CABIN ATTENDANT RPT; MD80; RNO-DFW. PURSER HAD CONFRONTATION WITH A COUPLE IN COACH CLASS. CAPT LEFT COCKPIT TO DEAL WITH THEM. POLICE MET FLT.

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I WAS WORKING #1 IN FIRST CLASS ON AUG/XA/00; RENO; NV; TO DALLAS; TX. I DECIDED TO ASSIST COACH BY PROVIDING COFFEE. A REQUEST FOR 'LIGHT' COFFEE CAME FROM PAX MRS X SEAT SF. COFFEE WAS PROVIDED TO MRS X WITH 'HVY' STYLE CREAM. MRS X REQUESTED MORE CREAM; STATING THAT FIRST AMOUNT WAS NOT ENOUGH. I VERY POLITELY SUGGESTED TO MRS X THAT SHE STIR THE COFFEE; AS THE CREAM WAS HVY AND MAY HAVE SETTLED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE CUP. 'MORE' MRS X THEN STATED WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING MY SUGGESTION; OR EVEN LOOKING AT ME; THRUSTING THE CUP TOWARD ME. I AGAIN; VERY POLITELY; PROVIDED MORE CREAM TO THE CUP. MRS X THEN STATED RUDELY AND ABRUPTLY; AS IF DESIRING A CONFRONTATION; 'I DRINK COFFEE EVERYDAY; I KNOW HOW I LIKE MY COFFEE.' I THEN POLITELY STATED TO HER 'I AM ONLY TRYING TO HELP AND SERVE YOU MA'AM.' MRS X THEN STATED; AGAIN RUDELY AND ABRUPTLY; 'NO YOU'RE NOT.' SHE THEN ALSO STATED 'YOU KNOW I'M A SOCIAL WORKER AND I KNOW...I WORK WITH PEOPLE.' AFTER APPROX 5 MINS; IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN BY THE SVC CREW IN COACH THAT MRS X AND HER HUSBAND MR X WERE INQUIRING FROM FLT ATTENDANT #3 AS TO MY NAME AND EMPLOYEE NUMBER. CONFUSED AS TO WHAT COULD BE THE MOTIVATION FOR THIS REQUEST; I RETURNED TO ROW XY TO INQUIRE. MR X INFORMED ME THAT HE REQUIRED MY NAME AND EMPLOYEE NUMBER IN ORDER TO RPT THIS 'INCIDENT' TO A HIGHER AUTH. NOT UNDERSTANDING THAT AN INCIDENT HAD EVEN OCCURRED; AND IN AN EFFORT TO APPEASE THE SIT; I ASKED 'WHY DO YOU NEED MY NAME AND EMPLOYEE NUMBER?' MR X STATED THAT HE WANTED 'TO RPT YOUR ATTITUDE.' AT THIS POINT MR X PUT HIS HAND UP TO MY FACE AND IN A VERY AGGRESSIVE AND LOUD VOICE TOLD ME TO STOP ADDRESSING HIS WIFE; WHO HE CLAIMED HAD ALREADY BEEN UPSET BY ME; AND DEMANDED TO TALK TO 'A HIGHER AUTH.' IT WAS DURING THIS OUTBURST THAT MRS X MADE A REF; ALTHOUGH NOT COMPLETELY CLR TO ME; TO 'AIR RAGE' -- SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT SHE WAS AWARE OF OR UNDERSTOOD 'AIR RAGE.' I PROVIDED PAX WITH AN INFLT DISTURBANCE RPT FORM AND INFORMED HIM THAT HE COULD UTILIZE IT TO RPT THE INCIDENT TO A HIGHER AUTH; AS HE HAD REQUESTED. AT THIS POINT; SEEING THE CONCERNED AND ALARMED REACTION OF THE PAX IN CLOSE PROX TO MR X'S OUTBURST; I INFORMED MR X THAT I WOULD PROVIDE HIM THE 'HIGH AUTH' HE DEMANDED; AND DECIDED TO WALK AWAY FROM THE AREA; CONCERNED THAT PAX SAFETY MAY BE COMPROMISED. MRS X IS A VERY LARGE WOMAN; HER SIZE COMBINED WITH BOTH OF THEIR ANGER WAS A FORMIDABLE AND POTENTIAL THREAT TO ME AND THE PAX AROUND ME. I WAS CONVINCED THAT THIS IRRATIONAL BEHAVIOR WAS A CALCULATED ATTEMPT TO PROVOKE A CONFRONTATION. I BELIEVED THAT I HAD DONE ALL I COULD DO TO SATISFY 2 OBVIOUSLY UNREASONABLE INDIVIDUALS AND DECIDED TO REQUEST THE ASSISTANCE OF THE FLC; NOT ONLY AS A WAY TO ATTEMPT TO CALM MR X; BUT ALSO BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY; THE SAFETY OF THE CREW; AND ESPECIALLY THE SAFETY OF THE PAX. I ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED THE FLC OF THE SIT. VISUALLY UPSET; CHK AIRMAN X; CAPT OF FLT XXXY INFORMED ME THAT HE WOULD SPEAK WITH MR AND MRS X TO DISCUSS THE SIT. AS CAPT X APCHED ROW; MR X WAS ON THE FLT PHONE AND; AGAIN RUDELY AND ABRUPTLY; INSTRUCTED CAPT X TO SPEAK WITH WHOMEVER WAS ON THE PHONE. CAPT X TOOK THE PHONE AND LISTENED FOR A SHORT TIME; HANDED THE PHONE BACK TO MR X THEN INSTRUCTED MR X TO REFRAIN FROM HIS OUTBURSTS AND TO STOP HARASSING ME AND THE REST OF HIS FLT CREW. AS CAPT X SPOKE TO MR X; MRS X BEGAN TO CRY AS SHE TOLD ME 'I'M A VERY NERVOUS FLYER AND WE HAVE OUR DOG TRAVELING WITH US.' WITHOUT FURTHER CONVERSATION WITH THEM; CAPT X RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT. AS I WAS WALKING AWAY; MR X SHOUTED TO ME THAT HE WANTED TO SPEAK TO A HIGHER AUTH; AND STATED 'IT'S OK TO HAVE THE FLT MET BY POLICE IN DALLAS.' I INFORMED THE CAPT OF MR X'S REQUEST. CAPT X; AGREEING THAT MR X'S ATTITUDE AND DEMEANOR WAS CONFRONTATIONAL; STATED HE WOULD AGREE TO HIS REQUEST TO HAVE FLT MET BY AUTHS. FROM THIS POINT I HAD NO MORE CONTACT WITH THEM AND WAS NOT INVOLVED WITH ANY FURTHER ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THIS INCIDENT. FLT XX WAS MET IN DALLAS BY 2 DALLAS POLICE OFFICERS AND 2 DALLAS CUSTOMER SVC MGRS.