Nicole Harper, a nurse from Kansas City, claims that when she was on a United flight from Houston to Kansas City, a flight attendant told her to urinate in a cup rather than leave her seat to use the restroom because of turbulence.
Harper, who claims she has an “overactive bladder,” said that she tried to use the restroom, but a member of the crew sent her back to her seat because the seatbelt sign was still turned on.
Harper responded to the attendant by saying she was going to need a cup.
“After explaining that I have an overactive bladder and would either need to use the restroom or pee in a cup, I was handed a cup by flight attendants,” Harper wrote in a Facebook post.
Harper, who was wearing a dress on the flight, said she squatted over her seat and filled two cups with urine.
Via KSHB:
Harper has filed a complaint with United Airlines and the Department of Transportation.
Ironically, she says her incident happened the same day a United Airlines passenger was knocked unconscious on a flight.
“I’ve been talking to them throughout this process. And they haven’t given me any sort of explanation or answers. They need to focus a little bit more on their paying customer and the customer service,” said Harper.
United Airlines released their own statement on the issue:
Customer safety is always our first priority. Initial reports from the Mesa Airlines flight attendants indicate that Ms. Harper attempted to visit the lavatory on final descent and was instructed to remain seated with the seat belt fastened per FAA regulations. The situation as described by Ms. Harper and our employees is upsetting for all involved. We have reached out to Ms. Harper and our flying partner Mesa Airlines to better understand what occurred.
WATCH: United Airlines Drags Passanger Off Plane Video
Nicole Harper’s Full Facebook Post
United Airlines forced me to pee in a cup, and then shames me…
I wasn’t sure I wanted to share this story… but #UnitedAirlines refuses to take my call, now I can’t sleep and just keep thinking about how wrong this situation was. I really don’t want to be known as the ‘girl who peed in a cup’ but if telling my story shakes #United a little more than so be it!! Anyone who knows me, knows my overactive bladder, here’s another story to add to the books.
“On the same day United Airlines drags a passenger off an overbooked flight, they forced me to pee in a cup… and then shamed me.
While allowing other passengers to get up and use the restroom on a seemingly uneventful flight, United Airlines crew wouldn’t allow me to get up and use the restroom until the pilot turned off the seat belt sign. After explaining that I have an overactive bladder and would either need to use the restroom or pee in a cup, I was handed a cup by flight attendants. Bad enough? No, crew then escorted me to the restroom (now it’s safe to get out of my seat), shaming me down the aisle while other passengers overlooked. The flight attendants treated me like I had committed a crime, stating they would be filing a report, calling in the hazmat team to clean the entire row (let me mention there was no mess involved) and told me I would need to talk with the pilot after the flight! I guess they would have preferred me to pee in the seat? After all they were the ones that gave me the cups knowing what I was planning to do with it. You would think peeing in a cup on an airplane in front my family and strangers, would be the worst part of this story. But the way I was treated by the flight attendants afterwards was worse. They were absolutely horrible to use the rest of the flight! And to top it all off, once on our final descent… a gentlemen got up from first class (yes the seat belt sign was on, and the plane was flipping tilted) walked right by a smiling flight attendant and entered the bathroom. What!?!?! Was I on candid camera? Where are the cameras right now!!!
There is absolutely no customer service on United Airlines, on or off of planes. Once we landed and got settled, I understandably submitted a complaint. After several weeks of no response, I called to talk with customer service, seeking at the very least an apology. After multiple attempts of resolving the issue, all I have been given is the run around. You can’t even call and speak with a customer service representative unless they “accept your call.” The employees that field the calls work for the reservations department… I asked to speak with customer service several times and was told repetitively this was not an option. They said they had not received my complaint (sounds like a great reason to have a human being take complaints, rather than relying solely on electronic submissions). So here I am, writing my complaint once again… this time being sure to submit it to United Airlines as well as other media sources, just to be sure it goes through.
As an emergency room nurse, I completely understand having a bad day on the job and having to deal with undesirable bodily fluids. What I don’t understand is ZERO customer service, if I treated a patient this poorly I would surely have consequences…
Rest assured, I will no longer be flying united, I will be cancelling our credit card, and I am hoping this goes viral. Because, quite frankly this was the worst flight I have ever been on and there are plenty others to choose from, others that treat people with human freaking decency.”