Paris urinals spark sniggers and seething
PARIS: In the heart of Paris, a radical experiment in urine management is taking place: New eco-friendly urinals which are prompting titters from some and furious complaints from others. In a city where men are regularly seen urinating on the street with wanton abandon, some have welcomed the arrival of the “uritrottoirs” (pavement urinals) as an innovation that might help rid the French capital of unpleasant sights and smells.
But some residents have complained that the bright red boxes are a blight on the picturesque streets of the city. Others say there is something more than a little distasteful about encouraging men to urinate right on the street, even if it’s into a box. “It’s a little weird... but if you need to go it’s better than going on the street,” admitted Jonathan, a tourist from New York. “It’s a little
bit in the open, some people might be uncomfortable,” he said as several boats packed with tourists floated past along the Seine.
Topped with plants, these dry, organic urinals do not use water but are filled with straw which can be easily composted, according to Faltazi, the small French company behind them. Three of the urinals were quietly installed around Paris under a pilot scheme in the spring. But the more recent arrival of one of the boxes on the exclusive Ile Saint-Louis, not far from NotreDame cathedral, has met with a more robust response.
Local resident Francoise said she was “outraged” by its presence, describing it as “really not very attractive”. “I like it, but putting it here is a bad idea,” said Gregory, a 43-year-old photographer who has lived on the island for the past three years. “They should put them right by the waterside,” he complained. But the urinals must be reachable by vehicle so that they can be emptied and to change the straw once every three weeks. Paris City Hall said it had installed them “at the request of residents”, adding the project was still in a trial phase. “We are totally ready to discuss the location,” said Evelyne Zarka, a senior official at the local town hall in the fourth arrondissement, which is home to Ile Saint-Louis. — AFP