AN 'OUTGOING' ACR MLG CREW; ON TAKING OVER THE ACFT AT A THROUGH STOP; FOUND THAT THE 'INCOMING' FLT ATTENDANTS HAD LEFT PAX ABOARD WITHOUT ANY FLT ATTENDANTS TO MONITOR THEM.

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HAVING ARRIVED PIT FROM DCA I WALKED TO MY NEXT FLT AT PIT GATE X. ON ARR; INBOUND CREW WAS JUST DEPLANING SO I WAITED ON THE JETWAY UNTIL THEY WERE THROUGH. I THEN BOARDED; STOWED MY SUITCASE; AND STARTED MY PREFLT IN THE COCKPIT. UPON EXITING THE COCKPIT TO PERFORM MY WALK AROUND OUTSIDE; I NOTICED A COUPLE OF THROUGH PAX BACK IN COACH. NOT SEEING ANY FLT ATTENDANTS ON BOARD FROM THE INBOUND CREW; I WENT IMMEDIATELY TO THE DEP LOUNGE TO SEE IF MY CREW HAD ARRIVED YET AND TO GET A FLT ATTENDANT TO COME DOWN TO STAY WITH THESE PAX. AS THEY WERE THERE; I INFORMED THEM OF THE NEED; AND OUR SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT IMMEDIATELY WENT DOWN TO THE PLANE TO BE ON BOARD WITH THESE PAX. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 229252: THE FO THEN WENT UP TO THE BOARDINGS AREA AND SAW OUR FLT ATTENDANTS ABOUT TO ENTER THE JETWAY AND HE SAID THEY BETTER GET DOWN THERE TO THE AIRPLANE BECAUSE THERE WERE THROUGH PAX ON BOARD AND NO FLT ATTENDANTS AROUND. THE FO WAS OVERHEARD BY AN FAA INSPECTOR WHO WAS SEATED IN THE BOARDING AREA AND HE PROCEEDED DOWN THE JETWAY TO SEE WHAT WAS THE SITUATION. A RPT BY THE FAA WAS MADE AND FOLLOW UP ACTION IS IN PROGRESS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 230384: NO FLT ATTENDANT WOULD LEAVE PAX BEHIND ON A PARKED ACFT. IT'S SOMETHING YOU JUST DON'T DO -- PERIOD. WHAT I FEEL HAPPENED IS THE PAX 'SNEAKED' BACK DOWN THE JETWAY AFTER OUR CREW HAD LEFT. IT IS COMMON FOR PAX ON A THROUGH FLT TO TRY TO GET BACK ON BOARD BEFORE THE GATE AGENT HAS STARTED THE GENERAL BOARDING PROCESS. MANY EMPLOYEES HAVE THE ACCESS CODE TO THE JETWAY. I HAVE SEEN FLEET SVC; MECHS; ETC; GO DOWN THE JETWAY. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT ONE OF THEM MAY HAVE ALLOWED THE PAX ACCESS TO THE ACFT; THINKING THAT A FLT ATTENDANT WAS ON BOARD. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT ONE OF THE BEFORE-MENTIONED EMPLOYEES DID NOT SEE THAT THE DOOR WAS COMPLETELY CLOSED BEHIND THEM. I HAVE COME ACROSS SEVERAL DOORS IN THE NEW TERMINAL THAT YOU REALLY HAVE TO 'SLAM' TO CLOSE. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT ANOTHER EMPLOYEE; BESIDES THE FLC; DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE DOOR TO THE JETWAY WAS COMPLETELY LOCKED BEHIND THEM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 229254: BECAUSE I HAD A FRONT POS DURING THAT FLT; I WAITED UNTIL PAX DEPLANED BEFORE RETRIEVING MY BAG STOWED UNDER THE LAST ROW OF PAX SEATS IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT. DURING MY WALK TO THE REAR OF THE ACFT AND BACK TO THE FRONT; I CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE NOTICED ANY REMAINING PAX IN THE LAVATORIES OR SEATED.