Originally Posted by
FSUnole03
Wouldn't this be only if the passenger was misbehaving and the flight crew were giving them instructions which they were continuing to refuse to obey?
It looks like the only people refusing to follow instructions were the AA agents who didn't solicit volunteers first, which is required by the DOT.
In a single word, No.
The crime is the failure to follow a lawful crewmember order. While it is not likely that there would be serious consequences to OP from a bit of jawboning from his seat, it would most certainly take his situation out from under IDB rules and just turn this into a passenger removed at the Captain's direction (presumably after the FA reports the conduct).
AA faces fines for not soliciting volunteers, but the whole point is that you don't get to "litigate" who is right and wrong on the spot. That's what DOT does (or doesn't). Your "job" is to obey the direction.