Narrative:

Passenger yy had been told repeatedly since we left the gate to turn off her cell phone, end her call. She ignored all requests. On final safety checks that were being repeated before takeoff because of a 2 hour thunderstorm delay, she was on her cell phone again. I told her to turn it off for the 5TH time, and I made another cease the use of electronic devices PA. She ignored my request pretending not to hear me and tucked the phone between her shoulder and ear and turned her back to me facing out the window. Not realizing that she was traveling with anyone I leaned across the seats (she was seated at the window in an exit row) to tap her on the shoulder so I could get her attention and let her know that I was talking to her. As I went to tap her shoulder, the man sitting next to her, mr xx, grabbed my arm in a firm grip and jerked me away from ms yy shouting that I was not to touch her. They would sue my airlines if I touched her. They were making arrangements to be picked up in washington and to leave them alone. A shouting match ensued in which I firmly told mr xx to let go of my arm and I told ms yy to put the cell phone away now. She continued to talk. I went to inform the captain of the situation. The captain pulled out of the takeoff line/sequence to assess the situation and consider passenger removal before we took off. He sent me back to tell the couple that if they continued not to cooperate/comply with flight attendant instructions, we would return to the gate and have them removed and, furthermore, if we had any more trouble out of them, we would land in route and have them removed. They quieted down. In coordination with the captain, we mutually agreed that the situation was under control and decided not to inconvenience the rest of the passenger by going back to the gate to have them removed. The flight continued without incident. As ms yy deplaned, she pleasantly gave me 'the finger' and shouted '*&^% you' to me as she walked up the jetbridge. In my opinion, cell phones should not be allowed for use on board the aircraft at any time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, S80, MIA-DCA. WOMAN REFUSED TO QUIT USING CELL PHONE ON TAXI. CAPT PULLED OUT OF TKOF SEQUENCE TO THREATEN TO REMOVE HER AND COMPANION.

Narrative: PAX YY HAD BEEN TOLD REPEATEDLY SINCE WE LEFT THE GATE TO TURN OFF HER CELL PHONE, END HER CALL. SHE IGNORED ALL REQUESTS. ON FINAL SAFETY CHKS THAT WERE BEING REPEATED BEFORE TKOF BECAUSE OF A 2 HR TSTM DELAY, SHE WAS ON HER CELL PHONE AGAIN. I TOLD HER TO TURN IT OFF FOR THE 5TH TIME, AND I MADE ANOTHER CEASE THE USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES PA. SHE IGNORED MY REQUEST PRETENDING NOT TO HEAR ME AND TUCKED THE PHONE BTWN HER SHOULDER AND EAR AND TURNED HER BACK TO ME FACING OUT THE WINDOW. NOT REALIZING THAT SHE WAS TRAVELING WITH ANYONE I LEANED ACROSS THE SEATS (SHE WAS SEATED AT THE WINDOW IN AN EXIT ROW) TO TAP HER ON THE SHOULDER SO I COULD GET HER ATTN AND LET HER KNOW THAT I WAS TALKING TO HER. AS I WENT TO TAP HER SHOULDER, THE MAN SITTING NEXT TO HER, MR XX, GRABBED MY ARM IN A FIRM GRIP AND JERKED ME AWAY FROM MS YY SHOUTING THAT I WAS NOT TO TOUCH HER. THEY WOULD SUE MY AIRLINES IF I TOUCHED HER. THEY WERE MAKING ARRANGEMENTS TO BE PICKED UP IN WASHINGTON AND TO LEAVE THEM ALONE. A SHOUTING MATCH ENSUED IN WHICH I FIRMLY TOLD MR XX TO LET GO OF MY ARM AND I TOLD MS YY TO PUT THE CELL PHONE AWAY NOW. SHE CONTINUED TO TALK. I WENT TO INFORM THE CAPT OF THE SIT. THE CAPT PULLED OUT OF THE TKOF LINE/SEQUENCE TO ASSESS THE SIT AND CONSIDER PAX REMOVAL BEFORE WE TOOK OFF. HE SENT ME BACK TO TELL THE COUPLE THAT IF THEY CONTINUED NOT TO COOPERATE/COMPLY WITH FLT ATTENDANT INSTRUCTIONS, WE WOULD RETURN TO THE GATE AND HAVE THEM REMOVED AND, FURTHERMORE, IF WE HAD ANY MORE TROUBLE OUT OF THEM, WE WOULD LAND IN RTE AND HAVE THEM REMOVED. THEY QUIETED DOWN. IN COORD WITH THE CAPT, WE MUTUALLY AGREED THAT THE SIT WAS UNDER CTL AND DECIDED NOT TO INCONVENIENCE THE REST OF THE PAX BY GOING BACK TO THE GATE TO HAVE THEM REMOVED. THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AS MS YY DEPLANED, SHE PLEASANTLY GAVE ME 'THE FINGER' AND SHOUTED '*&^% YOU' TO ME AS SHE WALKED UP THE JETBRIDGE. IN MY OPINION, CELL PHONES SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED FOR USE ON BOARD THE ACFT AT ANY TIME.

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.