A B767 flight attendant reported that an abusive family was not removed before the flight from ord d...

Attributes
ACN	518650
Time
Date	200107
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 8.5 flight attendant time total : 8.5
ASRS Report	518650
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Company Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

Passenger and wife with 2 kids, at announcement of boarding, became very verbally abusive to me. They were very upset and threatened me. I spoke with agent, captain, flight attendant #2, and first officer. Operational manager spoke with enraged passengers, who told them they could be removed from the flight. Passenger remained calm but severely agitated at me during flight. I feel that, because I was threatened, yelled at, and was verbally abused prior to passenger even entering the jet bridge, that these passenger should have been pulled off the flight. They were disruptive with the boarding process and, once on the airplane, their hostility prevented me from doing my duties on the aircraft for a 3 1/2 hour flight. The captain refused them alcohol. I couldn't have contact with them, but my jumpseat was right behind them. Therefore in an emergency there was absolutely no guarantee that I could be assured a smooth evacuation and cooperation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT AN ABUSIVE FAMILY WAS NOT REMOVED BEFORE THE FLT FROM ORD DEPARTED, CAUSING CONCERN THAT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE LISTENED TO HER IN AN EMER.

Narrative: PAX AND WIFE WITH 2 KIDS, AT ANNOUNCEMENT OF BOARDING, BECAME VERY VERBALLY ABUSIVE TO ME. THEY WERE VERY UPSET AND THREATENED ME. I SPOKE WITH AGENT, CAPT, FLT ATTENDANT #2, AND FO. OPERATIONAL MANAGER SPOKE WITH ENRAGED PAXS, WHO TOLD THEM THEY COULD BE REMOVED FROM THE FLT. PAX REMAINED CALM BUT SEVERELY AGITATED AT ME DURING FLT. I FEEL THAT, BECAUSE I WAS THREATENED, YELLED AT, AND WAS VERBALLY ABUSED PRIOR TO PAX EVEN ENTERING THE JET BRIDGE, THAT THESE PAX SHOULD HAVE BEEN PULLED OFF THE FLT. THEY WERE DISRUPTIVE WITH THE BOARDING PROCESS AND, ONCE ON THE AIRPLANE, THEIR HOSTILITY PREVENTED ME FROM DOING MY DUTIES ON THE ACFT FOR A 3 1/2 HR FLT. THE CAPT REFUSED THEM ALCOHOL. I COULDN'T HAVE CONTACT WITH THEM, BUT MY JUMPSEAT WAS RIGHT BEHIND THEM. THEREFORE IN AN EMER THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEE THAT I COULD BE ASSURED A SMOOTH EVACUATION AND COOPERATION.

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.

A B767 flight attendant reported that an abusive family was not removed before the flight from ord departed, causing concern that they would not have listened to her in an emergency.