Urinals

[flirty41]

Who invented the urinal and, indeed, why? Why shouldn't men have privacy to do their number ones as do women?!!!! Thank you!

[sft42]

Flirty dear, I am assuming you haven't been (un)lucky enough to see in many male toilets? I suppose the reason is simple economics of space....if you can build a gents with one cubicle and a urinal trough with space for three or four gents to stand at this will take up much less space than four or five cubicles. More room in the pub or whatever for something more important.

[flirty41]

No, sft, I don't think I've ever ventured inside male toilets, and I don't think I want to, if they are as ghastly as you're implying!! But, if that's so, then isn't there a case for trying to change men's ways and attitudes about 'toiletting'? An impossible task, I grant you! Anything that wastes valuable drinking time, eh?!

[vittoria]

In Rome (where I come from) they say they were invented by the Roman emperor Vespasianus but I don't know why.

[jakesi]

I thought it was Armitage Shanks.

[sft42]

Having thought about this further it probably has a lot to do with the difference in the sexes attitudes to their ablutions...Male: Into toilet, upto urinal, do needful then leave (with a fair proportion not visiting the sink either!)....Female: Go in with friend chatting about whatever, wait for free cubicle, do needful (then use half the andrex), come out go upto sink and preen for next five minutes re-appling make as needed, think about what is planned for rest of day (shopping, cooking etc.) once careful exam at mirror is over collect friend and leave chatting again.

Just different attitudes to going for a pee that's all...for men is purely a function they have to do while women turn it into a social event.

[flirty41]

I'm sure there's more to it than that, sft, but I love your answer! You obviously thought it through in depth - thank you for your musings! :-)

[flirty41]

Oh, vittoria and kjring - thanks for your answers, too. vittoria - typing 'vespianus urinal' into Google led me to a very interesting site. Anything you ever wanted to know about toilet history can be found at http://www.sulabhtoiletmuseum.org/pg02.htm

[incitatus]

the urinal as such has certainly been in use since babylonian times. urine was collected in the chinese empire for use as a fertiliser. as for why, because it makes sense. Any male will tell you that all that messing around "sitting down" to perform this minor function is a pure watse of time. urinals minimise splash (if well designed) and are very handy. As for the handwashing thing-why is it necessary? no man will ever pee on his hands when urinating, and genital skin is as clean as any other. do you wash your hands after scratching your neck? given the state of many sinks its safer not to. You are right that urinating is not a social occasion for men. male toilets are silent places. conversations are NEVER started at the urinal, and an existing convo is often paused until after business is done. flirty, which behaviour would you like to change?

[flirty41]

Thanks, incitatus, for your answer. I'm not sure I'd agree 100% about the cleanliness of genital skin, but that's another subject! I'm not suggesting that men should sit down to perform this 'minor function', but that why shouldn't they be afforded privacy with, say, urinals in cubicles or like polling booths with extended side screens, if you like! As for men's behaviour or attitude towards toiletting, I guess I've been brainwashed into thinking most men are like those in Men Behaving Badly, who have a rather carefree attitude to bodily functions and are maybe not as fastidious about leaving the pan as clean as it could be, and I wonder whether that could be improved. Of course, I realise not ALL men are like this, I hasten to add! :-)

[David H]

A little story from Calais on the male-female weewee divide. In France generally, they still have urinals, but on a visit to Calais, while I was using one a woman passed me to gut to the unisex cubicles. They just don't care about it there. But of course, the women can still get their privacy. On the technical side, as men can wee standing up with about 90% accuracy, though female urinals have also been inventes, they are quite complicated and unpopular. We just stand up and go, and like communal showers, don't care who sees, on the whole. And as others have said, the space needed is far less than the cubicles, and they are still frequently all occupied, so at least it means we rarely have to queue. Plus, men needn't take their trousers or skirts and tights etc down before they can go, so don't need the extra facilities and space to do so. Fascinating subject though, toilets.

[incitatus]

as to pan cleanliness, i find that womens genital arrangements perform a sprinkling function with far more freedom than mens.... and then they blame it on us. We, after all, can see what we are doing.....rant..... admittedly the drunken mail can have a somewhat lackadaisical attitude towards the geography upon which he micturates, but then ive seen drunken females do much the same thing. particularly in Morecambe. A note here- women can pee standing up, with fair accuracy, if trained to do it. why more dont is beyond me.

[flirty41]

Thank you David and incitatus. Your experiences, thoughts and research have left me speechless! Vive la difference!

[sylvia]

because traditionally they haven't wanted any privacy. They've just gone outside (or faced the fire) and whipped it out and splashed the boots. The urinal is for ladies convenience so we don't have to watch them do this.