Some of the pilot's comments rattled passengers, causing them to question her ability to fly the plane.
"She said, 'Sorry I'm late, the reason I'm late is I'm going through a divorce'" Reiss told BuzzFeed News.
"It quickly went from playful to scary".
At first the pilot seemed friendly, said Reiss, but things took an awkward turn when she pointed out an interracial couple sitting in first class.
The pilot acknowledged that some people on the plane appeared to be nervous in a video taken by a passenger.
"Okay, if you don't feel safe get off the plane, but otherwise we can go", she said.
It was at this point that Reiss grabbed his bag and asked to be let off the plane.
"Being a pilot is a tough and stressful job, she was just not equipped today to do it", said Reiss.
"She seemed in an emotionally tough space, so I hope she finds the help she probably needs".
A spokesperson for United Airlines responded to the incident while the plane was still on the tarmac: "We hold our employees to the highest standards and replaced this pilot with a new one to operate the flight, which we expect will depart shortly.
"We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience".
