CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS ATTEMPTS BY BOARDING AGENTS TO FALSIFY NUMBER OF CHILDREN ON BOARD IN ORDER TO REDUCE RPTED TOGW AT OR BELOW MAX.

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AFTER BOARDING WAS COMPLETED; I WAS TOLD WE WERE WT RESTR AND NEEDED A CHILD COUNT. I COUNTED 7 PLUS 2 LAPS. THE CAPT WAS ASKED BY THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE IF ANYONE ASKS; YOU NEED TO SAY WE HAVE WE HAVE 23 CHILDREN ON BOARD; IT'S HOW WE'VE DONE THE FIGURES FOR THE WT ON BOARD.' I REPEATED WHAT HE SAID AND I WAS SHOCKED AT THE REQUEST TO TELL A LIE IF ASKED. THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE REPEATED THE REQUEST. I SAID 'NO WAY.' I COUNTED 7 CHILDREN UNDER 12 PLUS 2 LAPS X 2. THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVES WERE LYING TO ME AND MY FLYING PARTNERS AND TELLING THE COCKPIT THIS ERRONEOUS INFO. THEY WERE LYING ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF CHILDREN ON BOARD JUST TO MAKE THE FIGURES BAL OUT AND ALSO TO GET THE FLT OUT. WE WERE OVER TKOF LIMITS -- WE WERE TOO HVY TO TAKE OFF.' MY FLYING PARTNERS AND MYSELF FELT UNSAFE AND UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE LIES BEING TOLD TO US AND THE COCKPIT. I ADVISED THE CAPT THAT WE FLT ATTENDANTS FELT UNSAFE AND UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE ONGOING LIES AND FELT UNSAFE TO TAKE OFF WITH THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE'S BLATANT LIES AND THEIR INSISTENCE WE HAD 15 CHILDREN ON BOARD WHEN WE HAD 7 AND 2 LAPS. HE AND THE FO SAID 'WE WON'T LEAVE UNTIL WE KNOW FOR SURE WE ARE AT LEGAL LIMITS TO TAKE OFF; PERIOD.' WE FELT BETTER BUT WERE STILL APPREHENSIVE. BAGS WERE BEING REMOVED OUT OF CARGO BAY BUT HOW MANY WERE TAKEN OFF AND HOW IS THE WT CONSIDERED ENOUGH? AFTER PUSH; I NOTICED 5 PEOPLE MISSING IN FIRST CLASS AND 2 IN COACH. I ASKED CAPT IF HE WAS AWARE OF THIS AND HE SAID 'NO.' TO BE ASKED BY A CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE TO LIE AND ALL THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVES' OBVIOUS IGNORANCE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE TOOK OFF TOO HVY. WE WOULD CRASH AND THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING LEGAL TKOF WT LIMITS. THEY JUST WANTED TO GET THE AIRPLANE OUT AND ON TO LAX. AS WE ROLLED DOWN THE RWY ON TKOF; I WAS STILL SCARED AND UNSURE THAT MAYBE WE MIGHT STILL BE TOO HVY AND CRASH. WE USED; WHAT SEEMED TO ME; EVERY INCH OF RWY BEFORE BECOMING AIRBORNE; AS I ALSO KNOW WE BURNED SOME FUEL AT THE GATE DURING THIS FIASCO. BEING ASKED TO LIE; AT LEAST FOR FLT ATTENDANTS; IS ONE OF THE FIRST ARTICLES OF CONDUCT -- A FIREABLE OFFENSE. I WAS SHOCKED AND APPALLED THAT ANYONE WOULD EVEN CONSIDER PUTTING MY SAFETY IN JEOPARDY; NEVER MIND MY FLYING PARTNERS AND 130+ PAX'S SAFETY AT RISK. WE GOT SAFETY AIRBORNE AND FLEW TO LAX WHERE WE LANDED 1 HR LATE; BUT SAFELY.