ACR WDB FLC FORCED TO TAXI-IN WITH PAX IN LAVATORY.

Narrative

JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU'VE HEARD EVERYTHING: WE HAD LANDED ON THE OUTSIDE RWY; AND WERE HOLDING SHORT OF THE INSIDE; WHICH WAS PRETTY BUSY. SEVERAL PAX GOT UP TO GO TO THE LAVATORIES; AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS MADE A PA FOR EVERYONE TO STAY SEATED; AND ADVISED ME WHEN EVERYONE WAS 'OUT' AND SEATED. THEN I GOT A CALL THAT THERE WAS A HANDICAPPED PAX WHO SAID HE HAD TO GET IN THE LAVATORY IMMEDIATELY OR HE WAS GOING TO HAVE AN 'ACCIDENT.' IT LOOKED LIKE WE MIGHT HAVE TO HOLD FOR 2 OR 3 MORE AIRPLANES ANYWAY; SO I ALLOWED THAT AND TOLD THEM TO BE SURE HE KNEW HE NEEDED TO HURRY AS MUCH AS HE COULD. MAYBE I DID THAT BECAUSE THIS IS SORT OF THE AGE OF BEING UNDERSTANDING OF THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF THE HANDICAPPED; OR BECAUSE MY MOTHER-IN-LAW HAD MS FOR 25 YRS; OR BECAUSE MY MOTHER GOT CANCER AND BY THE TIME SHE DIED 6 MONTHS AFTER DIAGNOSIS SHE WAS COMPLETELY HELPLESS; SO I WAS SORT OF BEING EXTRA SYMPATHETIC; OR 'THERE-BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD-GO I.' ANYWAY; IT LOOKED LIKE I COULD ACCOMMODATE HIM WITH LITTLE IF ANY INCONVENIENCE TO THE REST OF THE PAX. NEXT TIME; IF THERE IS ONE; MY RESPONSE WILL BE THAT; 'I'M VERY SORRY; BUT...'; BECAUSE HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED: THE PAX GOT IN THE LAVATORY; AND PRETTY SOON WE GOT CLRED TO CROSS. ABOUT 5 MINS LATER; WE HAD BEEN ASKED 3 MORE TIMES BY TWR IF WE COULD CROSS YET; AND HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS; WHO HAD BEEN TALKING TO THE PAX; SEVERAL TIMES. WE BY NOW HAD AT LEAST 4 OTHER AIRPLANES BEHIND US WHO WERE 'STUCK' UNTIL WE MOVED; AND WERE MESSING UP THE TWR'S TFC FLOW; AND WERE CREATING AT LEAST SOME POTENTIAL OF SAFETY PROBLEMS FOR AIRPLANES CLRING THE RWY. THEN THE PAX IN THE LAVATORY TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT HE COULDN'T COME OUT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS; BUT IT WAS APPARENTLY SOMETHING HIS WIFE; WHO WAS BACK AT THE LAVATORY; COULDN'T HELP HIM WITH. MAYBE HE HAD THE ACCIDENT HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT; I DON'T KNOW. ANYWAY; HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO BE UNABLE TO COME OUT; BUT HE COULD SIT DOWN; AND HE AND HIS WIFE FELT HE COULD MANAGE THAT OKAY; AND COULD I TAXI THEN? WELL; NO I REALLY COULDN'T. ON THE OTHER HAND; WE NOW HAVE POSSIBLY 500 HOSTAGES ON THE TAXIWAYS BEHIND US; A FRUSTRATED TWR; AND A PAX STUCK IN THE LAVATORIES FOR 5? 10? 30? MORE MINS. THE ONLY OTHER OPTION FOR A TIMELY RESOLUTION SEEMED TO BE TO HUMILIATE A HANDICAPPED PERSON BY HAVING HIM BODILY REMOVED FROM THE LAVATORY QUIETLY? KICKING AND SCREAMING? CRYING? WHICH WASN'T A VERY ATTRACTIVE OPTION EITHER. SO; I TAXIED VERY SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY TO THE GATE. THE PAX STAYED IN THE LAVATORY; BUT BOTH HE AND HIS WIFE SAID THE TAXIING HAD BEEN NO PROBLEM TO HIM AND HE WAS FINE. I THINK HE PROBABLY CAME OUT WHEN THE OTHER PAX HAD LEFT AND HIS WHEELCHAIR ARRIVED. 'NICE GUYS FINISH LAST.' I LIKE TO THINK THAT ISN'T REALLY TRUE; BUT I SURE GOT IN A MESS THIS TIME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 201717: THE CAPT USED EXTREME CARE TO MAKE TAXI TO THE GATE AS SMOOTH AND SLOW AS POSSIBLE.