Murray Langdon Comment
Jun 5, 2009
The city of Victoria’s decision to install an “outdoor urinal” bothers me – on a number of levels.
The most obvious irritant is trying to digest why we even need it in the first place. I’m still struggling with what must be rampant urination after the sun goes down on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Since when is it cool to pee in public? I accept that I may not be fully versed in all the emerging fads and trends, but this one’s arrival, I admit, has eluded me.
Secondly, I struggle to understand why we as citizens must continually cater to aberrant or illegal behaviour. Yes, there is a difference between shooting heroin and “letting off some steam”, but once again the city’s response to a problem, a by-law-breaking one at that, is to further enable the problem.
What’s next – toilet paper stands?
By installing a urinal in public, we are, as far as I can see, giving tacit approval to pee in public. By legitimizing the urination, I can now see a loophole widening in any sort of prosecution involving public urination.
Says the accused to the judge, “Yes, I did pee in the planter next to that business, but only because the public urinal was fully occupied – and if you gotta go, you gotta go.”
Will that stand up in court? Why not? People are now allowed to camp out in parks around Victoria because there was not enough shelter in the eyes of the court. The city’s by-law won’t be enforceable until there’s an adequate amount of shelter. Who’s to say that this can’t be used as an argument to mandate the city to install more toilets and urinals?
Furthermore, it further enfranchises people to expect every level of government to take care of their most minute want or need.
No wonder so many people are p’d off. Once again, the taxpayer is called in to address a problem caused by a handful of people. We’re on the hook because some clowns can’t hold it.
Well I can’t hold this any longer – can the city please stop spending our money on needless projects that could easily be addressed by simple enforcement and personal responsibility? Stand up to these people, slap fines on them and put an end to this once and for all. Show them what kind of leaders you can be and flush this project before we start digging holes in the ground.
