Narrative:

Flight attendant #2 asked me to check to see if a passenger indeed had his cell phone turned off due to the fact that he had overheard that apparently the cell phone was also an MP3 player. I doublechked and asked to see it to make sure that it was off, stating that the other flight attendant had overheard that it might have been an MP3 player also. The passenger responded to me with, 'first of all, tell the other flight attendant to mind his own business.' I then said that I was doing my job making this aircraft, his flight, safe and that I didn't appreciate his mouthing off to me. The older man sitting on the other side of the aisle stated 'he wasn't mouthing off.' I asked him to remain out of this conversation and again emphasized that I was doing my job and enforcing FAA regulations. The older man then asked my name, to which I told him and he then asked if I had a last name, to which I said yes but that I was not going to give it to him, that he could speak with the captain when we arrived. He replied that he would speak with the company, not the captain. I stated that was fine. Keep in mind the 'takeoff is imminent' chime had already gone off and we were beginning to turn onto the runway! At this point, the man's same row as first passenger's cell phone went off, as it was in his breast pocket of his shirt! I told him to turn it off immediately and I went to my jump seat. This passenger later refused to give his address on the 'passenger disturbance form' without first being allowed to copy all information down including the other passenger witness information. I took the form away and asked again for his address, to which he refused. I did give the passenger my name and employer number as well as the captain's on a separate sheet of paper. As I gave it to the passenger he responded to me that he no longer wanted to speak with me and that the conversation was over. Passenger nearby offered to witness and another passenger agreed to do so when asked. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that she did not have time to be more diplomatic with the passenger. She was not only upset that the first man argued with her about assuring that his cell phone was off, but that other passenger supported the first man's attitude. When the second man's cell phone rang, and they were taxiing onto the runway for takeoff, she was really overstressed. For those reasons, she ordered both to turn off their cell phones and ran to be seated for takeoff. She has not heard any word from her company or employee representative regarding any disposition or action taken regarding this incident. She does have names of witnesses that will support her actions if necessary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FOKKER 100 CABIN ATTENDANT HAS IRATE, DISGRUNTLED PAX WHO BECAME ARGUMENTATIVE WITH HER WHEN SHE ASKED TO CONFIRM HIS CELLULAR PHONE WAS TURNED OFF IN PREPARATION FOR TKOF. AT THAT MOMENT ANOTHER PAX (THE MAN'S FATHER) SPOKE UP IN SUPPORT OF HIS SON'S ARGUMENT, AND THEN HIS CELL PHONE RANG WITH A CALL. BOTH WERE TOLD TO TURN OFF THEIR PHONES AND THE ATTENDANT WENT TO HER JUMP SEAT.

Narrative: FLT ATTENDANT #2 ASKED ME TO CHK TO SEE IF A PAX INDEED HAD HIS CELL PHONE TURNED OFF DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE HAD OVERHEARD THAT APPARENTLY THE CELL PHONE WAS ALSO AN MP3 PLAYER. I DOUBLECHKED AND ASKED TO SEE IT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS OFF, STATING THAT THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANT HAD OVERHEARD THAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN MP3 PLAYER ALSO. THE PAX RESPONDED TO ME WITH, 'FIRST OF ALL, TELL THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANT TO MIND HIS OWN BUSINESS.' I THEN SAID THAT I WAS DOING MY JOB MAKING THIS ACFT, HIS FLT, SAFE AND THAT I DIDN'T APPRECIATE HIS MOUTHING OFF TO ME. THE OLDER MAN SITTING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE STATED 'HE WASN'T MOUTHING OFF.' I ASKED HIM TO REMAIN OUT OF THIS CONVERSATION AND AGAIN EMPHASIZED THAT I WAS DOING MY JOB AND ENFORCING FAA REGS. THE OLDER MAN THEN ASKED MY NAME, TO WHICH I TOLD HIM AND HE THEN ASKED IF I HAD A LAST NAME, TO WHICH I SAID YES BUT THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO GIVE IT TO HIM, THAT HE COULD SPEAK WITH THE CAPT WHEN WE ARRIVED. HE REPLIED THAT HE WOULD SPEAK WITH THE COMPANY, NOT THE CAPT. I STATED THAT WAS FINE. KEEP IN MIND THE 'TKOF IS IMMINENT' CHIME HAD ALREADY GONE OFF AND WE WERE BEGINNING TO TURN ONTO THE RWY! AT THIS POINT, THE MAN'S SAME ROW AS FIRST PAX'S CELL PHONE WENT OFF, AS IT WAS IN HIS BREAST POCKET OF HIS SHIRT! I TOLD HIM TO TURN IT OFF IMMEDIATELY AND I WENT TO MY JUMP SEAT. THIS PAX LATER REFUSED TO GIVE HIS ADDRESS ON THE 'PAX DISTURBANCE FORM' WITHOUT FIRST BEING ALLOWED TO COPY ALL INFO DOWN INCLUDING THE OTHER PAX WITNESS INFO. I TOOK THE FORM AWAY AND ASKED AGAIN FOR HIS ADDRESS, TO WHICH HE REFUSED. I DID GIVE THE PAX MY NAME AND EMPLOYER NUMBER AS WELL AS THE CAPT'S ON A SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER. AS I GAVE IT TO THE PAX HE RESPONDED TO ME THAT HE NO LONGER WANTED TO SPEAK WITH ME AND THAT THE CONVERSATION WAS OVER. PAX NEARBY OFFERED TO WITNESS AND ANOTHER PAX AGREED TO DO SO WHEN ASKED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT SHE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO BE MORE DIPLOMATIC WITH THE PAX. SHE WAS NOT ONLY UPSET THAT THE FIRST MAN ARGUED WITH HER ABOUT ASSURING THAT HIS CELL PHONE WAS OFF, BUT THAT OTHER PAX SUPPORTED THE FIRST MAN'S ATTITUDE. WHEN THE SECOND MAN'S CELL PHONE RANG, AND THEY WERE TAXIING ONTO THE RWY FOR TKOF, SHE WAS REALLY OVERSTRESSED. FOR THOSE REASONS, SHE ORDERED BOTH TO TURN OFF THEIR CELL PHONES AND RAN TO BE SEATED FOR TKOF. SHE HAS NOT HEARD ANY WORD FROM HER COMPANY OR EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATIVE REGARDING ANY DISPOSITION OR ACTION TAKEN REGARDING THIS INCIDENT. SHE DOES HAVE NAMES OF WITNESSES THAT WILL SUPPORT HER ACTIONS IF NECESSARY.

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.