# Do You Pee In The Pool?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [July 18, 2002, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631 "2002-07-18T15:37:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2002, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/1 "2002-07-18T15:37:24Z")
Now that summer is here, and we’ve already determined in another thread that almost everyone here pees in the shower, I have to ask-
Do you pee in the pool?
I sure do. I can’t imagine getting out of the pool, drying off, walking to the bathroom, urinating, then getting back in the pool. Why bother?
I would not urinate in the bathtub, however, as it seems the urine would be much more concentrated. If I owned my own pool, I don’t think I’d pee in it either, but I can’t be sure about that.
So what do you people do?
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/2 "2002-07-18T16:58:54Z")
No. I was a lifeguard and swimming instructor for many years. I do not like thinking about all of the stuff that winds up in a swimming pool.
I do pee in the ocean. If I am on the beach and there is not a restroom near, I go out, cool off…and while there…pee.
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### Author:  [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2002, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/3 "2002-07-18T17:19:18Z")
I pee in my neighbor’s pool all the time! I don’t like him very much, and I’d never swim in his pool, there’s too much pee in there!
Come to think of it, I don’t even know his name.
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### Author:  [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2002, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/4 "2002-07-18T17:19:42Z")
Jesus Christ? How old are you?
Ugh, I can’t beleive adults, assuming you are one, pee in the pool.
Why bother? If you have to ask…
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### Author:  [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2002, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/5 "2002-07-18T17:24:22Z")
In fact my neighbor almost caught me last night. He had this really long pool party, so I had to hold it for a long time, and I’d been drinking lots of beer all day. I thought I would burst! When the party was over, I ran over and was taking care of my business when he came out to clean up the picnic table. I’m very lucky that he’s nearsighted.
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### Author:  [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2002, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/6 "2002-07-18T17:51:53Z")
Here’s a tip: If you have to pee in the pool, don’t do it while standing on the diving board. It’s a lot noisier that way.
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### Author:  [@Banger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banger)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2002, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/7 "2002-07-18T18:15:53Z")
No, but I swim in my toilet.
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### Author:  [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2002, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/8 "2002-07-18T18:27:20Z")
I’m operating under the assumption here that the pool I’m in has been urinated in by someone at some point. This means that I will get pee on me, and I will have to shower when I get out no matter what. This being the case, it doesn’t make sense to get out and head to the bathroom to pee.
But if i KNEW that no one ever peed in the pool, I wouldn’t want to contaminate it- or myself.
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### Author:  [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2002, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/9 "2002-07-18T18:48:24Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Revtim \*
> \*\*Here’s a tip: If you have to pee in the pool, don’t do it while standing on the diving board. It’s a lot noisier that way. \*\*
Sure it’s noisier, but -I- like to make the bubbles. If I wanted to be quiet, I’d use the toilet.
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### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2002, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/10 "2002-07-19T03:47:45Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by JuanitaTech \*
> \*\*Jesus Christ? How old are you?
>
> Ugh, I can’t beleive adults, assuming you are one, pee in the pool.
>
> Why bother? If you have to ask… \*\*
I can’t believe adults _admit_ to peeing in the pool.
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### Author:  [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2002, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/11 "2002-07-19T03:52:25Z")
Eeew. Maybe a few times when I was a kid, but now, no. As a grown-up, I can usually hold it until I’m going to go in and shower. Otherwise, I go into the locker room and use the toilet and come back. Yeah, it’s a pain to pull the wet suit back on, so that’s why I save it until the end if at all possible.
The pool I usually swim in is a YMCA pool, and they are sticklers for keeping it clean. They don’t even allow those disposable swim diapers without plastic pants, and, last summer, they banned people from bringing in their own pool toys because they brought in too many “outside contaminants” from other pools. (:mad: 'cause now we have all these pool toys with nowhere to go!) I’ve also noticed that the chlorine there doesn’t sting my eyes like it does in some other pools, so I’ll certainly do my part to keep the pool nice by making myself and my child get out and use the toilet if necessary.
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### Author:  [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2002, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/12 "2002-07-19T04:05:19Z")
…and, no, I don’t pee in the Y shower, or the shower at home, for that matter.
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### Author:  [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2002, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/13 "2002-07-19T04:09:04Z")
No, not since I was about ten years old.
I do pee in the ocean and lakes.
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### Author:  [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2002, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/14 "2002-07-19T04:11:50Z")
Never. The worst I used to do as a kid would be to get out of the pool in my backyard and sit on the lawn and secretly pee there. But I think I stopped that when I was 4 or so.
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### Author:  [@Nacho4Sara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nacho4Sara)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2002, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/15 "2002-07-19T04:16:35Z")
Nope. I pee in the shower, in the ocean, in rivers and streams, even against a tree if I’m hiking and have to go, but I never pee in the pool. I operate under the assumption, however ill-formed, that the pool is spotlessly clean and free of pee, and then I hold it.
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### Author:  [@NightRabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NightRabbit)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2002, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/16 "2002-07-19T07:29:04Z")
Yah, I pee in pools.
I remember I spent a week at girl scout camp once, and I was in polarbears- which meant getting up 15 minutes earlier, making the trek to the lake, and jumping into the freezing water and immediately jumping out, and then balling up your wet bathing suit and carrying it around with you all day in a plastic bag (as there was no time to return the cabin) so that it mildewed between the morning and free swim. Anyway, it was a poorly planned camp and trekking to the latrines was always an inconvenience to someone. Therefore, in order to avoid having to use the bathroom at bad times, I always tried to pee in the lake first thing in the morning (although with the shock of freezing water, sometimes it was hard).
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### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2002, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/17 "2002-07-19T07:50:27Z")
My brother used to tell me they had a dye that turns red when you pee in the pool. Afraid of being caught, I never did it. Is this true?
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### Author:  [@bifar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bifar)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2002, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/18 "2002-07-19T08:02:30Z")
[No.](http://www.snopes.com/science/poolpiss.htm)
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2002, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/19 "2002-07-19T10:45:01Z")
No, I don’t, but I would probably pee while swimming in a natural body of water if I needed to go.
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### Author:  [@kitarak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitarak)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2002, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-pee-in-the-pool/119631/20 "2002-07-19T11:14:49Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Surreal \*
> \*\*I’m operating under the assumption here that the pool I’m in has been urinated in by someone at some point. This means that I will get pee on me, and I will have to shower when I get out no matter what. This being the case, it doesn’t make sense to get out and head to the bathroom to pee.
>
> But if i KNEW that no one ever peed in the pool, I wouldn’t want to contaminate it- or myself. \*\*
Hey kids!
(Chorus “Hey Kitarak”)
It’s science class time! Today we’re going to learn about… Dilution.
(Yaaay!)
Now, you see those glasses of water in front of you? Take a sip. It’s not salty, is it?
(Little heads shake)
That’s because there’s no salt in it! Now take a little spoon of the salt next to you, stir it in and take another sip. Is it salty now?
(Chorus of yes)
Now put another spoon in. It’s twice as salty now, isn’t it? Isn’t that _neat_ kids?
(Little kid stands up at the back)
“This is lame. We’re like, almost 8. We _know_ about this stuff.”
Well Surreal doesn’t seem to, do you Surreal?
I mean really. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that if one person pees in the pool it’s unpleasant, so if two people do it it’s twice as unpleasant. Besides which, contrary to your expectations, yours is not the only opinion which matters: There are actually other pople using the pool, and I don’t think they much appreciate your peeing in the pool.
Honestly, grow up Surreal.
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