Pittle - Social and Cultural Aspects - Urination Without Facilities

Urination Without Facilities

Acceptability of outdoor urination in a public place other than at a public urinal varies with the situation and with customs. Potential disadvantages include a dislike of the smell of urine, and some exposure of genitals. The latter can be unpleasant for the one who exposes them (modesty, lack of privacy) and/or those who can see them; it can be avoided or mitigated by going to a quiet place and/or facing a tree or wall if urinating standing up, or while squatting, hiding the back behind walls, bushes, or a tree.

The more developed and crowded a place is the more urination tends to be objectionable. In the countryside, it is more acceptable than in a street in a town. In the latter case it is a common transgression. Often this is done after the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The alcohol causes production of additional urine as well as a reduction of inhibitions. In many places, public urination is punishable by fine, though attitudes vary widely by country. It is often more accepted in Europe and Asia for males but tends to be socially objectionable for females in most customs.

At one time in the UK, it was legal for a man to urinate in public, so long as it occurred on the rear wheel of his vehicle and he had his right hand on the vehicle. The laws allowing this were the Hackney Carriage Laws, which were repealed in 1976. Public urination still remains more accepted by males in the UK, although British cultural tradition itself seems to find such practices objectionable. Depending on the culture, adult women, unlike men, are restricted in where they can urinate.

According to some medical studies, women generally need to urinate more frequently than men (due to women having smaller bladders in general). Resisting the urge to urinate because of lack of facilities can promote urinary tract infections which can lead to more serious infections and, in rare situations, can cause renal damage in women. Female urination devices also claim to allow women to urinate discreetly.