A CABIN ATTENDANT'S RPT ON AN ALLEGED MISUSE OF AN MD80'S PRESSURIZATION SYS THAT INCURRED AN EMER LNDG.

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CREW COM BTWN COCKPIT AND CABIN CREW WAS A PROB ON THIS PAIRING. I HAD DROPPED PAIRING ON MAY/XA/01 BECAUSE I DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE ON THE LAST TRIP. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT WE HAD A COCKPIT JUMP SEAT RIDER. THE CAPT HAD TOLD US THAT HE WAS TRYING TO SHOW THE JUMP SEAT RIDER TURNING SOMETHING FROM AUTO TO MANUAL (MY GUESS IS THE PRESSURIZATION GAUGE) AND HE COULDN'T GET IT BACK; WE ENDED UP HAVING A MECHANICAL DELAY. FLT WAS THE FIRST FLT ON OUR PAIRING AND IT STARTED OUT WITH LACK OF COM JUST AS I HAD REMEMBERED FROM WORKING WITH THEM BEFORE. WE DEPARTED FROM THE GATE AND SAT IN TFC; AS I ASSUMED; FOR 30-45 MINS. THERE WAS NO PA FROM THE COCKPIT UNTIL WE WERE TOLD TO BE SEATED FOR TKOF. WE WERE STANDING IN THE GALLEY ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE BAR CART AND BEGAN TO EAT WHEN I TOLD FLT ATTENDANT #2 THAT MY EARS KEPT POPPING AS SOON AS I SAID THAT THE PLANE WENT DOWN AND SIDE-TO-SIDE TWICE. I TOLD FLT ATTENDANT #2 THAT DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT; MAYBE WE SHOULD PUT THE CART AWAY. WE HAD JUST PUT DOWN OUR FOOD AND STARTED ON THE BAR CART WHEN THE PLANE DROPPED AGAIN AND THE OXYGEN MASKS FELL. FLT ATTENDANT #2 GRABBED THE OXYGEN MASK BY THE FOLD-OUT JUMP SEAT AND I RAN TO THE TAIL CONE JUMP SEAT AND PUT ON OXYGEN MASK. FLT ATTENDANT #3 MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT 'WE ARE EXPERIENCING A DECOMPRESSION; YOUR OXYGEN MASKS HAVE FALLEN; PLEASE PUT THEM ON.' FLT ATTENDANT #2 BROKE DOWN THE BAR CART WITH 1 HAND BECAUSE THE FLT ATTENDANT OXYGEN MASKS WERE SO OLD THE ELASTIC BAND WOULD NOT HOLD. FLT ATTENDANT #2 AND I GRABBED BREATHING EQUIP AND WALKED THROUGH THE CABIN CHKING ON PAX. FLT ATTENDANT #2 TALKED TO THE CAPT AND WAS TOLD WE WERE LNDG IN ZZZ IN A FEW MINS. THE CAPT CAME BACK AND ASKED IF WE WERE ALRIGHT. WE REPLIED THAT WE WERE SHAKEN UP AND THAT FLT ATTENDANT #3 AND I BOTH HAD EAR PAIN. FLT ATTENDANT #2 SAID THAT HIS NECK HURT. THE CAPT AGREED WITH US THAT WE SHOULD NOT GO ON. THE CAPT AND FO BOTH LEFT THE PLANE WITHOUT ANY FURTHER COM. WE DID NOT SEE THEM AGAIN UNTIL WE WERE IN OPS. THE CAPT SAID HE TALKED TO THE FO WHO SAID HE WAS OK TO CARRY ON AND THAT HE HAD CALLED SCHEDULING AND TOLD THEM THAT WE WERE ALL OK WITHOUT ASKING US. THE CAPT LEFT AGAIN. FLT ATTENDANT #2 CALLED SCHEDULING AND THEY URGED US TO GO ON AND SAID THAT THE CAPT TOLD THEM THAT WE WERE ALL FINE. OPS CALLED AN EMT FOR US. THE EMT'S SUGGESTED THAT WE SEE A DOCTOR FOR OUR EAR PAIN AND THAT OVER-THE-COUNTER SINUS MEDICATION MIGHT HELP. THEY ALSO TOLD FLT ATTENDANT #2 THAT HE SHOULD HAVE X-RAYS TAKEN. THEY TOOK OUR VITAL SIGNS AND SAID THAT FLT ATTENDANT #2 AND FLT ATTENDANT #3'S BLOOD PRESSURE WAS OK AND THAT MINE (140/90) WAS A LITTLE HIGH. I ASKED THEM WHAT THAT MEANT; AND THEY SAID THAT I WAS STILL STRESSED FROM THE FLT AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT I RELAX FOR A WHILE. I ASKED THE OPS GUY IF HE KNEW WHERE THE CAPT WAS AND HE TOLD ME THAT THEY WENT TO EAT. FLT ATTENDANT #2 AND FLT ATTENDANT #3 AND I ALL COMMENTED ON ALL OF THE LACK OF COM ON THEIR PART AND THAT IT DIDN'T MAKE US FEEL VERY SAFE WITH THEM. OPS GUY COMMENTED THAT HE DIDN'T BLAME US BECAUSE WHEN THEY RADIOED IN FROM THE PLANE HE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND A WORD THAT THEY SAID BECAUSE THEY WERE SO FRANTIC; HE TOLD THEM TO JUST WORRY ABOUT GETTING THE PLANE ON THE GND SAFELY AND THEY WILL FIGURE EVERYTHING OUT FROM THERE. WE ALL COMMENTED THAT MADE US FEEL EVEN MORE UNSAFE. WE STILL DID NOT WANT TO GO BUT WE FELT PRESSURE FROM THE CAPT AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS ON THE INBOUND FLT WOULD BE ILLEGAL IF THEY DID OUR FLT. FLT ATTENDANT #2 ALSO FELT PRESSURE FROM SCHEDULING. AFTER TALKING ABOUT IT; WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD GO ON AGAINST OUR BETTER JUDGEMENTS. WHEN THE PLANE HAD ARRIVED WE BOARDED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. DURING BOARDING; I WAS WALKING IN THE AISLE AND A LOT OF PAX WERE ASKING WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED ON THE LAST FLT. I TOLD THEM THAT UNFORTUNATELY I KNEW AS MUCH AS THEY DID. I WENT UP TO THE COCKPIT AND ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WOULD MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT; LETTING THE PAX KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. HE MADE AN EXTREMELY BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE CUSTOMERS WERE STILL ASKING QUESTIONS. BOARDING WENT RATHER QUICKLY SINCE ONLY 1/2 THE PAX REBOARDED OUR FLT. DURING THE FLT WE HAD DECIDED THAT THE PAX SHOULD HAVE A CHANCE TO TELL THE COMPANY HOW THEY FELT SO WE MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TELLING THE PAX THAT WE WILL BE WALKING THROUGH THE CABIN WITH COMMENT CARDS -- IF THEY WOULD LIKE ONE PLEASE LET US KNOW. I DON'T FEEL LIKE I HAD ANY SATISFACTORY ANSWERS FROM THE CAPT UNTIL WE WERE IN THE HOTEL VAN. I PRETTY MUCH DRILLED HIM FOR INFO. WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE IS A PRESSURIZATION VALVE ON THE PLANE AND THAT IT OPENED UP INFLT AND THAT ONCE IT OPENS UP INFLT IT COULD NOT BE CLOSED BECAUSE THERE IS AIR RUSHING INTO IT. I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THAT THIS IS NOT THE TRUTH AT ALL; AFTER TALKING TO MY FRIEND (WHO IS A CAPT) WHO I HAVE COMPLETE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN. THERE IS A SWITCH ON THE PRESSURIZATION PANEL THAT WILL CLOSE THAT VALVE INFLT. WE ALL DECIDED THAT WE WOULD FEEL MUCH BETTER GETTING OFF OF THE TRIP AT THE NEXT DEST AND DEADHEADING HOME. THIS MAY NOT HAVE ANY CONNECTION AT ALL; BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT IN MY STATEMENT THAT FLT ATTENDANT #2 STATED THAT HE TALKED TO THE CAPT AT ONE POINT AND HE TOLD HIM THAT HE TURNED A GAUGE FROM AUTO TO MANUAL AND COULD NOT GET IT BACK. WE ALSO HAD A COCKPIT JUMP SEAT RIDER ON THE FLT.