REPORTER REQUIRED TO FLY AN ACFT THAT HE THOUGHT DID NOT MEET THE MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST REQUIREMENTS.

Narrative

FIRST I SHOULD EXPLAIN THE WORD 'FORCED'. I NOTICED THAT THE DMI WAS A LEGAL DEFERRED MAINT ITEM AS PER THE MEL; HOWEVER THE ACFT COULD NOT BE LEGALLY FLOWN AS PER THE COMPANY'S GENERAL OPERATIONS MANUAL. I NOTIFIED DISPATCH. DISPATCH ATTEMPTED TO NOTIFY THE CHIEF PLT; HE WAS UNAVAILABLE. DISPATCH THEN NOTIFIED THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS WHO HEATEDLY SAID THE ACFT COULD BE FLOWN. HE DID NOT EVEN GET THE FACTS. AT THIS POINT I KNEW THAT IF I REFUSED TO FLY THE ACFT I WOULD BE SUSPENDED OR FIRED. (IN THE PAST WEEK 2 PLTS HAD BEEN SUSPENDED FOR OVERFLYING AN ARPT DUE TO BAD WX.) NOW THAT I HAVE EXPLAINED WHAT I MEAN BY FORCED; I WILL EXPLAIN THE DMI. ACFT HAD COM #2 DEFERRED AS PER MEL 23-5 WHICH STATES A COM RADIO CAN BE DEFERRED ONLY IF THE CREW CAN MONITOR AND RECEIVE VOICE TRANSMISSIONS OVER A VHF NAVIGATIONAL FAC. THE ACR GENERAL OPERATIONS MANUAL STATES THAT ALL ACFT WILL MONITOR COMPANY FREQ WHENEVER IN FLT OR ON THE GND EXCEPT WHEN OPERATING IN CONGESTED AREAS. IT ALSO STATES THAT; 'AT NO TIME WILL THE FLT LOSE OR INTERRUPT COMS WITH ATC F0R THE PURPOSE OF COM WITH THE COMPANY.' WITH COM #2 INOP; WE COULD NOT COMPLY WITH THIS. DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED AND I THOROUGHLY EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. THEY DID NOT EVEN CARE ABOUT THE SITUATION THEY WERE PUTTING THEMSELVES IN. WE FLEW A ROUND TRIP TO CAK OUT OF DTW. A SITUATION OCCURRED ON THE WAY TO CAK TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR 2 COM RADIOS. A PAX; WHO HAD BEEN DRINKING AND WAS UPSET BECAUSE OF THE DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS; BECAME ABUSIVE TO OUR F/A. WE WERE IN A BUSY ATC ENVIRONMENT AND COULD NOT LEAVE OUR PRESENT FREQ TO RADIO AHEAD TO OUR STATION TO HAVE POLICE STANDING BY. WE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO CALL THE COMPANY UNTIL WE WERE ON THE GND. BY THE TIME AMPLE POLICE PROTECTION HAD ARRIVED THE SITUATION HAD DEVELOPED MUCH FURTHER THAN NECESSARY.