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Original poster

Urinals again - sorry

32 replies

Slimthistime · 01/09/2017 11:17

Remember that thing about Berlin and female urinals - I think the consensus was a woman would never use them?

I can't say I spend much time thinking about urinals Grin

but a couple of things occurred to me yesterday as I was walking through Soho with a colleague (en route to a client meeting).

I thought that those dog awful pop urinals only appeared late night. But yesterday we were trying to dodge afternoon crowds and I passed very close to a man using one - I was not expecting that! Anyway, a "bleurgh" escaped from my mouth and my colleague said "well not bleurgh, they are a great idea but they need to make some that women can use".

And I said "hang on, do you mean you'd use one without a door?" (I should say, apologies if it makes me a pearl clutcher but I think it's revolting that they don't have doors and also they could have used the space for pop up loos that everyone can use but anyway)....

and she said "yes. I drink pints. I could make a lot of use out of those if they made them differently, they just need to change the design a bit and women can use them. I've peed in the street in desperation".

so there are women that would use them. Then again, I don't know if it makes me hugely old fashioned that i would like people of all sexes to just do their business behind a door.

on the sociological aspect, I find it really grim that we've reached a point of busy-ness and overcrowding in city centres that makes this necessary but what was wrong with a little set of public loos that could just be used by everyone? I did initially realise that men peeing in doorways on Friday and Saturday nights was a problem, but if these pop up urinals are just going to be in use all day, then we're effectively saying "hey guys, you can pee here in front of everyone, don't worry about finding a loo".

does anyone else find that grim? I don't want to go on my office lunchtime walk and find myself walking past banks of open urinals.

OP posts:
Theresnonamesleft · 01/09/2017 12:45

Never heard or seen pop up urinals. Is there alsowashing facilities or is it pee and go?

Original poster
Slimthistime · 01/09/2017 12:39

allegretto - I'm wondering where you live though I understand if you don't want to say of course.

I think it's a great shame they can't just provide more enclosed public toilets. However, after the Berlin thing and if they are common on the continent, it's not something that's going to change is it.

So it's city life that's gross, I guess!

OP posts:
deydododatdodontdeydo · 01/09/2017 12:34

These seem to be very common on the continent - I first saw them in Belgium and Holland.
I must admit I was shocked at first, then put it down to my repressed Englishness.
Round here there are almost no public toilets and they are closing down all the time due to expense to run.
I suppose these are a cheap alternative for men, but there isn't a cheap alternative for women yet.

allegretto · 01/09/2017 11:53

There need to be more toilets full stop. Someone got fined 5000 euros Shock where I live for peeing in the street - ridiculous ! Yes, he shouldn't have done it but that's way over the top.

Original poster
Slimthistime · 01/09/2017 11:50

also - sorry, ranting - going back to the original concept - I think they started around Charing Cross - which has a whole load of loos that men just don't want to pay 20p to use!! WTF.

OP posts:
Original poster
Slimthistime · 01/09/2017 11:48

Datun "They are providing street urinals because otherwise people piss in the street. It's accommodating a problem, rather than making it stop."

Thank you, you put that much better than I did. And my colleague really didn't understand why I was annoyed to encounter that unexpectedly. I suspect if we talked further about it, she'd just say that in a busy city we should max the space as much as possible and no one should mind that we do away with the doors.

I see the point about equality but I find the whole thing disgusting in the first place.

then again, I should say I was once en route home from a work night out - years ago, I don't do those any more - and a guy peed on the Tube train. He was trying to be considerate (!) in that he opened the door between carriages and peed out of there. That same colleague said to me it was a perfect example of why we need better toilet facilities in London.

we do - but do they have to be toilet facilities literally in middle of crowds, with no fecking doors?!

also in the long term I think that encourages the idea that you can pee wherever you like - does that make any sense? I was literally about six inches away from a man peeing in order to get a work meeting.

These are in town centres all over the country aren't they? It did occur to me that they might be in use in a day time due to peak tourist season but that doesn't make me feel any better.

on the feminist aspect, there's something about the worst kind of caveman bloke behaviour being encouraged by this - or at least I feel there is, though of course if women would use them too that's not a fair comment is it.

OP posts:
Datun · 01/09/2017 11:31

I completely agree. I find it - I can't think of any other word other than distasteful.

I realise it probably makes more sense for men. Although, personally I would rather they just walked the extra five yards to an actual lavatory.

To me, it's back to front. They are providing street urinals because otherwise people piss in the street. It's accommodating a problem, rather than making it stop.

And as for women doing the same thing, no. For a million reasons that I'm sure I don't need to state.

It's one thing bemoaning the fact that things are going downhill, it's quite another giving it the biggest shove you can.

And, I might add, that sometimes, being old-fashioned, pearl clutching, or talking about standards is the rational response.

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