Capot,
Had the passenger addressed the cabin crew, to the effect, "I need to deplane this aircraft NOW" then that is a matter that any reasonable F/A would have addressed to the Captain.
But she didn't, she wanted to stay on board but break regulations by using her mobile phone whilst continuing on her journey and the F/A was quite correct to deny that.
That said she was under extreme stress whilst not thinking clearly whilst it's very easy for "us", with a knowledge of procedures, to clarify how she should have acted.
P.S. One point that seems to have been missed here ... She'd received a suicidal SMS and was about to make an immediate reply when disciplined to switch her phone off ... So she'd already been using her mobile, to receive the SMS, after being told to switch it off so it's probable that the F/A was already miffed with her and had she respected FAA and SWA regulations in the first instance she would never received the SMS.
Last edited by Phileas Fogg; 17th May 2015 at 02:12.
Reason: To add P.S.