A PAX ADVISES THAT THE AIRLINE AND CABIN ATTENDANTS ALLOWED TWO OBVIOUSLY INEBRIATED PASSENGERS TO REMAIN IN THE EXIT ROW AND FAILED TO MAKE REQUIRED ANNOUNCEMENTS TO OPERATE THE EXIT IN THE EVENT OF AN EMER.

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MY FRIEND AND I BOARDED A FLT FROM JFK TO ZZZZ; FO. WHILE PASSENGERS WERE STILL FINDING THEIR SEATS; A GROUP OF MEN SEATED NEXT TO US BEGAN TO CONSUME ALCOHOL THEY HAD BROUGHT ON BOARD. THEY HAD CLEARLY BEEN DRINKING FOR SOME TIME; AND WERE PLAINLY INTOXICATED. TWO OF THESE MEN; ONE OF WHOM WAS SO INTOXICATED HE COULD BARELY LIFT HIS HEAD WHEN ADDRESSED A SHORT WHILE LATER BY A FLT ATTENDANT; WERE SEATED IN AN EMER-EXIT ROW. THEIR BEHAVIOR BECAME INCREASINGLY BELLIGERENT UNTIL ONE OF THEM; WHO WAS DRINKING FROM A 375 ML BOTTLE OF WHISKEY; SPAT OUT A LARGE MOUTHFUL OF IT INTO MY FRIEND'S FACE. I ALERTED A FLT ATTENDANT; AND THE PURSER CONFRONTED THEM WITH ANOTHER ATTENDANT. THEY CONFISCATED AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL FROM THE MEN; THE ALMOST EMPTY BOTTLE FROM ONE OF THE TWO MEN IN THE EMER-EXIT ROW; AND A LARGE SHOPPING BAG FILLED WITH ALCOHOL FROM ONE OF HIS FRIENDS. THE PURSER THEN MOVED MY FRIEND TO AN EMPTY SEAT AWAY FROM THEM; BUT LEFT THE MEN WHERE THEY WERE. I ASKED THAT THEY BE REMOVED FROM THE PLANE SINCE WE HAD NOT YET LEFT THE GATE; OR AT THE VERY LEAST MOVED TO DIFFERENT SEATS; AND THE PURSER REFUSED. AT NO POINT DID ANY ACR EMPLOYEE MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR BEING SEATED IN AN EMER-EXIT ROW. NO ONE QUESTIONED THEM OR ANYONE ELSE SEATED IN OUR EXIT ROW ABOUT OUR ABILITY OR WILLINGNESS TO PERFORM THE FUNCTIONS THAT MIGHT HAVE BECOME NECESSARY. THE AIRLINE'S HANDLING OF THIS SIT WAS AN EGREGIOUS DERELICTION OF THE COMPANY'S DUTY TO DO EVERYTHING IN ITS POWER TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF ITS PASSENGERS AND EMPLOYEES; ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE CURRENT NEED FOR HEIGHTENED SECURITY IN AIR TRAVEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR ADVISED THAT THE ACFT WAS A B757. RPTR FURTHER ADVISED THAT THEY ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THE INDUSTRY OTHER THAN AS A FREQUENT FLYER. RPTR REITERATED A STRONG CONVICTION REGARDING THE RESULTING DETERIORATION IN THE LEVEL OF SAFETY THAT RESULTED FROM THEIR OBSERVATIONS AND THE FACT THAT THEY WISHED TO PURSUE THE INCIDENT UNTIL SOMEONE PAID ATTENTION. RPTR ADVISED THAT THEY FOUND THE RTE TO THE ASRS RPTS THROUGH A WEB SEARCH ENGINE.