• Sweden edition

Swedes feel full force of the law for public peeing

Published: 18 May 09 07:51 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/19506/20090518/

An increasing number of southern Swedes have felt the full force of the law since a 2006 crack down on peeing in public, a practice long forbidden but widely tolerated.

Police in the southern Swedish province of Skåne fined 377 people who could not wait for a toilet in 2008, an increase of 150 on 2006.

In Helsingborg alone 115 fines were served in comparison to 54 in 2006, according to the newspaper Metro. The largest increase in fines was however in Kristianstad with 99 people fined, almost three times the number in 2006.

In Malmö, which has seen a decrease in the number of public toilets in recent years, the number of people fined has increased from 66 to 88.

In nearby Lund it seems that those in need have become better at holding it in, with the number of fines issued down from 35 in 2006 to 24 in 2008.

Public peeing carries a fine of 800 kronor ($100).

TT/The Local (news@thelocal.se/08 656 6518)

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09:23 May 18, 2009 by blog
Maybe there should be an IPEED law to crack down on illegal wall-wetters.
10:10 May 18, 2009 by Kooritze
What about pooing in public?
11:48 May 18, 2009 by mobings
Implant RFID in every d**k head.
12:57 May 18, 2009 by Marc the Texan
How about more public toilets. Going from America to Sweden, Britain, etc. One of my pet pees is the dearth of public toilets. Apologies, but I've pissed all over Malmo, because there were never proper facilities around when II needed them.
15:23 May 18, 2009 by jose_s
i have to agree with you marc.... hopefully now that the law is stricter, people will put in a request to their appropriate kommun to put in funds for public toilets..... cant say how many times i've gone out early on a sunday morning only to be hit by the oh so refreshing scent of urine left by those out partying the night before. pooing i public? i think thats ok as long as you dont forget your little black plastic bags at home....
16:03 May 18, 2009 by Prat
The cops should concentrate on stopping actual anti-social activities, but they might have to run & sweat, or face threats. It is too easy to hassle a person peeing. I think there should be no fine for anyone. But how many people were fined who'd had no alcohol? Maybe there could be a drunk test, and if no alcohol impairment, no fine.

All public buildings should have accessible and clearly-labeled toilets; police station toilets should be open 24 hours.
16:21 May 18, 2009 by richparker
I can't believe no one thinks this takes the pi ss.

Who makes these laws: a lone maveric politician, flying in the raw face of disdain, at the cutting edge of social policy, or a boardroom full of bored suits ruminating upon ivory thrones?

Despite my remarks, I do not proffer wholesale urination in the streets ("allemanskissavägratt" kan man säger!) I find such unsocial behaviour as unap-pee-ling as the next person, but surely the puishment ought to fit the "crime".

This could be through public service: the irony of street cleaning/public toilet maintenance surely would not be missed on even the worst house-trained urinator; repeat offenders being required to do hard labour, by which I mean time in the sewers.

Is this not a better deterent, as the potent summer nears, that if boys will mark their boundaries in the bushel, they be charged with the leash.
16:36 May 18, 2009 by jose_s
Despite my remarks, I do not proffer wholesale urination in the streets ("allemanskissavägratt" kan man säger!) I find such unsocial behaviour as unap-pee-ling as the next person, but surely the puishment ought to fit the "crime"...........

what do you mean? i pee on the street and someone will pee on me?
16:40 May 18, 2009 by kmbr
Ummmm, maybe when you pay 75% of your income in taxes there should be some public restrooms??? Just a thought.
16:51 May 18, 2009 by Jasoncarter
hahaha - yup let's see if the Swedish police are willing to even make their stations visible to the public, let alone open outside of officer hours, let alone 24 hours a day...
17:04 May 18, 2009 by Mib
It could be worse....in the UK, if you are caught peeing in a public place, you could be classed as a sex offender and have to register to a local police station. Doesn't happen often, but can you imagine if you're the unlucky sod who is classed as a sex offender, simply for peeing.
17:22 May 18, 2009 by DeepFriedTwinky
Poo? Someone poos outside in a public area? Wow! Yeah, I do notice public restrooms are not as common. Wish it was. . .glad some places offer free access!
17:32 May 18, 2009 by bocale1
if "you pay 75% of your income in taxes", you must have very high incomes so... I am very happy for you and for your support to Swedish budget, with or without public restrooms...
20:25 May 18, 2009 by Yanksalot
more public toilets and all would be nice, but i am glad. Hbg has been one big urinal for years. people pissin on churches, stores, car wheels, anywhere. And yes, both m and f are as bad as each other.
20:43 May 18, 2009 by Jamtjim
I came staggering home from an all night frolick when i got caught short... I sneaked onto someones lawn and peed on a garden gnome i found there.

All of a sudden there was a shriek from the house and a middle aged lady came tearing out swearing at me. I thought "Crikey, we've got a looney here." Then I heard a noise from below me and realised that i was actually empting my bladder on her baby...

Woops!
21:01 May 18, 2009 by Mzungu
IMO this all sounds like a great load of wind and piss....

*time for a beer*
10:15 May 19, 2009 by chael
It would be understandable if there were more toilets. Half of the time I go to use the round toilets on the street for 2 kronor they are broken, sometimes not fixed for a week. Many of the 5 kronor toilets take your money and don't work or are inhabited by alcoholic's. If you are out for the day, you might need to pay between 10-25 kronor just to pee. You almost need a part time job.

ALSO, WHAT ABOUT THE POLICE ON HORSES. WHY DO THEY NOT HAVE TO PICK UP THE POO LEFT BY THE HORSES? DO THEY THINK WE LIKE TO SEE THAT? JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE COP'S DOES NOT MEAN THEY SHOULD BE EXCLUDED!
11:21 May 19, 2009 by Kind Man
95% of those guys who are peeing in public are those who drink beer.

Thank God I dont drink beer otherwise... LOL
15:46 May 19, 2009 by Shark99 - The Great Catsby
Once again Swedish police have their priorities straight. After solving the trombone and savory tart caper, and the illegal bicycle riders, they decided to go after the pee people. Heaven forbid they should go after some real criminal elements.
16:04 May 19, 2009 by Streja
It's too expensive to pee in Sweden, plus the toilets are never clean.

Now even the free toilets in stop shop are closed.
16:11 May 19, 2009 by Mzungu
Guess there is a bonus by living in the sticks after all?

*pee were you please*
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