Public peeing laws

[martan1258 210]

I don't understand why there are such strict pee laws, especially if it is not open and can't be seen. For example stairs, underpasses, parking lots or public elevators. A camera system costs a lot of money, but a lot of people still piss there. It would be better to just accept the situation that these places are and will be used as emergency toilets, and occasionally wash these places with plain water. Which has to be done anyway.

[Gin 47]

The law is supposed to satisfy many people beyond our group of pee fans. Some of us, including myself, have the fantasy of living in a world of nonchalant peeing in various places. Alas, in reality this isn't so simple. Pee has damaging properties (it can cause rusting), which means costs. Also, as much as I like watching an elevator piss, I don't really fancy stepping in a pool of a stranger's urine on my way somewhere.

That said, I don't mind somebody having an emergency pee somewhere it won't cause anybody an issue.

Also, welcome to the site!

Edited November 12, 2023 by Gin

[Havelock 1,526]

Its all culture. Some places don't have such strict laws.

[longbastard 234]

In 2017, New York City decriminalized public urination as a part of the Criminal Justice Reform Act

[Alfresco 11,639]

In the UK, there is no national law prohibiting public urination.   However, you could potentially be prosecuted for "Outraging public decency", "Criminal Damage", "Exposure" or even being "Drunk and disorderly" depending on the circumstances.  Having said that, some towns have local bylaws which prohibit public urination and unfortunately these are becoming more common.   

If caught peeing in public in a place with a relevant bylaw, the likely penalty is a fine and possibly being presented with a bucket and mop to clean up (yes that does happen - to try and embarrass the person).   If you don't pay the fine, you could go to court, but if you do pay the fine, then that's quick and easy although being an expensive pee.

You can avoid the "Drunk and disorderly" charge easily - just don't get drunk.   Peeing when not drunk can't be charged under that one.

Criminal Damage would be if you were caught peeing on something that is property potentially being damaged by the pee - e.g. if you pee on a carpet or clothing in a store.  

Outraging public decency is quite a difficult one to prove - It needs to be proved that you were doing something which the jury considers to be against minimum standards of public decency (well that will vary depending on the jury!) and must be in a public place with at least two people present.   Apparently it is not a requirement that the two people are actually offended.     In reality unless the two people (which I don't think can include the police) provide their details as witnesses and the jury considers it an outrage then peeing is unlikely to get you in trouble under this one unless you are doing something like peeing on a memorial.

Exposure is only when you deliberately expose your genitals with the intention of causing alarm or distress.  So, to expose them to pee is OK as long as you are not doing that with intent to upset someone.    If you face a corner or are generally hidden then this one definitely wouldn't apply.

 

[ABBYPEEGODDESS 1,746]

I think public peeing laws are there just to keep people from peeing in public everyday. It’s the most lenient law most cops don’t bat an eye in my experience. In New York where I’m originally from most cops could careless about public urination they have more important things to worry about. NYC is overcrowded with homeless people cops literally can’t fine or arrested them all. 
 

[Havelock 1,526]

2 hours ago, ABBYPEEGODDESS said:

I think public peeing laws are there just to keep people from peeing in public everyday. It’s the most lenient law most cops don’t bat an eye in my experience. In New York where I’m originally from most cops could care less  about public urination they have more important things to worry about. NYC is overcrowded with homeless people cops literally can’t fine or arrested them all. 
 

To this point I believe NYC decriminalized or made public urination a misdemeanor. Even prior to that it think NYC is an example that these laws are least enforced in large urban areas. These urban areas not only have many other bigger issues but they also have liberal and globally diverse populations that are not offended by peeing outside. On the other end of the spectrum I have found these laws most enforced in conservative suburbia. Places where the culture is very local, closed minded and conservative. 

[TMN_Femboi 1,074]

These laws only ever had one effect on me:

They taught me that criminal actions, no matter how small/irrelevant, can be quite fun.

Seriously, if there are laws the effect of which ranges from prohibition of sexual enjoyment to kidney stones (depending on the person affected), then why even bother following any laws at all?

 

[martan1258 210]

The main problem with these laws is that they are dysfunctional. It is forbidden but you see signs of violations everywhere anyway. It does not deter those who violate them the most - the homeless, etc. And those who are usually punished violate them only in very rare cases. It is ridiculous to punish someone who peed in already stinky place where 100 people pissed before and it definitely did no harm to anyone.

I don't think "decent" people will suddenly openly pee everywhere, even if it's allowed. There would probably be a little more than now, but not much. That's my guess.

[vanessa9 1,121]

I am happy and lucky these laws do not exist, or at least they are never enforced in my place. During the parade last summer, I even asked a policeman if it was ok to use the bushes behind his car, his answer was "go ahead, it's not like you are the first one to pee there", with a good laugh.

I agree that it can be near to impossible to enforce such laws. I know about cities where either there is almost no public toilet, or all of them are locked at night. What are you then supposed to do ? If the officials want to create such laws, then they first have to come up with proper solutions. Otherwise, unless they put a cop behind every man and woman in the city, there will be public urination.

[MrLasagna 47]

Here, in Italy, there are very strict laws about public peeing. Il you expose your genitals you risk a penalty of 5000 €. Some years ago two guys, in Monterosso, got 3300 € each one for having pissed in the sea from the pier (it was 3 A.M, there wasn’t anyone around but them!). The reason is that a public urination is an act against the public decency.

If you wet yourself, theoretically, you shouldn’t be prosecutable at all, but some years ago, in a little town in Umbria, a mother was fined because her 3yo kid had wet himself and the reason was because the pee was a damage of a public infrastucture. It was clearly an attempt to steal money!

Edited January 11 by MrLasagna

[LadyP 354]

Public peeing can get you a large fine in my city, but it's rarely enforced. We're lacking in public toilet facilities so people will pee wherever they need to. 

[nenTyp 657]

It makes sense to not allow people to pee anywhere and it would be difficult to write a law just banning high risk locations, where pee is damaging or disgusting, so all is prohibited.

It is laughable when people are dined for peeing in a bush, but if a cop is bored je can enforce it sadly.

[gldenwetgoose 21,500]

I get the impression that in the UK it's definitely more the 'outraging public decency' or 'indecent exposure' that gets people into trouble with the law.

But a fairly recent case of an off duty police officer who peed in a shop changing room whilst drunk, was not prosecuted. (She was found guilty of gross misconduct at an internal disciplinary hearing and subsequently resigned).

In a different case a woman who peed on a war memorial twice and was abusive has been jailed.

And a couple of nights ago I was watching a TV Police documentary - police had stopped a driver after a car chase, arrested and handcuffed him.  Whilst waiting for the police van to arrive, the policeman who'd made the arrest allowed the suspect to pee in some bushes with his back to the TV camera.  Handcuffs were in front rather than behind his back and there was discussion and some banter about not removing the handcuffs (as it's a common escape ploy) and that the officer wasn't going to help him.   But obviously in that case, the officer allowed him to pee albeit sheltered from any risk of exposure in the bushes. 

[Ms. Tito 2,398]

On 11/13/2023 at 9:59 PM, longbastard said:

In 2017, New York City decriminalized public urination as a part of the Criminal Justice Reform Act

Rare New York City W?!

[Ms. Tito 2,398]

On 11/17/2023 at 3:49 AM, Havelock said:

To this point I believe NYC decriminalized or made public urination a misdemeanor. Even prior to that it think NYC is an example that these laws are least enforced in large urban areas. These urban areas not only have many other bigger issues but they also have liberal and globally diverse populations that are not offended by peeing outside. On the other end of the spectrum I have found these laws most enforced in conservative suburbia. Places where the culture is very local, closed minded and conservative. 

I always thought people peed outside more often in rural areas. I mean, there's less people around to see, right?

[Hidengo 277]

It’s more generally accepted in rural areas, sure. But there are more people full-stop in Urban areas, so even if there’s less likelihood overall, there’s still more people doing it. That’s why certain things are worth comparing per-capita instead of numbers. 
If 50% of people in a population of 10,000 people pee in public, that’s 5,000 people. 
If .5% of people in a population of 1,000,000, pee in public… that’s still 5,000 people. 

That being said, NYC has more people, and not a lot of available public bathrooms means a lot of those people are choosing the street or an alley in an emergency.

I’ve personally seen at least three different guys choose to pee on a light pole in broad daylight in the same week.