FLOOR OF THE CABIN DURING TAXI AND TKOF, WITH THE FASTEN SEATBELT SIGN ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD THEM TO PLEASE HAVE THE CHILD IN THE SEAT WITH BELT ON WHEN THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS ILLUMINATED, THEY REFUSED AND WERE VERBALLY ABUSIVE. THE CAPT HAD THE FLT ATTENDANT TELL THEM THE CAPT REQUESTED THEM TO COMPLY, AGAIN THEY REFUSED. THIS CONTINUED ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND WE HAD A CUSTOMER SVC SUPVR MEET THE AIRPLANE IN LAX. THE CUSTOMER SVC AGENT SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO, UNLESS THERE WAS SOME PHYSICAL ABUSE INVOLVED AND THE FLT ATTENDANT PRESSED CHARGES. THESE PEOPLE WALKED AWAY FROM THE GATE AFTER ENDANGERING THEIR CHILD, INTERFERING WITH A CREW MEMBER DOING THEIR DUTIES, BREAKING FARS AND POSSIBLY ENDANGERING OTHER PAX. WE NEED CONSEQUENCES FOR PEOPLE LIKE THIS, JUST AS THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSEQUENCES FOR MY AIRLINE HAD THEIR CHILD BEEN INJURED IN TURB WITH THE SEATBELT SIGN OFF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE COUPLE HAD PURCHASED A SEAT FOR THE CHILD, BUT THEY WANTED THE CHILD ON THE FLOOR. THEY HAD 3 SEATS ABREAST IN BUSINESS CLASS, SO THEY HAD ROOM FOR THE CHILD TO LAY IN THEM. AS THE RPTR EXITED THE PLANE IN LAX, HE OVERHEARD THE COUPLE SAY TO THE CUSTOMER SVC SUPVR THAT 'I BOUGHT A TICKET ON YOUR AIRLINE, I CAN DO ANYTHING I PLEASE,' AND THEN PROCEEDED OUT TO LIMO WAITING FOR THEM. THE RPTR IS VERY CONCERNED THAT THE CHILD ON THE FLOOR CAN BECOME A PROJECTILE IN TURB OR A CRASH AND HURT OTHER PEOPLE.

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.