Narrative:

A passenger was asked to remove their bags from a broken overhead bin that was labeled 'do not use.' I assisted the passenger to find space for her bags, but the passenger refused to put her bags under the seat, or 2 rows back in main cabin, or for the bags to be checked. The passenger became angry, rude and loud. The passenger was violently slamming overhead bins and carelessly moving her bags around. The passenger was using profanity -- other passenger complained about her disruptive behavior (words and actions) and elderly passenger were frightened. A manager was called to speak with the angry passenger. The passenger continued her inappropriate behavior. The manager and captain decided to remove her from the flight. The passenger refused to get off. The auths were called. The passenger was physically and verbally abusive to the police. The passenger was put in handcuffs and was taken away. The passenger was hostile in actions and directed profanity at me. The passenger was given the opportunity to calm down by the flight attendant, captain and manager. The passenger only got more irritated. Suggestion: make passenger more aware of the seriousness and safety of air travel. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that she was working first class, and when she got on, the unusable overhead bin had 'broken' and 'do not use' stickers all over it. The woman was the second person to board in first class and on the entire plane, and all the overhead bins were open in first class. For some reason, she put her bags in the overhead bin that had been stickered over with 'do not use' stickers. When the reporter asked her if she wanted a beverage, she noticed that the woman's bags were in it and all the 'do not use' stickers had been torn off. The reporter offered to put her bags in some empty bins in the main cabin, but the woman said, 'I bought a first class ticket and my bags have to fly first class,' and by now, all the first class bins were full. The woman took a swing at the police, while the woman was hurtling insults and threats at the reporter. She ended up in jail overnight. The reporter was so upset over the incident that she was shaking for 3 days afterward. The woman is now suing the airline and the reporter is terrified she will be asked to testify and have to see the woman again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, F100, ORD-MSP. WOMAN REFUSED TO PUT BAGS UNDER SEAT OR CHK THEM. VERBALLY, PHYSICALLY ABUSIVE TO: PAX, CABIN ATTENDANT, SUPVR, CAPT, POLICE -- REMOVED IN HANDCUFFS.

Narrative: A PAX WAS ASKED TO REMOVE THEIR BAGS FROM A BROKEN OVERHEAD BIN THAT WAS LABELED 'DO NOT USE.' I ASSISTED THE PAX TO FIND SPACE FOR HER BAGS, BUT THE PAX REFUSED TO PUT HER BAGS UNDER THE SEAT, OR 2 ROWS BACK IN MAIN CABIN, OR FOR THE BAGS TO BE CHKED. THE PAX BECAME ANGRY, RUDE AND LOUD. THE PAX WAS VIOLENTLY SLAMMING OVERHEAD BINS AND CARELESSLY MOVING HER BAGS AROUND. THE PAX WAS USING PROFANITY -- OTHER PAX COMPLAINED ABOUT HER DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR (WORDS AND ACTIONS) AND ELDERLY PAX WERE FRIGHTENED. A MGR WAS CALLED TO SPEAK WITH THE ANGRY PAX. THE PAX CONTINUED HER INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR. THE MGR AND CAPT DECIDED TO REMOVE HER FROM THE FLT. THE PAX REFUSED TO GET OFF. THE AUTHS WERE CALLED. THE PAX WAS PHYSICALLY AND VERBALLY ABUSIVE TO THE POLICE. THE PAX WAS PUT IN HANDCUFFS AND WAS TAKEN AWAY. THE PAX WAS HOSTILE IN ACTIONS AND DIRECTED PROFANITY AT ME. THE PAX WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO CALM DOWN BY THE FLT ATTENDANT, CAPT AND MGR. THE PAX ONLY GOT MORE IRRITATED. SUGGESTION: MAKE PAX MORE AWARE OF THE SERIOUSNESS AND SAFETY OF AIR TRAVEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT SHE WAS WORKING FIRST CLASS, AND WHEN SHE GOT ON, THE UNUSABLE OVERHEAD BIN HAD 'BROKEN' AND 'DO NOT USE' STICKERS ALL OVER IT. THE WOMAN WAS THE SECOND PERSON TO BOARD IN FIRST CLASS AND ON THE ENTIRE PLANE, AND ALL THE OVERHEAD BINS WERE OPEN IN FIRST CLASS. FOR SOME REASON, SHE PUT HER BAGS IN THE OVERHEAD BIN THAT HAD BEEN STICKERED OVER WITH 'DO NOT USE' STICKERS. WHEN THE RPTR ASKED HER IF SHE WANTED A BEVERAGE, SHE NOTICED THAT THE WOMAN'S BAGS WERE IN IT AND ALL THE 'DO NOT USE' STICKERS HAD BEEN TORN OFF. THE RPTR OFFERED TO PUT HER BAGS IN SOME EMPTY BINS IN THE MAIN CABIN, BUT THE WOMAN SAID, 'I BOUGHT A FIRST CLASS TICKET AND MY BAGS HAVE TO FLY FIRST CLASS,' AND BY NOW, ALL THE FIRST CLASS BINS WERE FULL. THE WOMAN TOOK A SWING AT THE POLICE, WHILE THE WOMAN WAS HURTLING INSULTS AND THREATS AT THE RPTR. SHE ENDED UP IN JAIL OVERNIGHT. THE RPTR WAS SO UPSET OVER THE INCIDENT THAT SHE WAS SHAKING FOR 3 DAYS AFTERWARD. THE WOMAN IS NOW SUING THE AIRLINE AND THE RPTR IS TERRIFIED SHE WILL BE ASKED TO TESTIFY AND HAVE TO SEE THE WOMAN AGAIN.

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.