One of the differences between town and country is that what is hidden there is visible here. Whether it’s secret kisses or dog poo, there are many examples. When I think about town and country, peeing comes to mind more and more often on some routes. Unfortunately. A forest walker who has overtaxed his hydration disappears between the trees and does not harm them as long as he does not stop at the same place every day. In the city, however, Späti drinkers, pub visitors and the homeless leave their bladder contents in public parks (bad), front gardens (horrible) or house entrances (horrible). Therefore, the generous re-equipment of Berlin with public toilets, which has been taking place for a year and a half, is to be welcomed.
No violence behind closed doors!
But alas, this matter also has its two sides. Purely architectural, because the houses are built in such a way that you can only get in through a door on one side, but directly on the other, as long as you can do something anatomically with a urinal. Women and non-binary people complained up town, down town and also in this newspaper that they have to pay a fee to open the door, while men can use the urinal for free. The 50 cents for the lockable room are necessary so that “misuse can be prevented,” says the responsible Senate press office, and: “Due to the missing door, a corresponding misuse of the standing urinals is very unlikely.” It is, implicitly, about overnight stays , drug dealing or violence.
On my way, the real annoyance isn’t the money, it’s the sight. Certainly none of the people who installed these new outhouses live near one. For example at Leopoldplatz in Wedding or at Boddinplatz in Neukölln. Or at the Südstern underground station, where the footpath leads directly to the urinals and you can watch someone pee there at any time of the day. Because the privacy screen is slimmer than the men. What used to happen next door in a disgusting but somewhat discreet manner in the bushes is now taking place right in front of you. The peeing is particularly popular with the public on Saturdays, when market stalls for crêpes, flowers and vegetables welcome buyers just a few steps away from the house.
Could the Südstern cottage have been placed with the open side facing the street? What short-sighted reasoning! Drivers with voyeuristic tendencies would be distracted from looking into the toilet house and would provoke accidents.