Pee curl

Last updated
Single pee curl at Singel Krul Public toilet singel krul.JPG
Single pee curl at Singel
The design of a pee curl Ontwerp van een ijzeren urinoir boven bestaande riolen.jpg
The design of a pee curl
A photo of one of the Pissoirs installed in 1800s Paris, taken by Charles Marville around 1865 Charles Marville, Urinoir a 1 stalle fonte et maconnerie, Faubourg Saint-Martin, ca. 1865.jpg
A photo of one of the Pissoirs installed in 1800s Paris, taken by Charles Marville around 1865
An example of one of the latter designs of the French pissoirs, photographed by Charles Marville around 1875. Charles Marville, Urinoir en fonte a 2 stalles avec ecran, Chaussee de la Muette, ca. 1865.jpg
An example of one of the latter designs of the French pissoirs, photographed by Charles Marville around 1875.
A double pee curl at the Paleis voor Volksvlijt, where they were first placed Zicht op het voormalig Paleis voor Volksvlijt - Amsterdam - 20015376 - RCE detail plaskrul.jpg
A double pee curl at the Paleis voor Volksvlijt, where they were first placed

The pee curl (Dutch: plaskrul) is a public urinal, many of which are found in the centre of Amsterdam. They originated at the end of the 19th century, and were first installed by the Public Works Department of Amsterdam.

Contents

The curl is made of a spiral-shaped steel sheet suspended half a metre above the ground by four iron legs, and painted dark green. The top half of the plate is perforated so that any passers-by can determine at eye-level whether it is vacant or in use. The floor is made of tiles with a natural stone slab making up the urinal itself, housing the central drain. The curls are connected to the sewer by this drain and are cleaned by the local municipality with water from the canal. The curls come in either a single or double version, with some coming equipped with roofs. [1]

History

By the 1800s, public sanitation in Paris was in a shambolic condition, the city being plagued by public urination. The population was also rapidly rising with an expectation for it to pass a million by 1840, meaning the problem could only get worse. [2]

In the spring of 1830, the city government of Paris decided to install the first public urinals on the major boulevards, with them being ready come the summer. In July that same year however, many were destroyed and used as street barricades during the French Revolution of 1830. [3]

In 1832, a cholera epidemic spread from Britain to Paris, killing 18,500 people (or roughly 2% of the city's population at the time) in 169 days. Among the dead was the French Prime Minister Casimir Pierre Périer. The epidemic also brought Paris' economy to a standstill, with anyone who could flee doing so and anyone who stayed adopting futile measures to protect themselves from it. [2] [4]

In 1839 the Préfet de la Seine Claude-Philibert de Rambuteau began installing over 400 pissoirs in an effort to fix the sanitation issues that plagued Paris while also working to improve the water supply to the city, to enlarge the Paris sewer system and to install gas lighting in the city. The pissoirs that were installed at the time were simple, single-person masonry tubes with an entrance cut into the street side and a cornice and ball above. Despite these efforts, Parisians still relieved themselves "en plein air" according to an April 1843 column in the Gazette Municipale . [3] [5]

In 1859, 20 years after the introduction of the pissoirs, Dutch inventor Leijs proposed the placement of similar hollow pillars to try and solve Amsterdam's issues with public sanitation, however the design of the pee curl was chosen. In the 19th and most of the 20th century facilities like the Dutch pee curls and French pissoirs were used by homosexual men to have sexual intercourse. The anxiety of the public and indeed the government about homosexuality is clearly visible in the design of the pee curl and later designs of the pissoir. [2] [5]

The first of these pee curls weren't installed until 1870, with 1877 bringing the first double pee curl - an S shaped curl with opposing chambers - to the Paleis voor Volksvlijt. An updated design of the pee curl was later created in 1916 by architect Joan van der Mey.

19th century and women's rights

Amsterdam has had a urinary committee since 1928. Despite the Second World War, meetings continued under the so-called "Committee of Consultation on the Urinal Question in Amsterdam". In 1941, a new urinal committee was established. Throughout the entire history of the committee, the ratio of male to female public toilets has always been heavily skewed, with the committee initially being of the opinion that public toilets were intended "for the man who has his work on the street". Another rationale for the gender disparity of public toilets being heavily skewed is that "Public toilet facilities, especially those for women, involved very high costs."

At the same time, there were fears (as stated previously) that enclosed public toilets would result in a higher rate of public indecency, where two person urinals "often acted as places for gay men to meet and engage in sexual acts."

In December 1969, a Dutch Feminist group called Dolle Mina was founded to campaign for equal rights for women, including public "pee-right". The group mainly fought to improve said rights by using protests in a playful and humorous manner. [6] One of these protests occurred in Amsterdam's Dam Square in April 1970, installing a "towering papier-mâché penis with a sign that read ‘damestoilet’ (ladies’ room)." The structure was placed there to address the lack of public toilets for women in Amsterdam. [7] Also in 1970, several public toilets were wrapped with pink ribbons to protest this imbalance. [8]

In 1984 the Urinal Commission published a report recommending the installation of the Sanisette, a lockable and self-cleaning unisex public toilet which was pioneered by the French company JCDecaux. Negotiations were in an "advanced stage", however the plans were cancelled in 1985 due to a lack of funds.

Plasrecht

Geerte Piening on a DWDD interview

In 2015, Geerte Piening was fined €90 for public urination when she relieved herself in an alleyway in Amsterdam due to the fact that the nearest public toilet that was designed for use by women was several kilometres away. She refused to pay the fine on the grounds that she felt that the design of public toilets in Amsterdam discriminated against women, and she was unable to go to a bar to pay to go to relieve herself as it was beyond closing time.

The male judge in the case, however, held that “It would not be pleasant but it can be done,” in regards to the use of urinals and pee curls and she was forced to pay the fine. [9] This led to widespread mockery by the public and even led some women to demonstrate the "obvious difficulties" of using male urinals. [10]

This event also led to a call being put out on Facebook by Cathelijne Hornstra for people to gather and protest at the spot where Geerte was found by Police. The protest was cancelled because of the overwhelming interest, with the organisers asking those interested (said to be nearly 10,000 women) to gather at urinals across Amsterdam. Attendees were asked to upload photos on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag "#wildplassen", the Dutch word for the crime of public urination. [11]

21st century use

In 2008 all remaining examples of the original pee curls were repainted, galvanised and restored. [2] [12] The city had thirty-five of the original pee curls as of 2017, [13] of which two were the curls designed by Joan van der Mey. Amsterdam also has many different kinds of other public urinals, with portable urinals being used for outdoor concerts and other events, retractable urinals being able to be used overnight before retracting into the ground and wheelchair accessible urinals for those who need them.

In 2016, it was announced that new retractable urinals for women would be placed in Dam Square, Amsterdam. The urinals were equipped with two urinals for men and one for women, with the one for women having a lockable sliding door. [14] Unfortunately, there is still limited public toilet availability for women, with only a few throughout the city being accessible.

The pee curls to the side of the canals are kept in place by the local government to keep people from publicly urinating and thereby falling in the canal, in an attempt to cut down on the number of people falling into the canal; an average of 15 people drown each year in the canals due to multiple causes, including public urination. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urination</span> Release of urine from the urinary bladder

Urination is the release of urine from the bladder through the urethra to the outside of the body. It is the urinary system's form of excretion. It is also known medically as micturition, voiding, uresis, or, rarely, emiction, and known colloquially by various names including peeing, weeing, pissing, and euphemistically going number one. In healthy humans and other animals, the process of urination is under voluntary control. In infants, some elderly individuals, and those with neurological injury, urination may occur as a reflex. It is normal for adult humans to urinate up to seven times during the day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urinal</span> Sanitary fixture for urination

A urinal is a sanitary plumbing fixture for urination only. Urinals are often provided in public toilets for male users in Western countries. They are usually used in a standing position. Urinals can be with manual flushing, automatic flushing, or without flushing, as is the case for waterless urinals. They can be arranged as single sanitary fixtures or in a trough design without privacy walls. Urinals designed for females also exist but are rare. It is possible for females to use stand-up urinals using a female urination device.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public toilet</span> Room or building with toilets for the general public

A public toilet, restroom, public bathroom or washroom is a room or small building with toilets and sinks for use by the general public. The facilities are available to customers, travelers, employees of a business, school pupils and prisoners and are commonly separated into male and female toilets, although some are unisex, especially for small or single-occupancy public toilets, public toilets are accessible to people with disabilities. Depending on the culture, there may be varying degrees of separation between males and females and different levels of privacy. Typically, the entire room, or a stall or cubicle containing a toilet, is lockable. Urinals, if present in a male toilet, are typically mounted on a wall with or without a divider between them. Local authorities or commercial businesses may provide public toilet facilities. Some are unattended while others are staffed by an attendant. In many cultures, it is customary to tip the attendant, especially if they provide a specific service, such as might be the case at upscale nightclubs or restaurants.

A pay toilet is a public toilet that requires the user to pay. It may be street furniture or be inside a building, e.g. a shopping mall, department store, or railway station. The reason for charging money is usually for the maintenance of the equipment. Paying to use a toilet can be traced back almost 2000 years, to the first century BCE. The charge is often collected by an attendant or by inserting coins into an automatic turnstile; in some freestanding toilets in the street, the fee is inserted into a slot by the door. Mechanical coin operated locks are also used. Some more high tech toilets accept card or contactless payments. Sometimes, a token can be used to enter a pay toilet without paying the charge. Some municipalities offer these tokens to residents with disabilities so these groups aren't discriminated against by the pay toilet. Some establishments such as cafés and restaurants offer tokens to their customers so they can use the toilets for free but other users must pay the relevant charge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanisette</span> Self-cleaning public toilet

Sanisette is a registered trademark for a self-contained, self-cleaning, unisex, public toilet pioneered by the French company JCDecaux. These toilets are a common sight in several major cities of the world, but they are perhaps most closely associated with the city of Paris, where they are ubiquitous. In the United Kingdom, they are known informally as "Superloos".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potty parity</span> Equitable provision of public toilets or men and women

Potty parity is equal or equitable provision of public toilet facilities for females and males within a public space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unisex public toilet</span> Public toilets that are not separated by sex

Unisex public toilets are public toilets that are not separated by gender or sex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Female urination device</span> Device which aids a person with a vagina to urinate while standing upright

A female urination device (FUD), personal urination device (PUD), female urination aid, or stand-to-pee device (STP) is a device that can be used to more precisely aim the stream of urine while urinating standing upright. Variations range from basic disposable funnels to more elaborate reusable designs. Personal urination devices have increased in popularity since the 1990s. They are used for outdoor occupations & recreation, gender affirmation/safety, and medical reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Female urinal</span> Urinal designed to be used by women and girls

A female urinal is a urinal designed for the female anatomy to allow for ease of use by women and girls. Different models enable urination in standing, semi-squatting, or squatting postures, but usually without direct bodily contact with the toilet. Sitting models also exist, and are designed for body contact with the urinal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toilet</span> Piece of hardware for the collection or disposal of human excreta

A toilet is a piece of sanitary hardware that collects human urine and feces, and sometimes toilet paper, usually for disposal. Flush toilets use water, while dry or non-flush toilets do not. They can be designed for a sitting position popular in Europe and North America with a toilet seat, with additional considerations for those with disabilities, or for a squatting posture more popular in Asia, known as a squat toilet. In urban areas, flush toilets are usually connected to a sewer system; in isolated areas, to a septic tank. The waste is known as blackwater and the combined effluent, including other sources, is sewage. Dry toilets are connected to a pit, removable container, composting chamber, or other storage and treatment device, including urine diversion with a urine-diverting toilet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urine diversion</span> Separate collection of human urine and feces at the point of their production

Urine diversion, also called urine separation or source separation, refers to the separate collection of human urine and feces at the point of their production, i.e. at the toilet or urinal. Separation of urine from feces allows human waste to be treated separately and used as a potential resource. Applications are typically found where connection to a sewer-based sanitation system is not available or areas where water supplies are limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interactive urinal</span> Urinal with an interactive feature that can be controlled during use

An interactive urinal is a device that allows users to play video games or control interactive displays while urinating. Several designs have been produced to date, usually comprising a urinal fitted with a pressure sensor to measure the strength and position of the urine flow and an LCD screen mounted above the urinal to provide animated graphics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pissoir</span> Structure that provides screening of urinals

A pissoir is a French invention, common in Europe, that provides a urinal in public space with a lightweight structure. The availability of pissoirs aims to reduce urination onto buildings, sidewalks, or streets. They can be freestanding and without screening, with partial screening, or fully enclosed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pollee</span> Portable female urinal company

Pollee is a mobile female urinal, designed by Nuala Collins, Christian Pagh and Sara Nanna and produced by the Danish design bureau UIWE. It is specifically designed to be used at public events such as concerts or music festivals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Men's Toilet, Russell Street, Toowoomba</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

Men's Toilet is a heritage-listed public toilet at Russell Street, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1919. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 6 June 1994.

Ekam Eco Solutions is an Indian startup company that markets products related to ecological sanitation and sustainable living. The company is best known for its Zerodor waterless urinal technology and CARE Natural Housekeeping & Home Care Solutions.

Mumtaz Shaikh is a women's rights activist from India who launched a successful campaign for equal access to public toilets in Mumbai. She was selected by the BBC in 2015 as one of its inspirational 100 Women campaign.

madamePee Mobile female urinal

madamePee is a mobile female urinal, without contact and without water supply. It is designed to be used at public events such as concerts or music festivals, but also in more durable situations such as construction sites, public gardens, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urine deflector</span> Sanitary device

A urine deflector is a device for deflecting the stream of urine during urination. These may be part of a chamber pot, latrine or toilet intended for the purpose, or they may be deterrents, installed in the sides or corners of buildings to discourage their casual use as urinals by passers-by. They may be constructed in various ways from a variety of materials but are typically designed to have an angled surface which catches and redirects the stream.

A telescopic toilet, retractable toilet, or pop-up toilet, is a type of toilet which is stored underground and then raised above ground when in use.

References

  1. ↑ iBecomingDutch (2020-08-30). "KRUL". I Becoming Dutch. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Pissoirs — Public Urinals with Little to No Privacy". Toilets of the World. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  3. 1 2 "Pissoir", Wikipedia, 2023-06-13, retrieved 2023-08-28
  4. ↑ "Pandemic Lessons From the Era of 'Les Miserables'". Bloomberg.com. 2021-04-27. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  5. 1 2 blindfieldcollective (2017-04-20). "Patenting The Pissoir: Queer Bodies and Proprietary Technologies" . Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  6. ↑ Donia Nota, Justine (7 July 2021). "(REST)ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT" (PDF). Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  7. ↑ "The Protestor's Playground | History Today". www.historytoday.com. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  8. ↑ "Sandberg Instituut". www.sandberg.nl. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  9. ↑ Wolthuizen, Josien (2017-09-18). "Toch wildplasboete: 'Vrouwen kunnen ook in urinoir plassen'". Het Parool (in Dutch). Retrieved 2022-09-25.
  10. ↑ "Dutch sexism outcry after woman fined for peeing in public". Yahoo News. 2017-09-20. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  11. ↑ Boffey, Daniel (2017-09-21). "Protests planned at Amsterdam urinals over lack of women's toilets". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  12. ↑ De krullen van Amsterdam, D. Cornelissen & Zonen, 2008
  13. ↑ "Urinoirs Stadsdeel Centrum - Datasets - Kaart van Amsterdam - Gemeente Amsterdam". Gemeente Amsterdam (in Dutch). 2018-03-04. Archived from the original on 2018-03-04. Retrieved 2022-09-25.
  14. ↑ "World's first: Retractable hidden urinal for women set for Amsterdam's Dam Sq. | NL Times". nltimes.nl. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  15. ↑ Te veel mensen verdrinken in de Amsterdamse grachten, NRC, 25 March 2017
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.