Sounds like a great plan to me. I understand that tests of the bacteria/viruses and assorted yuck on public toilet seats has shown that the really bad stuff lives on top of the seat, not on the underside.
Seems there are some logistical/mechanical problems, though. What about skirts, pantyhose and all the assorted paraphernalia women wear? It would seem they’d have to completely disrobe from the waist down in order to straddle the toilet-unless they can pull everything down to knee level and face the toilet???
There are pictures on the web of how to do it. Im not going to point to those but they pee with their pants on & I don’t think the Green Bean technique is quite going to do it that way.
I don’t know how to put this without giving the wrong impression, but there are PLENTY of sites that show women standing up peeing and doing a darn fine job of it.
I cheched them out purely in the name of science!
You can also get them FREE at the pediatrician’s office. I bet I have at least 5 or 6 in the kitchen drawer, and I know I have thrown away at least that many over the years.
As for squatting (or hovering) over a public toilet, I remember hearing that this really isn’t a good idea, because you tend to not completely empty your bladder while squatting, which can lead to urinary tract and/or bladder infections.
No, you have to drop your pants to do it the way I described. I am not sure what the advantage is of peeing with your pants on. Yeah, it’s convenient and all, but having to carry a pee-soaked plastic thingie around with you would seem to cancel that out. You can pee modestly with your pants down. I’d be happy to demonstrate at the next Doper-fest.
Look, I didn’t want to admit this, but I have used a urine-director device–not the travel-mate but the Sani-fem urine director. The problem is that as you pee into the thing, the urine gets all over your vaginal area. And when you’re done, you have this drippy thing do deal with. So, basically, you get pee all over the place. It’s easier just to drop your pants.
A friend of mine who has been on mountaineering expeditions told me that a urine director is real handy if you are stuck in your sleeping bag at 15,000 feet and need to pee into a bottle. (In that situation, getting out of the sleeping bag and tent and taking down your pants is really sort of hazardous.) She says the best thing to use is a regular plastic funnel–you want to get one that is a bit flexible so you can comfortably get it between your legs.
And while we’re on the subject, I just want to address the myth that women can’t pee off the side of a boat. We can.
I saw a show about this once, too. I think it was Dateline.
Things people touch with their hands are far dirtier (bacteria-wise) than toilet seats. The worst things were payphones, money, grocery cart handles and public doorknobs (or the plate you push to open doors).
Female urinals used to be fairly common. They stick out from the wall farther and are narrower than male urinals. Most of the men’s rooms at the Sea-Tac airport have female urinals, for some unknown reason. The New Yorker had an article about urinals in the late 80’s/early 90’s. Apparently women used to routinely pee standing up, but the demise of the dress and complications of undergarments put and end to the practice.
Thrush (now known as yeast infection) used to be a serious health problem for women – loose fitting cotton underwear, or voluminous petticoats with nothing really covering the crotch, were the hygenic standard. This type of clothing made it easier for women to attend to urination with little fuss.
Humorous andecdote:
A co-worker’s 4-year old daughter had been spending a lot of time with her father, in the workshop out back. They happened to live in a very rural area. The co-worker was horrified to find the daughter standing in the garage one day, with her pants down, peeing onto the floor. She apparently had pretty good control, wasn’t making a mess or anything. Well, long talk with daughter, long rant at father, problem solved. Two weeks later, the boss comes over for a formal dinner party. After dinner, they all watch the daughter walk up to a tree outside, drop her pants and let fly. Mortification for my co-worker, hilarity for everyone else.
Awright. I tried the “device-free” method described in the website when I was in the shower this afternoon. I managed to pee all over my hand, my legs, the wall, and the shower curtain. Yuk! Of course, I am now totally intrigued and can’t wait to try it again. I am just glad that I have a machine-washable shower curtain.
