A FLT ATTENDANT ON AN AIRBUS 300 FROM BOSTON TO PARIS HAS A PAX WHO BECOMES VERY VERBALLY ABUSIVE AND APPEARS READY TO STRIKE THE FLT ATTENDANT. ALL THIS BECAUSE THE PAX IN FRONT IS TRYING TO RECLINE HER SEAT. THE FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIES THE PURSER AND THE CAPT WHO INDICATES THAT HE WILL TURN THE ACFT BACK TO BOSTON IF THE PAX DOES NOT BEHAVE. PAX CALMS DOWN.

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ENRTE TO PARIS; A FEMALE PAX SUMMONED MY ASSISTANCE (MRS X). SEATED NEARBY WAS HER CHILD. APPARENTLY; THE MALE PAX SEATED BEHIND HER WAS PREVENTING HER FROM RECLINING HER SEAT BY PUSHING IT FORWARD. I EXPLAINED TO THE MALE PAX; MR Y; THAT MRS X HAD EVERY RIGHT TO HAVE HER SEAT RECLINED. FURTHERMORE; THAT THE ALLOTTED SPACE WAS PRE-ESTABLISHED AND THAT WE COULD NOT POSSIBLY ACCOMMODATE HIM ANY FURTHER; DUE TO THE FULL CAPACITY OF THE AIRPLANE. AND; THAT I WOULD SUGGEST TO MRS X TO HAVE HER SEAT UPRIGHT DURING THE MEAL SVC; SO THAT HE WOULDN'T BE INCONVENIENCED ANY FURTHER. WELL; MR Y BECAME VERY IRATE; VERBALLY ABUSIVE AND MOTIONED WITH HIS BODY LANGUAGE THAT HE WANTED TO STRIKE ME. IN TURN; I RESPONDED FIRMLY AND ADVISED MR Y THAT HIS BEHAVIOR WAS UNACCEPTABLE ON THE AIRPLANE. THEN; I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE PURSER OF THE INCIDENT; AS WELL AS THE CAPT. THE CAPT SWIFTLY RESPONDED THAT HE WOULD IMMEDIATELY TURN THE AIRPLANE BACK TO BOSTON AND HAVE HIM ARRESTED; IF MR Y'S BEHAVIOR WOULD NOT IMPROVE. THE PURSER DELIVERED THE MESSAGE TO MR Y. APPARENTLY HE TRIED TO CTL HIS EMOTIONS AND REMAINED IN HIS SEAT WITHOUT FURTHER OUTBURSTS. ON MY PART; I SWITCHED SIDES WITH ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT AND STAYED CLR OF THIS INDIVIDUAL. LATER; INFLT; MRS X THANKED ME FOR MY EFFORTS AND APPRECIATED MY ATTEMPTS FOR TRYING TO REASON WITH MR Y.