Maybe it’s because I’m a girl, and it’s hard for me to do. Maybe it’s because, as Mike has suggested, it’s because I’m a city dweller. Whatever the reason, it’s not in my nature to urinate outside, in public places. Not everyone is that way, though.
Last night, after moving furniture around in our house in preparation for the refinishing of our hardwood floors, Mike, Elree and I retreated to the porch swing in our front yard to have a drink and chat. We were talking and enjoying the view of the Coronado Bridge at night when a kid who looked about 13 years old emerged from the house across the street. The people who live there are pretty trashy and their house is run down, so we all had a good laugh when the gate fell off in the kid’s hands as he walked onto the street. It didn’t seem to phase him, which was also funny, and he just sort of leaned it against the fence and then took off down the street at a brisk pace. When he got to the corner, he paused and then unzipped and proceeded to urinate against a pole. I couldn’t believe my eyes! This kid was peeing on the street corner, just a couple of houses away from his home! Who does that?!? Of course about 1 minute after he finished and walked back to his house, a police car drove by. I would have loved to see what would have happened if the cop had happened upon the kid watering the pole.
The three of us talked about public urination for a few minutes, and I thought that was the end of it. After all, how often do you see someone peeing in public?
It turns out the answer to that question is twice in two days (actually, twice in about 15 hours). Today I was at a strip mall and saw a man sidle up to a vending machine outside a Ralphs grocery store to pee. It was about 11 in the morning, bright and sunny outside, and this guy was not hiding in some hard-to-spot corner. He was practically in front of the store! This time I said something, telling him how disgusting I think he is (and, though I didn’t mention it to him, I also think he’s pretty lazy, considering there were a ton of stores with restrooms all around us). He sarcastically said “thank you” and I kept walking.
I’m flabbergasted. I don’t understand what this world is coming to, when people think they can just pee wherever they want. I realize there are bigger problems– the war in Iraq, global warming, genocide in Darfur– but maybe I can take this on as my crusade. Think globally, act locally, and pee in designated restrooms only!