British Columbia: Public Peeing Prompts Pop-up Potties

by Barry Artiste | December 27, 2007 at 01:54 pm | 2345 views | 4 comments

Nuclear "Missle Silo or Pee Silo" can you tell the difference late at night?

Taking it one step further for the Environment?

Opinion

Victoria's City Fathers-Mothers have a unique way to what I feel is "Pissing Away the Public Purse" in their quest to protect the environment and bushes in placing Public Pee stalls which only seem to come out at night for it's bladder filled clientele. At around 60K a Pop for a Pee, Victoria is looking at installing in the Tourist Areas a couple of Public Pop Up Potties for Peeing only, no number #2's allowed. You cannot throw syringes, tourist maps, pop cans or devalued US Currency into these receptacles.

Transients and Public be warned, there is no word when these "PopUp A Potties" will engage and automatically rise out of the ground like a "Phoenix of Pee", certainly a shocker to any Transient who decides to make this area his sleeping zone, especially when crowds "Exploding Bladders at the Ready" start a Peeing Frenzy.

In Ending
Those of us who have had the opportunity to visit Trendy Historic Victoria and Beautiful British Columbia cannot fail to notice the empty water bottles, Starbucks cups etc littering the parks, streets, garbage bins. Perhaps in this political climate of environmental awareness one should look to Starbucks for the Future. Starbucks Latte Cups which are recyclable in every size are everywhere, from Small to Grande (with little wheels attached for easy transport) can more than accomodate the Gallonage of it's Bladder Filled Patronage. In fact some Starbucks Cups are soooo large that one Grande can accomodate a family of three. A discarded Starbucks cup is Free for the taking, something I am sure the City Fathers overlooked and must reconsider versus these "War of the World" type Urinal Units popping out of the ground everywhere frightening the unitiated at night . Though I have never seen a working Pop Up Pottie Model, I have posted a photo of what it must look like, ever reaching new heights looking, searching for those in need of relief.

City Fathers certainly did not think this one out, by using my environmental method will save money, recycling, helping the environment and to the great relief "the Fish" who would be the ultimate recipiants of this "Yellow Gold".

My Final Thought

Perhaps Starbucks is the answer to the Environment as those looking for relief need only to "Look to the Smiling Green Lady" emblazoned on every cup.

Public peeing prompts pop-up potties

Times Colonist

Published: Thursday, December 27, 2007

VICTORIA -- This city, known for its hanging baskets, is about to make its mark as the first in North America to install pop-up public urinals for bar patrons.

The B.C. capital is turning to a Dutch company to deliver two pop-up urinals -- each with three stalls -- in the new year.

By day, the devices -- installed underground, connected to the sewer system -- appear much like manhole covers. At night, they are raised.

This is how the pop-up urinal looks during the day. Click 'next' below to see it as it pops up.

This is how the pop-up urinal looks during the day. Click 'next' below to see it as it pops up.

"We are doing something innovative that no one else is doing," said Mike Hill, Victoria's downtown co-ordinator. "It shows the level of concern the city has for the [public-urination] problem."

The tender for the devices closed recently, with only Urilift International making a $151,000 bid.

After the pop-up toilets arrive, it will take several weeks to get them certified for use, but "we have no reason to believe they won't work here," said Hill. He's confident the devices will reduce the number of instances of public urination after the city studied the problem, using portable stalls.

They were well received by the public and the city's public works yard documented a reduction in the number of calls for cleaning up streets and alcoves.

The cost of placing portable toilets out for three nights a week is estimated at $67,000 a year.

Hill said he wasn't concerned about women wanting similar conveniences. "We are trying to curb a problem primarily caused by males in the late evening hours."

A report to city council said pub patrons, not homeless people, accounted for most of the instances of public urination. Staff made the determination after monitoring use of the urinals.

"We are confident in the relationship between the bar crowd and public urination," Hill said, adding they continue to monitor the use of the portable toilets.

Since the report, bar and cabaret owners have agreed to put up posters in their premises reminding customers not to urinate in the streets. Other North American cities, including Vancouver and Seattle, have installed large, expensive, self-cleaning public toilets, but found they were subjected to vandalism.