Narrative:

I was the boarding flight attendant. It was approximately 5-10 mins before departure. I was assisting in gate checking bags, as there were no overhead bins empty in the cabin. All bins were full. I explained to all passenger boarding at this time that we would need to gate check their bags. The passenger seated in xa did not follow my directions. The #1 flight attendant then proceeded to inform her that her bag would need to be checked. She repeatedly said 'no.' on the aircraft, she was seated on the X side aircraft left, and I was working the l-hand side. I noticed at least 3 flight attendants dealing with her, as well as the captain. I recommended getting the passenger misconduct form out to the #1 flight attendant. He said there wasn't one on board. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that, as ticket taker, her only involvement was trying to get the woman to check her metal roll aboard. The woman was harassing the woman sitting in front of her for reclining her seat back. That woman had just had back surgery and she needed to recline her seat. This developed into a tug of war. When 3 flight attendants couldn't settle the fracas, the captain came back and warned her about following crew instructions. The woman seemed to settle down after that. On deplaning, the 2 women were shouting at each other that they were both going to get lawyers to sue each other.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B767, JFK-LAX. IRATE WOMAN WOULD NOT CHK HER ROLL A BOARD, CREATED FRACAS WITH PAX AHEAD OF HER. CAPT INTERVENTION.

Narrative: I WAS THE BOARDING FLT ATTENDANT. IT WAS APPROX 5-10 MINS BEFORE DEP. I WAS ASSISTING IN GATE CHKING BAGS, AS THERE WERE NO OVERHEAD BINS EMPTY IN THE CABIN. ALL BINS WERE FULL. I EXPLAINED TO ALL PAX BOARDING AT THIS TIME THAT WE WOULD NEED TO GATE CHK THEIR BAGS. THE PAX SEATED IN XA DID NOT FOLLOW MY DIRECTIONS. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT THEN PROCEEDED TO INFORM HER THAT HER BAG WOULD NEED TO BE CHKED. SHE REPEATEDLY SAID 'NO.' ON THE ACFT, SHE WAS SEATED ON THE X SIDE ACFT L, AND I WAS WORKING THE L-HAND SIDE. I NOTICED AT LEAST 3 FLT ATTENDANTS DEALING WITH HER, AS WELL AS THE CAPT. I RECOMMENDED GETTING THE PAX MISCONDUCT FORM OUT TO THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT. HE SAID THERE WASN'T ONE ON BOARD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT, AS TICKET TAKER, HER ONLY INVOLVEMENT WAS TRYING TO GET THE WOMAN TO CHK HER METAL ROLL ABOARD. THE WOMAN WAS HARASSING THE WOMAN SITTING IN FRONT OF HER FOR RECLINING HER SEAT BACK. THAT WOMAN HAD JUST HAD BACK SURGERY AND SHE NEEDED TO RECLINE HER SEAT. THIS DEVELOPED INTO A TUG OF WAR. WHEN 3 FLT ATTENDANTS COULDN'T SETTLE THE FRACAS, THE CAPT CAME BACK AND WARNED HER ABOUT FOLLOWING CREW INSTRUCTIONS. THE WOMAN SEEMED TO SETTLE DOWN AFTER THAT. ON DEPLANING, THE 2 WOMEN WERE SHOUTING AT EACH OTHER THAT THEY WERE BOTH GOING TO GET LAWYERS TO SUE EACH OTHER.

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.