Should NYC Implement San Francisco’s ‘Pee-Proof’ Paint to Deter Public Urination?
Image via YouTube/St. Pauli Peeback
Normally, urinating in public comes with a hefty fine, but in San Francisco, offenders might be spending their money instead on a new pair of clothes and shoes. The problem has apparently gotten so out of hand in the city that the Public Works Department is implementing “pee-proof” paint on walls that are hot spots for people to relieve themselves. The special superhydrophobic coating called Ultra-Ever Dry is liquid repellent, and therefore splashes the urine right back on the person.
An advertisement for Ultra-Ever Dry from its company UltraTech International
Mohammed Nuru, San Francisco’s director of public works, got the idea for the paint from Hamburg, Germany, where the technology was used to stop partiers in the nightclub district from urinating on the street. After polling city residents about where they thought the paint was needed, San Francisco outfitted nine walls last week.
A video of the paint being installed in Hamburg
According to Rachel Gordon, a Public Works Department spokeswoman, “The urine will bounce back on the guys pants and shoes. The idea is they will think twice next time about urinating in public. We’ve gotten many, many calls from people who wanted it done in their alley or on their buildings. Some people are saying it’s just a gimmick, but other people hope it will combat some of the smelly areas of San Francisco that have been saturated with urine.” Additionally, she adds that it’s much cheaper to paint the walls than constantly send out cleanup crews; there have been 375 requests to steam clean urine since January.
Do you think NYC is in need of pee-proof walls, too?
[Via Quartz]
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