Passenger wants to know if you're sober.

[mastermags]

This happened aboard my flight two days ago although the FA didn't even mention it till today. A passenger walks aboard and asks the FA "I want to know if you're sober." The passenger has not accused you of anything (yet). Now if the flight attendant approaches you, or if you happen to overhear, or even if it happens in the terminal, what do you do?

 

[Dugie8]

You call your chief pilot and say a passenger has said the following and that you want a drug test.

 

[exneophyte]

Quickly respond, "Did you see how Denzel handled the aircraft in the movie Flight? You don't want me sober." Then look to the flight attendant and ask her for another cocktail.

 

[Itchy]

Get on the intercom: "Folks, the passenger in 4C has questioned my sobriety, and so the flight will be delayed for about an hour so that I may get a drug test verifying I am, or a replacement crew member can be found. Sorry for the inconvenience."

 

[Autothrust Blue]

You call your chief pilot and say a passenger has said the following and that you want a drug test.

Yep.

"We're cancelled."


AFIS LINK ACK

 

[BobDDuck]

I had this happen once a few years back. Moral of the story was we went to get tested, delayed the flight 3 hours and everybody missed their connections. And when we did finally leave, we made sure to explain why we were late.

 

[T-Gates]

I had to handle one of these as a duty manager a few years ago. Passenger stuck their head into the cockpit and said "I think I smell booze". Luckily it happened at a hub and we had a D&A trained supervisor just go down to the plane and clear the crew to fly without having to get a breathalyzer. But in this day and age, you can't blow it off, because they'll probably put it on Facebook and Twitter while you're flying to your destination ("ZOMG i thnk the pilots r drunk! #xyzairlines #maltliquor #flightmovie") and it will be on the news by the time you set the parking brake.

 

[tiredcfi]

So far we have a couple stories of this happening, but are there any companies that have official guidance on something like this?

 

[Roger Roger]

So far we have a couple stories of this happening, but are there any companies that have official guidance on something like this?

I have nothing to add other than that I hate passengers sometimes.

 

[///AMG]

Is this something that happens? Not doubting, but surprising

 

[Roger Roger]

Is this something that happens? Not doubting, but surprising

passengers are collectively dumber than a crate of hammers and twice as obnoxious. A friend of mine had a guy who claimed to be a Skywest captain call his DO and make such an ass of himself complaining about how a pilot was flying way too close to terrain that the DO sent a letter to the yokel's CP about it.

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

Is this something that happens? Not doubting, but surprising

More than you can possibly imagine.

 

[z987k]

There'll be an article come out online about how to ensure you have a safe flight(as a pax) and it will include things like requesting to do your own pre-flight, checking the flight crew for drugs and alcohol, and looking up front to make sure nothing is out of place. Just wait.

 

[derg]

This happened aboard my flight two days ago although the FA didn't even mention it till today. A passenger walks aboard and asks the FA "I want to know if you're sober." The passenger has not accused you of anything (yet). Now if the flight attendant approaches you, or if you happen to overhear, or even if it happens in the terminal, what do you do?

Remove myself from the cockpit, call the chief pilot.

Someone made a loud, ridiculous joke about a decade ago and we went through the process. We had specific guidance on this at my company.

 

[derg]

This happened aboard my flight two days ago although the FA didn't even mention it till today. A passenger walks aboard and asks the FA "I want to know if you're sober." The passenger has not accused you of anything (yet). Now if the flight attendant approaches you, or if you happen to overhear, or even if it happens in the terminal, what do you do?

Remove myself from the cockpit, call the chief pilot.

Someone made a loud, ridiculous joke about a decade ago and we went through the process. We had specific guidance on this at my company.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

If I hear it, the plane won't be moving until we're tested. Not worth the risk.

 

[staledog]

If I hear it, the plane won't be moving until we're tested. Not worth the risk.

What? I don't get it. What risk? So if a pax walks on and makes some stupid comment, you would delay the flight and actually go get tested?

Must be an airline thing.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

What? I don't get it. What risk? So if a pax walks on and makes some stupid comment, you would delay the flight and actually go get tested?

Must be an airline thing.

It is an airline thing. All you need is for one person to overhear one side of the conversation and suddenly you're on the news.

Not exactly uncommon

 

[derg]

What? I don't get it. What risk? So if a pax walks on and makes some stupid comment, you would delay the flight and actually go get tested?

Must be an airline thing.

It's an airline thing, especially in the age of
social media you really have to be cognizant of that stuff.

My employer has very specific guidance on this and if it's not followed, an on time flight isn't going to absolve you from following procedures.

None of us are the last flight out of Hanoi, the boxes or passengers in back aren't a nuclear device that needs to be delivered over target or WW-III begins.

Do your job, follow the procedures.

 

[derg]

Extra note:

Having been to "The Big Brown Desk" twice in my career, you will spend more time doing that than you ever will complying with procedure.