Narrative:

Shortly after takeoff, I was setting up galley to begin our drink/food service. A woman approached me and asked where the bathroom was. I smelled alcohol on her breath, but she seemed not intoxicated. I advised flight attendants #3 and #4 before service and showed them where the woman was seated. During drink/food service, flight attendant #3 told me the woman asked for a double rum/diet coke. Flight attendant #3 told the woman that we are allowed to serve only 1 drink at a time. Ms X was ok with that. I told both flight attendants #3 and #4 not to serve any more drinks to ms X. Ms X stated she 'needed' a 'double.' that's when I knew she might have a drinking problem. Therefore, no more drinks were given to ms X, except for another can of diet coke. Later in-flight, flight attendant #3 advised me that a passenger on board was waiting for bathroom when ms X exited the lavatory. He saw cigarette smoke and smelled it coming from ms X's clothes. Flight attendant #3 came and told me. I asked her if she talked to ms X about it, she replied 'no.' I told her I would talk to her. I approached ms X and asked her if she had been smoking in lavatory. I told her of the danger and that I or the other passenger did not appreciate her compromising our safety and that she would be arrested in lax if she tried it again. She replied that she understood. Later, flight attendant #3 told me that ms X asked how I knew she was smoking in lavatory. She told her a passenger told us. Ms X asked flight attendant #3 what would happen if she went into the lavatory and smoked again. Flight attendant #3 told her she would be arrested. Ms X then announced she was a police officer and felt she would not get arrested. I had already called the cockpit earlier after the smoking event to ask why smoke detector did not chime. They gave me an unsatisfactory answer. Now, I called them (cockpit) a second time and told them what she had said to flight attendant #3. I asked them to call for someone to meet our aircraft, because I was not trusting ms X. On approach into lax, we were picking up glasses/trash. Ms X had a full glass of liquid. I noticed her shaking the last drop of rum into her soda. I informed her we had to pick up all glasses. She said 'no, I'm keeping this, I paid $4 for it.' I said 'excuse me, we served you your 1 drink 2 1/2 hours ago, you're not just drinking it now. Did you bring on your own alcohol and are you drinking that now?' she didn't reply. I needed to check my galley for landing, so flight attendant #3 collected ms X's glass. After landing, the passenger were all standing waiting to get off and a male passenger told me that during the flight ms X must have drank 8 or 9 more mini liquor drinks she had had in her purse. She was sneaking them. That's why she seemed to be more intoxicated at end of flight. I informed passenger he should have told us because it could have ended up in a serious situation. Special service agent met aircraft. Me and flight attendant #3 got off plane and met service agent and ms X at gate counter. Come to find out, a counselor from a rehabilitation center was there to escort ms X to center so she could start 3-4 months treatment for drugs and alcohol. He apologized for her behavior. Agent told us she would be banned from flying on airline again. My comments: the dfw agents boarding the flight should be questioned on why they boarded ms X on our flight. I know they smelled her breath like I did. Also, why have smoke detectors if they're not built properly to sound off at any hint of smoke or heat? That upsets me very much. The FAA and airlines says they care, but on the other hand they do not. Why?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE #4 CABIN ATTENDANT HAS A PROB WITH A PAX WHO WAS SMOKING IN THE LAVATORY AND OVERDRINKING ON BOARD A FLT DEPARTING DFW FOR LAX, CA.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, I WAS SETTING UP GALLEY TO BEGIN OUR DRINK/FOOD SVC. A WOMAN APCHED ME AND ASKED WHERE THE BATHROOM WAS. I SMELLED ALCOHOL ON HER BREATH, BUT SHE SEEMED NOT INTOXICATED. I ADVISED FLT ATTENDANTS #3 AND #4 BEFORE SVC AND SHOWED THEM WHERE THE WOMAN WAS SEATED. DURING DRINK/FOOD SVC, FLT ATTENDANT #3 TOLD ME THE WOMAN ASKED FOR A DOUBLE RUM/DIET COKE. FLT ATTENDANT #3 TOLD THE WOMAN THAT WE ARE ALLOWED TO SERVE ONLY 1 DRINK AT A TIME. MS X WAS OK WITH THAT. I TOLD BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS #3 AND #4 NOT TO SERVE ANY MORE DRINKS TO MS X. MS X STATED SHE 'NEEDED' A 'DOUBLE.' THAT'S WHEN I KNEW SHE MIGHT HAVE A DRINKING PROB. THEREFORE, NO MORE DRINKS WERE GIVEN TO MS X, EXCEPT FOR ANOTHER CAN OF DIET COKE. LATER INFLT, FLT ATTENDANT #3 ADVISED ME THAT A PAX ON BOARD WAS WAITING FOR BATHROOM WHEN MS X EXITED THE LAVATORY. HE SAW CIGARETTE SMOKE AND SMELLED IT COMING FROM MS X'S CLOTHES. FLT ATTENDANT #3 CAME AND TOLD ME. I ASKED HER IF SHE TALKED TO MS X ABOUT IT, SHE REPLIED 'NO.' I TOLD HER I WOULD TALK TO HER. I APCHED MS X AND ASKED HER IF SHE HAD BEEN SMOKING IN LAVATORY. I TOLD HER OF THE DANGER AND THAT I OR THE OTHER PAX DID NOT APPRECIATE HER COMPROMISING OUR SAFETY AND THAT SHE WOULD BE ARRESTED IN LAX IF SHE TRIED IT AGAIN. SHE REPLIED THAT SHE UNDERSTOOD. LATER, FLT ATTENDANT #3 TOLD ME THAT MS X ASKED HOW I KNEW SHE WAS SMOKING IN LAVATORY. SHE TOLD HER A PAX TOLD US. MS X ASKED FLT ATTENDANT #3 WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SHE WENT INTO THE LAVATORY AND SMOKED AGAIN. FLT ATTENDANT #3 TOLD HER SHE WOULD BE ARRESTED. MS X THEN ANNOUNCED SHE WAS A POLICE OFFICER AND FELT SHE WOULD NOT GET ARRESTED. I HAD ALREADY CALLED THE COCKPIT EARLIER AFTER THE SMOKING EVENT TO ASK WHY SMOKE DETECTOR DID NOT CHIME. THEY GAVE ME AN UNSATISFACTORY ANSWER. NOW, I CALLED THEM (COCKPIT) A SECOND TIME AND TOLD THEM WHAT SHE HAD SAID TO FLT ATTENDANT #3. I ASKED THEM TO CALL FOR SOMEONE TO MEET OUR ACFT, BECAUSE I WAS NOT TRUSTING MS X. ON APCH INTO LAX, WE WERE PICKING UP GLASSES/TRASH. MS X HAD A FULL GLASS OF LIQUID. I NOTICED HER SHAKING THE LAST DROP OF RUM INTO HER SODA. I INFORMED HER WE HAD TO PICK UP ALL GLASSES. SHE SAID 'NO, I'M KEEPING THIS, I PAID $4 FOR IT.' I SAID 'EXCUSE ME, WE SERVED YOU YOUR 1 DRINK 2 1/2 HRS AGO, YOU'RE NOT JUST DRINKING IT NOW. DID YOU BRING ON YOUR OWN ALCOHOL AND ARE YOU DRINKING THAT NOW?' SHE DIDN'T REPLY. I NEEDED TO CHK MY GALLEY FOR LNDG, SO FLT ATTENDANT #3 COLLECTED MS X'S GLASS. AFTER LNDG, THE PAX WERE ALL STANDING WAITING TO GET OFF AND A MALE PAX TOLD ME THAT DURING THE FLT MS X MUST HAVE DRANK 8 OR 9 MORE MINI LIQUOR DRINKS SHE HAD HAD IN HER PURSE. SHE WAS SNEAKING THEM. THAT'S WHY SHE SEEMED TO BE MORE INTOXICATED AT END OF FLT. I INFORMED PAX HE SHOULD HAVE TOLD US BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE ENDED UP IN A SERIOUS SIT. SPECIAL SVC AGENT MET ACFT. ME AND FLT ATTENDANT #3 GOT OFF PLANE AND MET SVC AGENT AND MS X AT GATE COUNTER. COME TO FIND OUT, A COUNSELOR FROM A REHABILITATION CTR WAS THERE TO ESCORT MS X TO CTR SO SHE COULD START 3-4 MONTHS TREATMENT FOR DRUGS AND ALCOHOL. HE APOLOGIZED FOR HER BEHAVIOR. AGENT TOLD US SHE WOULD BE BANNED FROM FLYING ON AIRLINE AGAIN. MY COMMENTS: THE DFW AGENTS BOARDING THE FLT SHOULD BE QUESTIONED ON WHY THEY BOARDED MS X ON OUR FLT. I KNOW THEY SMELLED HER BREATH LIKE I DID. ALSO, WHY HAVE SMOKE DETECTORS IF THEY'RE NOT BUILT PROPERLY TO SOUND OFF AT ANY HINT OF SMOKE OR HEAT? THAT UPSETS ME VERY MUCH. THE FAA AND AIRLINES SAYS THEY CARE, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND THEY DO NOT. WHY?

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.