CABIN ATTENDANT RPT; B757; CCS-MIA. UNNECESSARY DIVERT TO SDQ. 1 PAX ROW'S OXYGEN PANEL FELL DOWN; MISCOM BTWN CAPT AND PURSER; NO MAINT IN SDQ.

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WE LEFT CCS AND I WAS ADVISED THAT 3 PAX DID NOT SHOW; SO WE HAD 3 EMPTY SEATS. MID FLT; FLT ATTENDANT #5 CAME TO ME DURING THE SVC AND SAID AN OXYGEN PANEL CAME DOWN OVER SEAT XDEF. I STOPPED MY SVC AND WENT TO SEE. FLT ATTENDANT #2 WAS HOLDING IT UP. NO MASK DROPPED! THE PANEL POPPED OUT ON THE AISLE SIDE AND WAS HANGING. I POPPED IT INTO PLACE AND TRIED TO PULL IT DOWN WITH MY FINGER NAILS AND IT REMAINED IN PLACE. I TURNED AND WENT TO THE COCKPIT. THE CAPT WAS ON THE RADIO AND THE FO WOULD NOT LET ME SPEAK TO HIM. I ADVISED THE FO AND TOOK HIM INTO THE CABIN AND SHOWED HIM WHAT HAPPENED. HE RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND THE CAPT WAS STILL ON THE RADIO. I RETURNED TO MY MEAL SVC. THE #3 FLT ATTENDANT WORKING UP FRONT TOOK A CALL ON THE INTERCOM AND SAID TO ME; 'WE ARE GOING TO SDQ.' I THOUGHT WE HAD BEEN REASSIGNED UPON REACHING MIA; AND ASKED 'ARE WE STAYING OVERNIGHT?' HE SAID 'NO; WE ARE LNDG IN 20 MINS.' I HEADED FOR THE COCKPIT. THE CAPT STILL ON THE RADIOS. THE FO WOULD NOT LET ME SPEAK TO HIM. I QUESTIONED THE FO AND HE ASKED 'DID PAX SEE IT?' I SAID 'YES; BUT NOTHING ACTUALLY FELL.' HE SAID 'THEN WE ARE GOING TO LAND.' WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE MECHS BOARDED AND LAUGHED AT US. THE CAPT NEVER CONFERRED WITH THE PURSER. I NEVER THOUGHT THE SIT GRAVE ENOUGH TO LAND. WE HAD 3 EMPTY SEATS. I TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANT #2 TO RESEAT PAX IF THE PANEL CAME DOWN AGAIN. WHILE ON THE GND IN SDQ; THE CAPT SAID 'I WAS TOLD WE WERE FULL' AND THIS WAS TRUE BEFORE 3 PAX DIDN'T SHOW; AND HE WAS TOLD THIS BY THE AGENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HIS AIRLINE DOESN'T REQUIRE THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO GIVE THE CAPT THE FINAL PAX COUNT -- THEY RELY ON THE AGENT'S FINAL COUNT. HE SAID THAT HE HAD HEARD THAT BEFORE HE STARTED FLYING SEVERAL YRS AGO; THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE REQUIRED TO GIVE THE CAPT A PAX COUNT AND 'LAPPERS' (CHILDREN ON LAPS; NOT TICKETED); BUT NOW THEY DON'T. AT NO TIME DID THE CAPT KNOW THAT THEY HAD THE 3 EMPTY SEATS. THE RPTR; HIMSELF; WAS INCREDULOUS AND COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE DIVERTING OVER THE COMPARTMENT PANEL COMING OFF; AND THE FACT THAT THEY HAD 3 EMPTY SEATS TO MOVE PEOPLE TO IN CASE OF AN EMER. HE QUESTIONED THE FO ABOUT IT; AND HE REPLIED THAT IF THE PAX SAW THE PANEL FALL OFF; THEN THEY HAD TO DIVERT TO FIX IT. THE MECHS IN SANTO DOMINGO DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO TAPE UP THE COMPARTMENT. THE RPTR FEELS THAT IF; PERHAPS; HE'D BEEN ABLE TO TALK TO THE CAPT DIRECTLY; THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO DIVERT.