Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Attendant Current
Flight Attendant Airline Total 6; Flight Attendant Total 12
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Troubleshooting
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Security; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Human Factors
The crew and I had been on the same aircraft for two days. On Friday evening; we took the aircraft to ZZZ from MIA. This is a meal flight and the food that catering had loaded onto the aircraft approximately 2 hours prior to departure was already starting to smell when we boarded and took off. They cater us for dinner on the flight down and breakfast on the way back. I've done this trip enough that gate agents; customs; and immigration know me in ZZZ. I stayed on the aircraft during the scheduled 2 plus hour sit because I wanted some quiet and took a nap. There was no air on in the plane which was fine; but it is in the 80s. Because this is a short overnight for us; we took the same aircraft back out to MIA. Upon entering the aircraft there was a distinct smell of the same rotten meat from the previous day. I just figured it was from the plates left over from the flight from Friday evening since all of the meals were eaten and food wasn't left in them. However; the closer I get to the back; the smell became even more nauseating.  We had a large group traveling with chaperones so; I quickly forgot about the stench on the aircraft so that I could help with bags; seating; and questions. We had 73 passengers and approximately 20 kids and 10 parents/chaperones traveling with them so it got a little chaotic which I don't mind at all. One woman refused to sit in her seat; so my concentration left the stinking; horrific food to finding her a comfortable place to sit so that we could shut the door and depart. Everyone was changing seats and wanting to move to other seats; which I let them do; and once it got closer to departure; I gently reminded them of the time and that they could move around again once we took off and the seatbelt sign was off. We finally left on time and everyone was happy. I'm in my jumpseat ready for takeoff and the smell is unbearable. We are now through ascent and I take the meal cart up to the front. I return to the back galley to hot water the towels for first class because the front coffee pots were MEL'd. The A Flight Attendant has the cart with him and replaces it back in its appropriate space in the back galley. He tells me that these are not the meals we're supposed to have. I look inside the cart and apparently catering catered us with two sets of dinner meals instead of a dinner meal and a breakfast. Now it all starts to make sense with the smell in the back of the aircraft. This almost raw meat that is barely cooked and is still swimming in blood has been sitting on this closed off aircraft overnight. When we landed on Friday night; it was still 90 degrees; so this meat has been on a closed up aircraft sitting overnight; reaching temperatures in excess of 90 degrees. I'm doing constant walk throughs during the flight because anytime I'm in the back I'm coughing because the smell is so strong. Some of the passengers commented on it and I explained to them what had happened. Halfway through the flight passengers start [needing] to use the bathroom; so now imagine the stench of the meat with the varying smells coming out of the lav.It's over 3 hours coming back to MIA and when we arrive at the gate; I simply am about to die. We land; get to the gate; park; and in addition to disarming the doors; I open them to let some much needed air in the aircraft because we're also taking this same plane to ZZZ1 in about an hour. They aren't wide opened; but cracked and the yellow draw strings are in place on both sides. I am also standing in the back aisle to prevent anyone from coming to the back galley for safety reasons. Now; I know I'm not supposed to open doors unless instructed by the captain in instances where the ground personnel aren't trained to do so; but I'm about to turn green and get sick and this plane simply can't smell on the next flight.All of a sudden I hear 'WHY IS THAT DOOR OPENED?' I open the door to get a better look at who is SCREAMING bloody murder and I see it's some guy in uniform;TSA; someone else; I don't know; on the ground. I tell him that the plane stinks. My passengers in the back agree and chuckle. 'THOSE DOORS CAN'T BE OPENED. THAT'S A SECURITY VIOLATION! THAT'S A SECURITY VIOLATION!' Not wanting to cause anymore drama and to stop the yelling; I close the doors. I couldn't understand why this was a security violation when all I did was open doors because the plane smelled so foul.  After all of the passengers deplane; he comes STORMING down the aisle STILL yelling. 'I NEED TO SEE YOUR BADGE! THAT'S A SECURITY VIOLATION! THOSE DOORS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE OPENED!'Me: 'Okay.  I had no idea it was a security violation.'Him: 'IF YOU'RE WORKING AN INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT! THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT AND THAT'S A SECURITY VIOLATION!'Me: I give [him] my ID.He proceeds to the back galley to start writing; I don't even know what with; my ID in his possession. At this point the Captain (CA) comes back and asks me what's going on. I tell him that I opened the doors because of the smell (that he was aware of) and that apparently that's a security violation. CA to the unknown man (because he never said; nor did he show me his ID): 'What's wrong with the doors being opened?'Uniformed; unknown man who is still yelling: 'THOSE DOORS AREN'T TO BE OPENED BEFORE ALL THE PASSENGERS HAVE DEPLANED WHEN COMING FROM AN INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION!'CA: 'Catering always opens those doors prior to passengers deplaning from flights. International or not.'Uniformed; unknown man: 'THEY AREN'T SUPPOSED TO AND IF THEY ARE THAT'S ANOTHER SECURITY VIOLATION!' He gives me back my ID. Uniformed; unknown man: 'WHO'S YOUR SUPERVISOR?'Me: 'ZZZZ'Uniformed; unknown man: 'WHAT'S HER LAST NAME?'Me: 'I don't know.'Now; of course I know ZZZZ's last name; but at this point I'm tired of being yelled at and treated like a criminal for something that I had no idea was a violation. I also feel like if he needs to get in touch with anyone at the company; he took my ID so he can figure it out. All of the information he'd need is right on it. At this point he's still in the back galley and I leave the plane to clear Customs and Immigration. He doesn't say anything to me. During this time; I'm also emailing my supervisor to give her a heads-up as to what has happened. This all occurred (once he was on the plane; and I had no idea he was going to board the plane) in about a minute. I figured if I closed the doors; problem solved. I did close them immediately after the yelling started. I get back to the plane first and when my captain comes back on I ask him if he said anything more. He told me that he checked the rest of the crew's bags. He also said that the guy was concerned that the doors were opened because I could have 'tossed out a brick of cocaine or something'. So my first thoughts about that were IF I had something like that (which I didn't) wouldn't security in ZZZ have picked it up and surely someone would have noticed stuff flying out of a plane. I know everyone is on heightened alert because it's MIA and because of recent flight attendant hijinxs; but I don't do things like that. I know he doesn't know me; and in his line of work he's got to assume the worst of everyone (sounds like a miserable job to me); but I left because of all of the yelling that was going on and he kept re-iterating that it was 'A SECURITY VIOLATION!'. He wasn't offering any new information.My take on all of this. I SOOOOO know I'm not to open the doors unless told to do so and I haven't ever to my recollection. I only did it this one time because it was so bad in the back and I didn't want it smelling like that on the way to ZZZ1. I double and quadruple checked my indicators on the doors before I opened them and again the yellow restraints were in place as well as my location in the aisle. I looked in my manual for anything along these lines; and all I found was that they shouldn't be opened.Nothing related to security breaches for international flights. I also should have asked for his ID and who he was. I didn't. I was tired. It was the last day of a 4-day with short overnights; full duty days; full flights; and early shows and I was exhausted. At that point; I wanted to finish the last turn and go home and relax. I will never; ever do this again.The inconsistencies that I have with the unknown; uniformed man was that which was he more concerned about?  At first he was upset about the doors being opened and then he said that there were passengers still onboard and that's when they couldn't be opened.  Which is it? It sounds to me that they doors could have been opened if the passengers weren't on the plane. What difference do they make on an international flight? Also; if there's something that I'm hypothetically throwing out of a plane; the security breach would have been in ZZZ when they didn't catch it or when I clear immigration. It seems to me that a greater security risk for drugs would be in the cargo hold of the plane and not on my possession since we go through security in ZZZ. I feel he was looking in the wrong place and that doors merely being opened shouldn't have been a security violation unless people start jumping out. This would be a good matter to discuss in recurrent.This event can further be prevented by proper procedures and expectations put in place for international flights. Clearly; I should not have opened the doors; but I had no idea it was a security breach. Had I known it would have been a breach; obviously I would not have opened the doors. We are starting to do much more international flying and each location has their own policies; procedures; and expectations. I think more time needs to be spent on international flying in recurrent as opposed to operating a beverage cart up and down the classroom. I don't intend to open the doors ever again unless told to do so from the captain.
A Flight Attendant reports an aggressive and loud encounter with an unidentified uniformed airport person on the ramp after opening the aircraft rear service door upon arrival at the gate. This person demanded to see the crew's IDs and claimed that opening the service door prior to the departure of all passengers was a security violation. The door was opened to reduce the smell from day-old rotting meals in one of the service carts.