# Why did you put gum in the waterless urinal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 26, 2010, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-you-put-gum-in-the-waterless-urinal/548115 "2010-07-26T22:56:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-you-put-gum-in-the-waterless-urinal/548115/21 "2010-07-29T17:23:23Z")
> [@conway](#): > > Just wondering…you know… since it’s not going anywhere. > > I assume since you didn’t use the trashcan right behind you that you’re coming back for it? Especially because that’s where cigarette butts are supposed to go. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-you-put-gum-in-the-waterless-urinal/548115/22 "2010-07-30T20:57:00Z")
> [@conway](#): > > Well there’s another piece in there today. Or it’s the same one, I’m not sure. Is it at least the same flavor? ---
**Author:** ![cstamets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@cstamets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cstamets)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-you-put-gum-in-the-waterless-urinal/548115/23 "2010-07-30T21:04:14Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > > [@conway](#): > > > > Well there’s another piece in there today. Or it’s the same one, I’m not sure. > > Is it at least the same flavor? After a little while in the urinal, it’s all the same flavor. ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-you-put-gum-in-the-waterless-urinal/548115/24 "2010-07-30T22:21:22Z")
I’ve noticed some (ill-mannered) people seem to like to spit into the urinal while they’re pissing. Maybe the gum fell out by accident? ---
**Author:** ![conway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@conway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conway)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-you-put-gum-in-the-waterless-urinal/548115/25 "2010-07-30T23:11:17Z")
> [@](#): > > Is it at least the same flavor? If by flavor you mean color…then yes. Both days were yellow-ish. But as I said, it wasn’t clear if it was the same piece, or a newly deposited one. > [@](#): > > I’ve noticed some (ill-mannered) people seem to like to spit into the urinal while they’re pissing. Maybe the gum fell out by accident? Like they needed to spit, but couldn’t manage do to it without including their gum with their saliva? That’s being charitable I suppose. I guess it’s better than it ending up on the floor. No further incidents this week. I’ll keep everyone up-to-date as events warrant. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-you-put-gum-in-the-waterless-urinal/548115/26 "2010-08-03T02:22:45Z")
> [@Darth\_Nader](#): > > Did I miss something? A waterless urinal is what, a funnel with a hose nailed to the wall? Classy. [Here’s a recent article from Wired about waterless urinals](http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/06/ff_waterless_urinal/). The article seems to not really have an opinion as to whether or not the things are good or bad. But, if you’ve never heard of waterless urinals before (like me), it’s a sort of interesting read. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-you-put-gum-in-the-waterless-urinal/548115/27 "2010-08-03T02:43:19Z")
Because you can’t shit in it. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-you-put-gum-in-the-waterless-urinal/548115/28 "2010-08-03T02:56:55Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > > [@Darth\_Nader](#): > > > > Did I miss something? A waterless urinal is what, a funnel with a hose nailed to the wall? Classy. > > [Here’s a recent article from Wired about waterless urinals](http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/06/ff_waterless_urinal/). The article seems to not really have an opinion as to whether or not the things are good or bad. But, if you’ve never heard of waterless urinals before (like me), it’s a sort of interesting read. I like the argument against them made by the person the plumbers union hired "Fox didn’t perform any tests, but by examining the designs of the Falcon and other waterless urinals, she concluded that hydrogen sulfide gases in the sewer lines could escape when the cartridges were replaced, resulting in “unconsciousness, respiratory paralysis, and death.” Those would be the same gases the plumbers have to breath every time they open up a drain system…right? It seems to me that if that argument won everyone over, suddenly the plumbers would all have to wear gas masks every time they take a trap off a drain. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-you-put-gum-in-the-waterless-urinal/548115/29 "2010-08-03T04:51:43Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > Because you can’t shit in it. Oh, I’m pretty sure one could, if properly motivated. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-you-put-gum-in-the-waterless-urinal/548115.md?page=1)