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A comment on When peeing in public in this German city, beware walls that pee back. Parent comment

Re:When peeing in public in this German city, beware walls t... by BjoernKW on Saturday March 14, 2015 @12:43PM (#9203179)
In Germany, sometimes there's this weird tendency to patronize people just for the sake of it. So, instead of going for the obvious, reasonable solution that's beneficial for everyone involved an inferior and more expensive 'solution' is implemented that doesn't really solve the issue but merely punishes undesirable behaviour. While the streets will still smell like piss at least people can gloat over the wrongdoers having got their comeuppance.
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Re:When peeing in public in this German city, beware walls t... by derefr on Saturday March 14, 2015 @01:12PM (#9203320)
Presumably, they don't want to spend the money on maintaining lots of public bathrooms, but instead want to see if putting enough constraints on people's solution-space will somehow incentivize someone else (e.g. businesses) to do so.
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Re:When peeing in public in this German city, beware walls t... by TazeTSchnitzel on Saturday March 14, 2015 @01:46PM (#9203453)
It's not just German.

See: homeless spikes vs homeless shelters.

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Re:When peeing in public in this German city, beware walls t... by jordanb on Saturday March 14, 2015 @02:13PM (#9203561)
Homeless spikes are an individual versus communal issue. Homelessness is a societal problem, but once society has failed and there are homeless people about, individual landlords don't want them sleeping around their buildings so they install spikes.

The bathroom situation in some parts of Europe does seem like something that could be addressed. When I'm wandering around a European city and find myself with a full bladder, I'm always relieved to find an outpost of American corporate imperialism such as a Starbucks or a McDonald's because---regardless of anything else they bring---at least they bring clean well-maintained public bathrooms.

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Re:When peeing in public in this German city, beware walls t... by stephenboyd on Saturday March 14, 2015 @05:56PM (#9204335)
Installing anti-homeless spikes is still a choice for punishment over viable positive alternatives such as planting a nice bush where you don't want people to lay down.
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Re:When peeing in public in this German city, beware walls t... by nailer on Saturday March 14, 2015 @06:12PM (#9204387)
> When I'm wandering around a European city and find myself with a full bladder, I'm always relieved to find a Starbucks or a McDonald's

In the UK, walk into any pub and ask if you can please use the loo.

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Re:When peeing in public in this German city, beware walls t... by azernik on Saturday March 14, 2015 @05:12PM (#9204183)
Cf. Greece.
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