Utah man records moment Delta kicked passenger off flight for going to bathroom before takeoff


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ATLANTA (CNN) — A man says he was ejected from a Delta Air Lines flight because he went to the bathroom while waiting for the plane to leave the Atlanta airport.

Kima Hamilton told CNN affiliate WISN he simply could not wait to use the restroom while the plane was waiting to take off for Milwaukee on April 18. " ... it's at an emergency stage," Hamilton told WISN.

After Hamilton had used the bathroom and returned to his seat, an unidentified Delta employee approached Hamilton and had a conversation that was recorded by a fellow passenger.

"So I'm going to kindly ask you to please come with me," the employee says on the video.

"I'm not really clear on why I'm being asked to leave this plane. I purchased this ticket," Hamilton said. "I had an emergency. I had to pee. ... And now I'm being kicked off the plane."

After a second unidentified Delta employee talked to Hamilton, he voluntarily left his seat, WISN reported. The station said Hamilton said he had to buy a ticket on Southwest to get home to Milwaukee.

The other passengers were deboarded and reboarded and arrived in Milwaukee an hour and a half late, WISN reported.

Salt Lake City resident Jake Easton was rolling on his cell phone and said Hamilton was befuddled as to why he was being kicked off the plane over using the bathroom.

“He wasn't angry or upset, he just said, 'Look, I didn't do anything wrong. I went to the bathroom, so no I’m not going to leave,’” Easton said.

Easton said he thinks Delta could have done a better job in this situation.

“People are more important than policies, you know,” he said. “If someone has a special circumstance, then you can look beyond the policies every once in a while.”

Delta released this statement about the incident: "Our flight crews are extensively trained to ensure the safety and security of all customers. It is imperative that passengers comply with crew instructions during all phases of flight, especially at the critical points of takeoff and landing."

Contributing: Nicole Vowell, KSL TV

Copyright 2017 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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