# Amsterdam finds a sustainable solution for wild peeing **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 22, 2020, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772 "2020-08-22T20:03:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/1 "2020-08-22T20:03:25Z")
Wild peeing. šŸ˜… what an awkward phrase. I have to admit itā€™s a clever solution to a nasty problem. We need GreenPees in US wild peeing locations. Iā€™m not sure what women are supposed to do when their bladders fill up. [https://www.cnn.com/style/article/amsterdam-sustainable-urinal-scli-intl/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/style/article/amsterdam-sustainable-urinal-scli-intl/index.html) > [@](#): > > The GreenPees have many benefits, according to De Vries, from protecting historical buildings from the corrosive effects of urine, to reducing water use compared with traditional toilets. > > The planters also effectively green the city, attracting bees and other insects, he added. > > And all that urine doesnā€™t go to waste. GreenPee produces organic fertilizer and water, which can be used to feed and water the cityā€™s green spaces, says De Vries. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/2 "2020-08-22T23:10:23Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Iā€™m not sure what women are supposed to do when their bladders fill up. What has the civilized urban human female always done when this happens? ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/3 "2020-08-23T02:03:55Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Iā€™m not sure what women are supposed to do when their bladders fill up. They do what humans over the age of two have learned to do: use the bathroom. Apparently men are babies who were never potty trained and have to piss in public like toddlers. Perhaps the solution should be adult diapers for Dutch men? ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/4 "2020-08-23T09:50:15Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Perhaps the solution should be adult diapers for Dutch men? I doubt itā€™s just Dutch men. Amsterdam is a well-known destination for stag parties, especially from the U.K. Women are probably more likely to hand over money (0.50 - 1.00 Euros) to use a (hopefully) clean bathroom than men. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/5 "2020-08-23T14:42:04Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > > [@aceplace57](#): > > > > Iā€™m not sure what women are supposed to do when their bladders fill up. > > What has the civilized urban human female always done when this happens? You mean this? > **[Wildplassen](https://operasandcycling.com/wildplassen/)** > > You donā€™t need a dictionary to know what ā€œWildplassenā€ means. If they catch you doing it in Ghent, youā€™ll be fined sixty Euros. As you can see from the sign, the rule applies equally to both sexes.ā€¦ The fine city of Ghent has these signs around its splendid squares - or at least it did when I was last there. It has been far too long. j ---
**Author:** ![Acerbic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acerbic/32/3695_2.png) [@Acerbic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acerbic)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/6 "2020-08-23T15:53:49Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > They do what humans over the age of two have learned to do: use the bathroom. Apparently men are babies who were never potty trained and have to piss in public like toddlers. When I lived in Germany, I learned to carry a few marks\* with me at all times because free public toilets are not a thing over there. Public urination was fairly common in Munich and driving down the audobon it wasnā€™t unusual to see cars pulled over to the side so people could get out and take a leak. Many parts of Europe suffer from a similar lack of free public toilets. \*The fact that I was carrying marks tells you this was a long, long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/7 "2020-08-23T15:59:33Z")
Itā€™s hard for Americans to comprehend the lack of toilets in Amsterdam. I am given to understand that the buildings are ancient, and there can be only one or two very fickle and delicate toilets for an entire office building. It is indeed problematic that this ā€œsolutionā€ provides no relief for females. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/8 "2020-08-23T16:26:58Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Itā€™s hard for Americans to comprehend the lack of toilets in Amsterdam And yet somehow there arenā€™t tons of females pissing on the street. Itā€™s not a lack of public toilets problem, itā€™s a men problem. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/9 "2020-08-23T16:29:14Z")
Women dont have prostate glands. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/10 "2020-08-23T16:45:04Z")
Hah! While I donā€™t negate the discomfort of that, try being pregnant. Men are also far less likely to be suffering from a UTI at any given time of life. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/11 "2020-08-23T16:46:47Z")
Pretty much 100% of all men have prostate issues 100% of the time after a certain age. Women generally arent pregnant for 40 years. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/12 "2020-08-23T16:46:55Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Women dont have prostate glands. Based on earlier posts I vaguely remember seeing, I donā€™t think Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom does either. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/13 "2020-08-23T17:06:49Z")
Iā€™ve never tried one, but there are pee funnels that women can use at urinals or against trees. This reminds me of 2015, when Germany tried using [hydrophobic paint](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/27/walls-that-pee-back-people-urinate-in-public) on buildings with a frequent peeing problem. I have no idea if that program worked. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/14 "2020-08-23T17:10:12Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Pretty much 100% of all men have prostate issues 100% of the time after a certain age. Women generally arent pregnant for 40 years. Nonetheless, women get through these painful and difficult periods of near-constant need to urinate without resorting to the nearest alley. Thus proving that it can be done. That doesnā€™t negate the fact that it is ridiculously difficult in many cities throughout the world, and governments should be shamed into fixing the problem. Now that we know toileting is a primary spreader of the COVID virus, clean well-ventilated public toilets are more important than ever. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/15 "2020-08-23T17:19:17Z")
Do pregnant women usually go out for hours drinking beer when pregnant? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/16 "2020-08-23T17:22:02Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Nonetheless, women get through these painful and difficult periods of near-constant need to urinate without resorting to the nearest alley. Thus proving that it can be done. But how? This is something that is totally beyond the comprehension of the typical human male. > [@](#): > > That doesnā€™t negate the fact that it is ridiculously difficult in many cities throughout the world, and governments should be shamed into fixing the problem. Now that we know toileting is a primary spreader of the COVID virus, clean well-ventilated public toilets are more important than ever. Society in general needs a two-part fix for this, for males and females alike. First, we all should shift our cultural attitudes to eliminate the taboo of peeing in public or semi-public places. Thereā€™s really no good reason why we should have that taboo. Second, given that, there need to be more reasonably hygienic public or semi-public places made available for peeing. These could be totally outdoor. There was a thread not long ago discussing that some European cities were placing planter boxes around in public places intended for the purpose. They could be filled with dirt and gravel, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/17 "2020-08-23T19:23:25Z")
Speaking to the US only ā€¦ Of course anything that makes the street slightly more comfortable for the homeless will be vehemently protested by certain sections of the populace as condoning or worse yet attracting homelessness. And anything placed in public that can be vandalized will be vandalized. Agree w @Senegoid that a little less taboo-ism would improve matters. But germophobia and Eeeew! as guiding principles of many peoplesā€™ behaviors is only going to get worse in the COVID & eventually sorta-post-COVID era. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/18 "2020-08-23T19:30:55Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Women dont have prostate glands Are you serious? Overactive urination is a well-known problem for older women. Iā€™ve even seen it referenced on birthday cards. Coughing and sneezing are considered dangerous because theyā€™re likely to cause pants-wetting. Daytime TV used to have all kinds of commercials aimed at older women for medical remedies to ā€œask your doctor aboutā€ for this. ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/19 "2020-08-23T20:06:06Z")
While I lived in Japan you could always reckon on finding a free toilet at any train station. Of which Japan has many. In central Tokyo you could always go into a department store. Otherwise you had to go into a coffee shop and buy a cuppa. Coffee shops were everywhere in Japan. But, the menfolk there are notorious for peeing al fresco. When I moved to Germany, I quickly found that it was best to plan a trip around town so that I could hold out, as there were practically no free toilets anywhere. Most of the train stations were unmanned, so no toilets of any kind. The big stations only had pay toilets. The same on the autobahn; peeing meant paying. This became more of an issue as my prostate started playing up. On one memorable occasion I was caught short not just once but three times on a fairly short journey and had to quickly find some suitable concealing trees. Three times. In an area that is not heavily wooded. Luckily, on most autobahns there are pull-up areas about every 5 miles and some of those have unmanned free toilets. Those that donā€™t - any nearby woodland can be very messy. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772/20 "2020-08-23T20:06:46Z")
Not to mention PMS. And non-sex-linked conditions, about half the sufferers of which will be female. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amsterdam-finds-a-sustainable-solution-for-wild-peeing/918772.md?page=2)