Current Events –
San Francisco Fixes ‘Pee’ Problem
Taking a pee anywhere outside in San Francisco is about to become a really bad idea. That’s because public works crews have coated walls throughout the city with a urine-repellent paint that will bounce your pee right back at you!
Current Events
For years, San Francisco has been plagued with a public urination problem. Although the city banned the practice of urinating outside back in 2002 (imposing a $50-$500 fine on anyone caught in the act), late night revelers have remained undeterred and are still peeing outside like it’s going out of style.
Hell-bent on not accepting defeat, the City of San Francisco has landed on a rather novel technological solution. Officials have just finished painting 9 city walls with Ultra-Ever Dry, a hydrophobic coating that will spray your urine directly back onto your shoes and pants. And more “pee-proof walls are in the works.”
San Francisco says it got the idea from the German city of Hamburg, where urine-repellant paint has helped dissuade beer drinkers who refused to find a public restroom.
The issue of public urination is controversial for San Francisco, partly because of the city’s large homeless population and their limited options in finding a functioning bathroom facility. So it’s unclear if the “anti-pee paint” will work for the city.
As The Atlantic’s City Lab pointed out recently, “People who pee outside often would prefer to pee inside….if we don’t want them to pee on the street, we must provide alternatives.”
If the “anti-pee” paint proves successful in San Francisco, expect it to show up in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and a variety of cities throughout the country. Of course, a few porta-potties strategically placed around major cities could also do the trick just as well!
