Comments on: How Green Is A Quick Wee In Public?

By: Aya Tager

Aya Tager — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 08:22:18 +0000

The (disturbing) issue of public peeing had driven me to design a green (concept) solution, you can see it on my web site under “concept”.www.aya-kaya.com
looking at it from a practical point of view:
people need to pee while in public places + the urban environment lacks green areas = why not solve both problem with one solution?
The design is a small installation (2metersX5meters), for peeing only, uses no water or grid electricity.
The urine is used to water the plants growing around the installation – the pee is being recycled.

By: Hannah Katsman

Hannah Katsman — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 12:46:05 +0000

I once heard a lecture about lichens. Apparently there are certain lichens that thrive at “male-pee” height on alley walls.

By: Karin Kloosterman

Karin Kloosterman — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 18:43:14 +0000

I was 6 months pregnant and at the central bus station in Tel Aviv – 6:30 am on my way to Jordan. I know why Israel is a nation of public pee-ers – there are no public restrooms available when you need them. And when you find them they are tragically filthy. The public restrooms that you have to pay for were locked. At the bus station – I found a dark alcove and … peed.

Truth is, when I am travelling by car in a well-wooded area, like in Canada or the US, I much prefer outdoor peeing. As long as I have privacy of course. It’s much more hygienic than touching a filthy public toilet.

Switzerland has an amazing public toilet system in its cities. You have to pay a lot to use them but it’s worth it. I was in Helsinki recently and theirs were paid also, but decent.

By: LN

LN — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:16:30 +0000

A pee in public is not anti-ecological for most humans. [If the human in question is extremely dehydrated and their urine is super-concentrated, that could threaten plant life.] Dogs’ urine tends to have higher concentrations of nitrogen than human urine and can cause plant death, especially if the dog is small. Small dog’s urine is more concentrated than big dogs urine. This concentrated dog urine can cause dead spots in the lawn or degrade tree bark and leave trees susceptible to disease, particularly when lots of dogs choose to pee on the same tree or lawn. The same could be true of human urine, but only if humans are choosing to pee on the same plants. High concentrations of nitrogen are bad for plants. But low concentrations provide utilizable fertilizer.

Pee is sterile, so tree and plant health is just about the only kind of ‘public’ health one needs to worry about. Infectious diseases generally don’t live in pee.

By: Tafline Laylin

Tafline Laylin — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 14:15:17 +0000

In Ho Chi Minh City, walking home from a night out, down a darkish alley. And bear country in the US.

By: Karin Kloosterman

Karin Kloosterman — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 14:05:25 +0000

Where is the craziest place you’ve peed in public? Anyone care to divulge?