What's your stance on public urination?

[Rikilamaro]

Here's the back story to my question:

I was at the park today with my son and some friends. One of my friends is potty training her 3 year-old boy. The bathrooms at this park were locked because they haven't turned the water back on since winter. In order to get to bathroom where the boy could pee there would have been at least a ten minute drive. He would not have made this. So my friend simply took him behind a few large trees out of sight and let him go on one of them. As she was doing so an older lady walked by with her dog and said, "That's just not right. You shouldn't teach your child that. What if he does it when he's older?" She continued to rant and rave as her dog peed on the leg of one of the picnic tables surrounding the playground.

So the question becomes: should little boys be allowed to pee outside? Or is urinating in public taboo?

Thanks for your opinion.

[Caged Maiden]

I'm more offended by gross drunk men than little kids... I've potty-trained three kids now, and it is what it is... That being said..... I think people should be more respectful with their dogs. Dogs who constantly mark their territory still think they are in charge..... and that is a bad precedent to set with your pet, but then people do all kinds of messed up things with their fur-babies. Mine is 80 pounds and you better believe people would have a problem if he was acting a fool.....

Relating to children... and decency in general, children can be a difficult subject, because people who don't have kids (or who aren't comfortable with nudity in general) don't know how to act when they see a naked little kid. Like that's just a societal thing, probably because we've all seen or done something which could make us sound like a sex offender. Hey, look at all the issues that surround breast-feeding in public. People feel dirty or offended if they witness it, and many women choose not to nurse their babies at all because of their own personal feelings, rather than doing the best thing they can for their child (I know some people are not able to or are advised not to for medical reasons, and I support anyone's decision to do whatever they want...) But people react like you're doing something indecent even if you are being extremely discreet. Trust me, there is nothing sexy about nursing an infant.... not even close. It is convenient and healthy and I love burning 300 calories a day though!

My point is, that many people don't have children, or don't remember what it's like because they grow up so fast. Anything which makes us feel inappropriate leaves a guilty feeling, and where children are concerned, that guilt can sort of leave some people feeling weird.

Personally, I am disgusted by adults who can't maintain decency, not children. A three-year old peeing discreetly out of the public eye doesn't even rank on my scale of decency... well it's well under passing gas in an elevator at least..... If your friend was offended by the old woman... tell her that other moms at least understand.

[topazfire]

Hmm.. how many people pull over on the side of the road to find a tree when they can't make it to the next rest stop on the highway? (point made?) I know that it a bit different because usually you would be in the middle of nowhere and not in a public park, but still.

I think the important thing with potty training (I don't have kids yet, but babysat a lot) is that if the child recognize that they have to go, is that they have to go now (!). What kind of impact would it have had if mummy had said "no, you can't" instead of finding a solution. It might have been a huge setback for him. I believe that girls should also be taught to pee outside (in appropriate locations, behind sufficient coverage), so they do not freak out about it when they are older and find it to be a necessity (or get turned off of hard core camping because there is no flush toilet).

The old lady has a right to her opinion, and I'm sure the police in your jurisdiction would have something to say about public indecency (depending on your local laws). There is plenty of time to teach the boy when it is, and is not, an appropriate time to pee outside.

One Canada Day (our National Holiday) a couple years ago, a drunk young reveler pee'd at our National War Memorial, on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - it has been under constant guard ever since and the young man was fined and had to make a national public apology. I'm sure your friend will teach her children not to pee on national memorials.

As for the old lady's dog - he should aim for it next time...

[Anders Ämting]

My stance is that public urination should be a private matter.

[The Blue Lotus]

I guess the real question was answered before you asked.

A it is a little kid. and B the restrooms were locked providing for a NEED to do that.

However, full grown men who are doing that are just nasty. Little kids, I don't mind I mean what a tablespoon of urin is not a big deal.

But men please, use the rest room before you leave. No one wants to see that, walk in that, or smell that. >.>

[Devor]

I think the important thing with potty training (I don't have kids yet, but babysat a lot) is that if the child recognize that they have to go, is that they have to go now (!).

This. It's either the bushes or the pants. Have a heart, crazy-old-lady-who-never-had-kids.

[Amanita]

In case of children, I see nothing wrong with this at all. My sister and I used to do too, when we were small, hidden behind bushes, though it's been in the forest and not in a public park. In the case of a child that age in such a situation, I really can't see the problem.
In case of adults, it's okay if they're hidden from view too in my opinion. And if it's happening somewhere with earth underneath. Dogs do it there all the time, and it isn't any more unhealthy in case of humans. But this probably isn't these people's main problem. Anihow's got it right probably.

[Rikilamaro]

This. It's either the bushes or the pants. Have a heart, crazy-old-lady-who-never-had-kids.

Thanks for that.

[Legendary Sidekick]

The only thing I find offensive is adults who can't deal with children in public. The three-year-old did nothing wrong, and the old lady's question, "What if he does that when he's older?" is practically an admission that age is a factor; it's okay when you're little.


We had a power failure in my town the other day--the whole town! So we ended up going to a restaurant in another town not associated with National Grid. We showed up with our daughters (ages 4 & 2) and, fortunately, my wife didn't see the glares coming from every table. The glares were understandable when we walked in with kids, but inconsiderate once it became obvious that our kids know how to behave in fine restaurants. One old lady, dining with her iPad, replied to the waitress when asked about dessert said she'd wait "until the kids are gone."

I'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she was afraid that the sight of dessert would upset the kids since we weren't ordering dessert, but her tone implied "until the ****ing kids are gone."


I think both of these old ladies deserve to be peed on by a three-year-old boy.

[Benjamin Clayborne]

My stance? Legs apart, leaning forward slightly.

I've got two kids, and they've both peed in public plenty of times (behind trees, hedges, etc.). Sometimes there's just no public bathrooms around and they suddenly need to go. So, they water the trees.

For kids, I have no objection, just as long as they're a little discreet about it; adults (extenuating circumstances aside, like bladder control problems) should go find a bathroom.