Hump Day Humour : Taking the Piss

[El Presidente]

I know open that open public urinals go back a long way in Paris...........but I just love the new signage 

 

(CNN)An attempt by officials in Paris to tackle public urination by installing open-air urinals, or "uritrottoirs," has outraged some residents of the French capital.

The new urinals, housed in flower boxes, aren't subtle -- they're fully exposed on street corners, are painted bright red and have nearby signs advertising their presence.

 

City officials have installed four open-air urinals, or "uritrottoirs."

One in particular, located near the Notre-Dame cathedral, has drawn attention for its view of the River Seine.

The "intelligent urinals," which have a straw layer that eliminates odor, were installed in areas where public urination is a problem, according to a statement from city officials.

 

 

 

One urinal, located near the Notre Dame cathedral, overlooks the River Seine.

Officials say the urinals are eco-friendly -- they will harness nutrients in waste to produce compost for parks and gardens. According to the statement, one year of a person's urine holds enough nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium to fertilize 400 square meters of wheat.

However, these features have done little to calm the ire of local residents, who have written to the town hall in protest.

 

The urinals claim to be eco-friendly, as they turn waste into compost for parks and gardens.

"I think installing a urinal in the streets of Paris for those who don't respect their surroundings is a good idea, but in my opinion, this model is not attractive at all, and where it's been set up is not appropriate at all," one man told reporters.

Another resident complained that "it is definitely a desirable and historic neighborhood, but seeing people urinating right in front of your door is not the nicest thing."

Ariel Weil, mayor of the fourth district of Paris, tweeted in defense of the urinals on Monday, calling them "an invention of genius." Four have been installed so far, with a fifth being planned.

Paris isn't the first European city to install outdoor urinals. Amsterdam has had them for years, and cities in Belgium and Australia have also trialed them.

A centuries-old tradition

Public urinals, or pissoirs as they're known in French, have a long history in Paris, dating back to the late 1800s when they were installed for men traveling to and from work.

It wasn't until women started entering the workforce in greater numbers decades later that the need for enclosed cubicles with seats, toilet paper and hand basins emerged, explained Raymond Martin, managing director of the British Toilet Association.

 

Public urinal in Paris, circa 1875.

"In London, this is where the phrase 'spend a penny' came from, as it cost a penny to use these facilities -- the equivalent of buying a loaf of bread in those days," Martin told CNN.

Meanwhile some Parisian public toilets became "almost ornamental, due to their decorative features," said Martin. He added that the buildings had the added advantage of offering space for advertisers.

But centuries after the first pissoirs were installed in Paris, women are still not being adequately catered for, said Martin. "The trouble today is the inequality for women," he said, adding that in the UK, various proposals for female urinals had been rejected on the grounds that they exposed women in public.

CNN's Sheena McKenzie contributed to this report 

 

 

[mikeyjb]

I hear in Brisbane they need kitty litter trays for your poop joggers

[MIKA27]

What I simply DO NOT GET is WHY must there be such urinals in Paris, let alone anywhere?

Can the French people not "Hold it" or go to a public or restaurant bathroom to do their business? Baffles me.

I've traveled a fair bit through Europe and never seen anything like it anywhere else. Not like the Pissoirs for all to see. 

[El Presidente]

Just now, MIKA27 said:

What I simply DO NOT GET is WHY must there be such urinals in Paris, let alone anywhere?

 

Unless tanked, I can't see myself using one 

I do love the whole aspect of societal confidence /acceptance in just "whipping out the wanger" and having a pee in the open while the world walks past 

Tres bien!

[MIKA27]

35 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

Unless tanked, I can't see myself using one 

I do love the whole aspect of societal confidence /acceptance in just "whipping out the wanger" and having a pee in the open while the world walks past 

Tres bien!

?"whipping out the wanger" 

[mikeyjb]

Unless tanked, I can't see myself using one 
I do love the whole aspect of societal confidence /acceptance in just "whipping out the wanger" and having a pee in the open while the world walks past 
Tres bien!

Rob that wouldn't go down well on a romantic date in Paris...

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[PapaDisco]

No wonder they kiss instead of shake hands in Paris . . .  

[CaptainQuintero]

9 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

What I simply DO NOT GET is WHY must there be such urinals in Paris, let alone anywhere?

Can the French people not "Hold it" or go to a public or restaurant bathroom to do their business? Baffles me.

I've traveled a fair bit through Europe and never seen anything like it anywhere else. Not like the Pissoirs for all to see. 

  If it's like the UK, nearly all public toilets have been systematically closed to save money. Shops won't let you use the theirs unless you're a customer and guard them with medusa-like vehemence.

  Combine that with the police having a new found love of charging people who urinate in public (public indecency/damage of property/public outrage) it's created a perfect storm

  Essentially you have to find a large supermarket or go full special forces mode to risk a nature whizz and try to dodge the truncheon-toting chaps or their slightly deformed underlings: police community support officers

[madandana]

22 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Unless tanked, I can't see myself using one 

I do love the whole aspect of societal confidence /acceptance in just "whipping out the wanger" and having a pee in the open while the world walks past 

Tres bien!

“Unless tanked”..........So, pretty good chance you’re using one.?

[Drguano]

 

[GWG]

So that pissior is unisex right so how do women use it??? Back in jump on or????

[Fuzz]

21 hours ago, GWG said:

So that pissior is unisex right so how do women use it??? Back in jump on or????

Use a Shewee, GoGirl, Pibella, Lady J, etc

[Ken Gargett]

On 8/15/2018 at 10:27 AM, MIKA27 said:

What I simply DO NOT GET is WHY must there be such urinals in Paris, let alone anywhere?

Can the French people not "Hold it" or go to a public or restaurant bathroom to do their business? Baffles me.

I've traveled a fair bit through Europe and never seen anything like it anywhere else. Not like the Pissoirs for all to see. 

if i ran a restaurant or business of some kind and a complete stranger fronted up and wanted to use the facilities, i'd tell them to bugger off as well. why should i or my staff clean up because someone wants to take a piss. not like humans are the most hygenic of species. that is not to say that i have not taken advantage of such establishments many times. 

 

one of the funniest things i ever saw was years ago at wales v england at cardiff arms. sitting on the hill at one end where they used to have those steel posts, like inverted 'U's, for people to lean against to watch the game. it took about three minutes to become great mates with the welsh guys sitting around me and they were not backwards in sharing the flasks. along comes a pom, dressed like he'd gone to the country estate for a weekend's shooting - tweed jacket, leather patches etc. 'excuse me chaps, could you kindly direct me to the gents'.

well, no chance the welsh were missing this opportunity. as one, they point to one end of one of these steel 'U's, which are of course, simply scattered around the hill. the pom refuses to believe this. the welsh are adamant. a polite debate ensues. eventually, and i swear i am not making this up, the pom who is not completely convinced but swallows it, unleashes the wedding tackle and takes a leak on the post. of course, everyone else around immediately starts screaming abuse at the poor bloke. who is beyond mortified. 

quickly zips back up and turns on the welsh chaps, and at this stage we are flopping about the ground in fits, and says something out of downton abbey. he is furious but can do nothing. says, 'i should have guessed (well, yes, of course you should have). after all, where would the women go?'

as one, the welsh guys all point to the post at the other end of the 'U'. brilliant. 

[bpm32]

On 8/14/2018 at 5:27 PM, MIKA27 said:

I've traveled a fair bit through Europe and never seen anything like it anywhere else. Not like the Pissoirs for all to see. 

Pissoirs were still around when I was a kid in Germany. They were right there on the sidewalk. I seem to remember they called them “strongmen” or “ironmen” or something similar.

Personally, I welcome their return. With all the coffee I drink my greatest fear is not finding a place to pee in unfamiliar surroundings.

[MIKA27]

32 minutes ago, bpm32 said:

Pissoirs were still around when I was a kid in Germany. They were right there on the sidewalk. I seem to remember they called them “strongmen” or “ironmen” or something similar.

Personally, I welcome their return. With all the coffee I drink my greatest fear is not finding a place to pee in unfamiliar surroundings.

Yeah but how does one just Whip out the Wanger with passers by so comfortably?

Everyone goes to the bathroom, rich, poor, the average Joe to the Queen of England, but to simply stand there with hardly anything giving you privacy, it just baffles me that's all, how some people just don't mind while the rest of the people simply walk by.   

[Kitchen]

I will never forget the first time my cousin drove his father’s car by himself (with me along for the ride).  Not more then 5 minutes in, at about 2 in the afternoon, some one pulled out and hit in him.  Totally drunk of course; the guy got out and pissed in broad daylight right in the street like it was no ones business. My cousin was about to die; 16 years old and ready to explain to his dad the car was just wrecked.  

His dad showed up and took down the info of the drunk, did not call the cops and we were on our way.  The whole situation was pretty calm.  My uncle explained that if he reported it, the drunk’s insurance would not cover the accident.  As we pulled away, the drunkarde whipped out his wanger and pissd again in the middle of the street.  

At least in Paris there is a place for some like this.