This is an excellent perspective - prior to his death this past October, this could have easily been my father-in-law, who had issues at times with things like this, even though he was easily healthy enough to travel. Chemo is a hell of a thing.

Don't really think that is the case. I wasn't there, but my personal experience with UA staff is that they are not afraid of confrontation. I would even beg to say that a good deal of the GAs love that power feeling and would be happy to prevent someone from boarding. I'm sure if the captain saw the issue, s/he would error on side of caution and not allowed the pax to board. My guess is the staff was not fully aware of the issue or they didn't have enough proof until the complaint came through as they wouldn't have reopened the boarding door and push the jetbridge back to offload then.

UA did what it was supposed to do here and dealt with the issue when they were aware of it. This is far from a "worst experience" and the thread title should be changed to reflect that what the situation actually is.

If OP saw this in the boarding area, they should have mentioned it to the GA right away so it would have been dealt with prior to the boarding. It could have avoided the issues completely, as well as allowed the passenger to be spoken to privately verses bringing heighten awareness after the boarding door is closed.

Thanks for the reality check, and the reminder that context is everything.

It sounds as if UA did precisely the right thing once they were made aware of the severity of the situation. Perhaps this is a case in which compassion was called for, rather than looking for a scapegoat -- or a payout?

I think it all depends on how you speak up to the GA's or the F/A's about the potential situation before the airplane leaves the gate.

2 years ago I flew LAX-EWR on a sUA domestic 757 and I was seated at a window and the guy who sits next to me was clearly on something. Serious SSRI's mixed with booze/mushrooms/acid or just plain insane - who knows but he was clearly f-ed up. He sits down in the middle, smells like a trash can, and immediately puts his head down on the tray table.

I got up and went to the back and told the F/A that I refuse to sit next to this guy for the next 5 hours and said i was "uncomfortable" with the situation. She sat me in the middle seat of the last row (I think 40?) which was a downgrade but at least I didn't have to sit next to the other guy on a transcon.

I feel with poop it must be worse. I would be livid and threaten to get off and take the next flight or fly another airline.

If a traveling UA pilot informed an FA and a GA noticed it even earlier...they should have taken care of the problem before a passenger had to speak up.. the employees are empowered to make those calls and actually it's a little baffling why they didn't earlier especially if they were willing to go to the trouble of recalling the jet bridge after one complaint from the OP.

Really gross! It would have been more compassionate for the poor guy to help him get cleaned up beforehand as well...or, at least direct him to a place where he could clean himself up and buy some adult diapers.

Agree 100%.

You can't just stand by and let somebody board with diarrhea down his pants. One of the more likely causes is intestinal flu, which is contagious. That's a nasty situation for anybody to have to confront, I admit, but kinder to have headed the guy off before he boarded.

It's not a UA vs Poopee vs Pax triangle to side on.
All people are saying is that chances are this person could have had some mental capacity issues. You can scoff at him and throw a hissy fit to the crew or you could you know TALK to the guy and ask him if everything is okay and if he needs any help.

You don't even have to talk to him. Just alert the GA or FA that someone is in trouble and insist they deal with it.

I'm sure the guy was not wandering around the airport in that condition for the express purpose of "ruining" OP's honeymoon. Whether he was aware of it or not, he needed help.

It's just feeling bad for someone who clearly has medical or mental issues. Sheesh.

This is about the most heartless thing I've come across here or about anywhere on a place that considers itself a semi-serious place for information.

I had the misfortune several years ago to sit in LH steerage returning to the U.S. He was shaking, covered in 3-4 blankets, gaunt, thin, and yellow. He had several pill bottles and was taking one every hour - every time, he asked for water and more often than not, his shakes spilled the water all over himself to the point he couldn't keep asking for some. I ended up giving him my bottle. I later found out some of his meds were to treat end-stage cirrhosis and liver failure.

So I guess, you have no idea what went into this fellow's though process, other than he had he get to where he was going for some reason. For you to think he was oblivious is shocking to me and as someone else said, in need of help, not scorn.

Useful for anyone needing to speak up to a GA or FA in similar circumstances? The CoC.

21 REFUSAL TO TRANSPORT
UA shall have the right to refuse to transport or shall have the right to remove from the aircraft at any point, any Passenger
for the following reasons:
H) Safety – Whenever refusal or removal of a Passenger may be necessary for the safety of such Passenger or other
Passengers or members of the crew including, but not limited to:
16) Passengers who have or cause a malodorous condition (other than individuals qualifying as disabled);
17) [unescorted] Persons who are mentally deranged or mentally incapacitated whose behavior may be hazardous to
himself/herself, the crew, or other passengers.

One likely cause of sudden diarrhea is intestinal flu. It isn't just a smell issue, it is possibly contagious. Staff have a duty to public health not to board a guy with diarrhea down his pants. They don't have to be unkind about it, but he might not be well enough to fly. Or if he can fly, they could help him out by asking an airport store to deliver clean pants up to the gate, or call a friend of his for clean clothes and book him a later flight.

I'm not saying UA had to be let him on the plane in his condition.
But, there were dozens of people who probably noticed this at some point in the airport and it went until he was actually seated on the plane that it came to the point of action.

Gift shop at EWR has pants.

Health hazard to other passengers, contaminating the plane is not doing him or anyone else any favors. It was a problem that needed to be resolved, compassionately and safely.

Me - I would have offered him my sweats or bought him some fresh pants. ^

Drunk? Infectious disease? Ill effects of chemo? Do we have any idea? Some of us are better suited to care for our fellow man, some of us aren't...but at end of day person is more likely better suited in a doctors office than confined in a tube at 30,000ft