DCP2016

So the problem here wasn't the fact he wanted to use the F bathroom/arguing, it was rightly because he started making threats.

There's a big difference between the two, the articles make it seem like they diverted just because he wanted to use the F bathroom.

davie355

Are they credible threats? Or just ranting / letting off steam?

If it's the latter, then the crew are wimps, shameful power trippers who forced a needless 4 hour delay on the rest of the pax.

DCP2016

I don't know, I wasn't on-board.

I see in the story though it was due to a threat made to the first officer, not just arguing with a power tripping FA.

navydevildoc

If you watch the video, they say the DOJ reports a crew member was in the FC Lav.

I am gonna guess it was either the Capt or FO in there. It makes the whole situation more spicy. He's lucky there wasn't a FAM on that flight.

As for announcements, I hear it all the time as others have said "reserved for first class passengers unless a cart is blocking the aisle".

The only time I was given grief over it was DCA to SFO, and Nancy Pelosi was in 1C. The FC FA didn't take kindly from me coming up from Premium to use the lav, even though the cart was out. It wasn't until I was out of the lav, and the FC kinda went unhinged on me. I am sure the stress of Pelosi being on board with her entourage was part of it, but even Nancy just kinda rolled her eyes at the rant I was being given.

I didn't pull a DYKWIA moment, just said "sorry, the cart was out and I needed to go", let her harrumph at me one more time, and I went and sat back down.

Lomapaseo

Obviously the guy was pissed .but did he finally? It doesn't say

chrisl137

Last flight I was on PDX-LAX there was an FA standing at the divider for part of the flight to discourage people from using the forward lav. Probably 4-5 people came forward over the course of the flight - I wasn't paying close attention but there was probably a cart in the way of the back lavs.

dayone

Moderator Note: Let's please discuss the legal and operational impacts of the incident. The community opinion about the sanctity of F lav has been hashed, rehashed and triple-hashed. Thanks.

dayone, AS Moderator.

arttravel

How would the crew know the difference? They do not know the passenger; the crew does not have any idea if the passenger entered the plane already in a bad mood because the check in staff did not greet him warmly with eye contact, if the passenger has serious anger issues or has taken drugs, or if the passenger is just blowing off steam. Threatening to kill a pilot and hitting the seats with a fist is a disproportionate reaction to being told not to use the FC bathroom.

The passenger claimed that there are two bathrooms in first and that he paid the same amount as everyone else on the plane and therefore should have the same access — so maybe not a frequent flyer.

But how is someone supposed to know if a person having a disproportionate reaction and threatening violence is just letting of steam or will escalate further? Why even suggest the staff were wimps when they have zero insight into this passenger and his behavior and if threatening violence is a normal course of behavior?

GetSetJetSet

If you start making threats against the crew this is the only way it’s going to end. That said i’m glad FAs are enforcing policy and not letting entitled people just do whatever they please even in contravention of policy.

Mcflyneo

Seems he was verbally threatening, not physically. Why not tie down the passenger and continuing flight plan? If the captain announces 'some one making a fuss', why make a bigger fuss and divert?

LightChopAhead

There should be zero tolerance for violent threats towards crew members. Letting it slide and continuing to the destination is just setting a poor example for the flying public.

WebTraveler

Um, you just can't tie down a passenger and pretend like something has not happened. If something happened you need to land and deal with it. No one has the legal or right to legally detain someone indefinitely. We can make a citizens arrest and all of that, but then we need to engage the authorities. This is not anarchy.

diburning

Being someone who does not fly AS often, are the lavs in the rear of the smaller variety? If they are, then the front lav (which always remains full size) is the ADA lav in which case ADA lobbyists will have a field day with this one regardless of whether the guy was right or wrong.

navydevildoc

No, the front lav is actually smaller.