SailFree

The thread laments the tendency of French men to stop wherever they are to pee. I have noticed the same in Germany, and indeed, in the Philippines, where a severe lack of restrooms exists, both men and women will stop a vehicle and get out and pee along the roadside. The customs of the USA are not universal. But it would seem disease might spread easier where good lavatories are scarce.

PalQ

An indelible memory - coming down the escalator of the Bon Marche department store and on the ground floor there was a picture window where the escalator met the floor and two clochards were urinating against the window, oblivious to all who had to be watching them - the French did not seem to bat an eyelash. I was struck last summer when arriving in Paris once again of the stench of dried urine everywhere on the sidewalks - look everywhere as you'll see dark colored rivulets in the typically asphalt sidewalks - the remnants of urine - the walls of manyu buildings are cake up with dried urine. And this in one of the culture capitals of the world. Perhaps one reason is that there are not more pissoirs is because men wouldn't bother to use them!

cocofromdijon

it is disgusting and if they get caught they'll have a fine(if they can pay)
we don't say pissoir but pissotière (old fashioned) or urinoir, toilettes or sanizette (the one person cabin you go inside and you're afraid to be unable to get out! :'( )

Intrepid1

The Parisians hated the "Tower" when it was being built and the City has, miraculously survived that, Hitler, the Plague, capri pants, and people pissing in the streets.

Somehow I doubt we need worry much about the spread of diease.

PalQ

Cocofromdijon:
If it's illegal why do so many men do it so openly, not just in Paris but all over France. Why does the public not demand a crackdown? Fancy pay toilets aren't the answer for clochards and wine bags who spend every sous they have on wine. Why can men pee partout in France? Is this something cultural? Why not put up a lot of free urinoirs - i've seen lots of new style urinoirs in places like festivals - three sided ones of plastic set up in the open? I say either enforce the law or accommodate folks natural needs - the clochards, of which there seem to be many everywhere, cannot go into a cafe or pay 50 euro cents for the new-fangled public WCs that France seems to have invented about 20 years ago.

SuzieC

cause they can

clevelandbrown

Spread disease? I seem to recall that urine is sterile. In extremis, it can be used to clean wounds.

If the police catch them, where do they slap on the cuffs?

rex

Disgusting is in the eye of the beholder.

Urine IS sterile, for what it's worth, and although it will support the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms, the same can be said for all those fertilizer-enriched flowerboxes we "ooh" and "aah" over - - throughout all the prettiest places in Europe.

Bacteria, fungi and protozoa are on the ground everywhere in the world, and when it rains, they get washed into the collection side of water supplies. The distribution of "safe" (and drinking) water (not always one in the same) is based on a recognition of this fact.

The water that gets washed by rain into the gutters, and the effluent from the <i>urinoirs</i> ends up in the same places.

Best wishes,

Rex

PalQ

I've always wondered how sexist this trait seems - why can men relieve themselves in public and not women? Never seen even one - except once in Denmark's Christiana where a lady just pulled up her skirt and let go over a sewer grate? Aren't urinoirs sexist - why not make the same convenience for ladies, who i take it would be hard pressed to use typical urinoir which seems to be hard for ladies to use?

kenderina

this message has make laugh a lot I've never seen a man pissing in the streets here in Spain , hahaha. I've seen some little children but never adults Anyway, it can happen, there are very few public WC so most people here goes inside a bar

PalQ

I've traveled Europe annually since 1969, often for months and though you may see this occassionally in other countries, as in the US, it seems to be totally a French trait to do it so openly, often with little discretion. I'm not really complaining because in France i often find it convenient to in Paris do as the Parisians do but i just find it curious that this seems to be the only European country where it is apparently culuturally accepted. I do find the reeking odor on many streets to be revolting however.

cocofromdijon

Disgusting is in the eye of the beholder.
Rex I was talking about the sight AND the odor! (like Pal said)
fortunately Dijon is rather clean but I'm sure there are some hidden parts

Suzanne2

Funny story. On our last trip to paris we were standing outside at CDG waiting for a cab. A nicely dressed French mom with three children was there also, the little boy (around 6 yrs old) said he needed to pee. The mom instructed him to use the tire of the cab. They then they got in and away they went. Apparently, it is something they learn to do at a young age and they just never stop. The smell in the Metro can be really bad. I don't think it would be too much to ask that they have restrooms in the Metro.

jody

We’ve been traveling to France for over 40 years and I have never seen a public peeer in Paris! Though I have noticed that there is a lack of doors on mensroom!

But along the highways in the countryside We’ve seen a lot of relief stops…but no more than I’ve seen along the PA turnpike! Last trip I really thought the guy was watering the field with a hose! That man deserved a medal for long distance peeing!

I can still recall looking for “whiz bushes” after a college partying night…so don’t say that females don’t do it! After hearing about the NUN who was bitten on the butt by a rattlesnake outside of JAX , FL and died , my whiz bush days are over!

indytravel

Depending upon your point of view I've been lucky/unlucky enough to see 3 women urinate in public in France.

1 near the bottom of the steps down from Sacre Couer in Paris.

1 near the Gare du Nord train station in Paris.

1 along a canal in Dole, France.

The first one forever scarred me. I've not been the same since.

BTW: reading &quot;Culture Shock France&quot; or some such book the claim was made that French men pissing in the streets is an act against the &quot;establishment.&quot; It's done as a macho nose (?) thumbing at authority. If this is even partially true no amount of urinoirs will help.

cigalechanta

I remember my first visit to Paris when they had these pissoirs that were also billboards. They had one open end where the men entered and as you passed one all you saw were the feet. After they were removed, I saw a picture of a stack of them lying somewhere. I tried googling to find that photo to post here but failed.

icithecat

Driving along a meandering secondary road in Normandy, narry a building or bush in sight. A car is stopped up ahead with no where to pull over. Slow down to figure out why.
Woman with pants around ankles, bent over, head in car, ass high and wide, pissing straight out into the field.
Almost crashed from laughter.

Calamari

Fortunately, I never saw this in France, but I saw it almost daily while living in Italy. I never understood why people did not rally against this indignity. I guess when you gotta go - do as the Romans do.

Patrick

I think it's amazing that so many of you world travelers have apparently never been to New York, where the smell of urine is just as strong in subway stairwells, along quieter streets, in Central Park, and dozens of other places. Why do you think this is more common in France than elsewhere? I've certainly never thought so. Probably the worst I ever saw though was in Cork, Ireland, walking through the streets one night as the pubs closed. I bet we passed two or three dozen men peeing against building in about a five block walk to our hotel.

icithecat

Patrick. In your first sentence, you answered your own question.