Narrative:

During climb, but after 1ST chime, passenger came running up the left hand aisle. I proceeded to walk towards him, and flight attendant #7 stopped him just as he entered 1ST class. We asked him to return to his cabin and fasten seat belt. We asked him to please not enter business class or 1ST class for security reasons. Passenger was obviously intoxicated, based on alcoholic breath and speech slur as well as unsteady gait. He told us he was looking for his girlfriend and he would enter any cabin he pleased. I told him to please return to his seat and he said we didn't have any authority/authorized to tell him what to do. After looking around 1ST class and business class he returned to his seat. I went to talk to him so I could explain why it was important for him to comply with crew instructions. He became belligerent, insultive, and verbally abusive. He said he was a lawyer, and the constitution of the USA did not allow us to prevent him from blah, blah, blah. We asked him to keep his voice down and to relax and settle down. He became very agitated. First officer came to speak with him and that seemed to calm him for a little while. A few mins later, the aft cabin crew called me to inform me that he was using loud foul language and all the passenger around him including an 8 yr old girl was very upset with his behavior. When told that this was unacceptable, he said the little girl shouldn't eavesdrop, to mind her own business, put on her headset and not listen (little girl was next to him). We moved the girl to a different row, and told him as a directive he had to cease his activities. We (cabin crew) asked the captain to land and remove the passenger, but the captain opted to continue towards madrid. The passenger did eventually settle down, but not before he had a chance to insult me and called me mentally deranged. He said he was going to file suit as he exited in madrid. This passenger owes the crew and other passenger an apology for his crass behavior. Supplemental information from acn 541266: he stated a female companion was to be onboard and she was flying standby. He began to become a little agitated at this point. I told him to return to his seat and I would get a paper and pen, I would come to his seat get her name and I would look for her. He agreed and returned to his seat. That was my only contact with the passenger. I was aware that the purser and a member of the cockpit repeatedly spoke with the passenger. The cockpit was then supportive. They commented to me that the passenger was intoxicated but 'probably harmless.' they refused to initiate a passenger misconduct, or speak sternly to the passenger. The relief pilot spoke with the passenger a few times, but he was always checking as he returned to his seat. I am continually told I am the 'last line of defense' to the cockpit. After the actions of this cockpit, I'd rather they defend themselves.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX INTERFERENCE WITH THE DUTIES OF A CABIN CREW WAS REDUCED TO A PAX NUISANCE BY THE LACK OF INTEREST OF THE FLC OF A MADRID BOUND B767-300 IN CLB E OF MIA, FL.

Narrative: DURING CLB, BUT AFTER 1ST CHIME, PAX CAME RUNNING UP THE L HAND AISLE. I PROCEEDED TO WALK TOWARDS HIM, AND FLT ATTENDANT #7 STOPPED HIM JUST AS HE ENTERED 1ST CLASS. WE ASKED HIM TO RETURN TO HIS CABIN AND FASTEN SEAT BELT. WE ASKED HIM TO PLEASE NOT ENTER BUSINESS CLASS OR 1ST CLASS FOR SECURITY REASONS. PAX WAS OBVIOUSLY INTOXICATED, BASED ON ALCOHOLIC BREATH AND SPEECH SLUR AS WELL AS UNSTEADY GAIT. HE TOLD US HE WAS LOOKING FOR HIS GIRLFRIEND AND HE WOULD ENTER ANY CABIN HE PLEASED. I TOLD HIM TO PLEASE RETURN TO HIS SEAT AND HE SAID WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY AUTH TO TELL HIM WHAT TO DO. AFTER LOOKING AROUND 1ST CLASS AND BUSINESS CLASS HE RETURNED TO HIS SEAT. I WENT TO TALK TO HIM SO I COULD EXPLAIN WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR HIM TO COMPLY WITH CREW INSTRUCTIONS. HE BECAME BELLIGERENT, INSULTIVE, AND VERBALLY ABUSIVE. HE SAID HE WAS A LAWYER, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE USA DID NOT ALLOW US TO PREVENT HIM FROM BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. WE ASKED HIM TO KEEP HIS VOICE DOWN AND TO RELAX AND SETTLE DOWN. HE BECAME VERY AGITATED. FO CAME TO SPEAK WITH HIM AND THAT SEEMED TO CALM HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE. A FEW MINS LATER, THE AFT CABIN CREW CALLED ME TO INFORM ME THAT HE WAS USING LOUD FOUL LANGUAGE AND ALL THE PAX AROUND HIM INCLUDING AN 8 YR OLD GIRL WAS VERY UPSET WITH HIS BEHAVIOR. WHEN TOLD THAT THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE, HE SAID THE LITTLE GIRL SHOULDN'T EAVESDROP, TO MIND HER OWN BUSINESS, PUT ON HER HEADSET AND NOT LISTEN (LITTLE GIRL WAS NEXT TO HIM). WE MOVED THE GIRL TO A DIFFERENT ROW, AND TOLD HIM AS A DIRECTIVE HE HAD TO CEASE HIS ACTIVITIES. WE (CABIN CREW) ASKED THE CAPT TO LAND AND REMOVE THE PAX, BUT THE CAPT OPTED TO CONTINUE TOWARDS MADRID. THE PAX DID EVENTUALLY SETTLE DOWN, BUT NOT BEFORE HE HAD A CHANCE TO INSULT ME AND CALLED ME MENTALLY DERANGED. HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO FILE SUIT AS HE EXITED IN MADRID. THIS PAX OWES THE CREW AND OTHER PAX AN APOLOGY FOR HIS CRASS BEHAVIOR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 541266: HE STATED A FEMALE COMPANION WAS TO BE ONBOARD AND SHE WAS FLYING STANDBY. HE BEGAN TO BECOME A LITTLE AGITATED AT THIS POINT. I TOLD HIM TO RETURN TO HIS SEAT AND I WOULD GET A PAPER AND PEN, I WOULD COME TO HIS SEAT GET HER NAME AND I WOULD LOOK FOR HER. HE AGREED AND RETURNED TO HIS SEAT. THAT WAS MY ONLY CONTACT WITH THE PAX. I WAS AWARE THAT THE PURSER AND A MEMBER OF THE COCKPIT REPEATEDLY SPOKE WITH THE PAX. THE COCKPIT WAS THEN SUPPORTIVE. THEY COMMENTED TO ME THAT THE PAX WAS INTOXICATED BUT 'PROBABLY HARMLESS.' THEY REFUSED TO INITIATE A PAX MISCONDUCT, OR SPEAK STERNLY TO THE PAX. THE RELIEF PLT SPOKE WITH THE PAX A FEW TIMES, BUT HE WAS ALWAYS CHKING AS HE RETURNED TO HIS SEAT. I AM CONTINUALLY TOLD I AM THE 'LAST LINE OF DEFENSE' TO THE COCKPIT. AFTER THE ACTIONS OF THIS COCKPIT, I'D RATHER THEY DEFEND THEMSELVES.

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.