The Southend King has said much of what I would have said but I would like to add a comment or two from a passenger's (not on this flight) point of view.
1 Any action which gets me safely back on the ground in a nasty situation is fine by me.
2 It is perfectly possible to have a fracas taking place a few rows away and not know anything about it at the time. It has happened to me and I have very good hearing. If you add in dulled senses from imbibing alcohol and / or the use of headphones to listen to the inflight entertainment then perception is lessened even further.
I would like to pose a question; who is responsible for ensuring that anyone who is drunk does not board an aircraft? Is it the check-in staff, the staff at the gate, the cabin crew at the aircraft door or the passenger him(her) self?
I must say that television programmes about commercial aviation do tend to give the impression that a person under the influence of alcohol can board an aircraft unless they are particularly offensive or legless and this impression can only be to the detriment of the crew and other passengers.
What, if any training is given to staff at all stages in the recognition of a person suffering from the effects of alcohol? Don't laugh, it is not always as straightforward as you may think.
A suggestion: when tickets are being sold for a flight which is likely to be carrying fans to a football match why not include a notice stating in plain, simple English, that the passenger will be refused boarding if under the influence of alcohol, that no alcohol may be taken on board and that smoking is banned. It might also be an idea to have a tear-off strip which the passengers have to sign to say they have read and understood and hand in at check-in. Maybe a note to the effect that some sort of nicotine replacement may be an idea for heavy smokers particularly on the longer flights.
Mr Softie I find that recipe works very well with the addition of a nap or two on long haul flights.
