Paris Piss Brigade Targets Urine Sauvage

Task force strives to stop Parisians spraying city with urine

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 1, 2009 3:32 AM CDT

(Newser) – A Paris task force charged with enforcing good behavior is finding human urine tougher to get off the streets than poodle poop, the Wall Street Journal reports. Members of the elite Brigade des Incivilités—Bad Behavior Brigade—can ticket offenders for everything from littering to handing out fliers, but they say public urination is the most persistent problem they face.

Hundreds of high-tech, free-to-use pissoirs have done little to reduce the persistent smell of urine in Paris—made worse by the summer heat—although a specially designed wall that actually makes the urine splash back on the offender has succeeded in discouraging Parisians from relieving themselves in one favored location. The brigade's ticketing for urine sauvage has surged in recent years, but city officials aren't sure whether that's due to a rise in uncivilized behavior or stepped-up efforts by the special agents.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

Hundreds of new public toilets around the city have done little to reduce Paris' public urination problem. (©zigazou76)

The 'Bad Behavior Brigade' was formed in 1986 to stamp out boorish behavior among Parisians. (Shutter Stock)

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There's a lack of civility. I remember walking around with my grandfather 40 years ago, and you'd pick up every bit of paper that fell to
the street.
- Bad Behavior Brigade special agent Jean-Pierre Rebete

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 6 comments

ChickenChopper

Sep 1, 2009 12:48 PM CDT

are blaming gay romans for frenchies pissing all over? weird shit, dude

jagerhans

Sep 1, 2009 12:39 PM CDT

once in Italy we had a common urban presence, the "Vespasiano" urinals , small grey concrete shacks taking their name from the roman emperor who taxed ammonia extraction from urine and coined the famous saying «money has no smell». Vespasianos were regarded as sordid, accused of being infested with gay people (which at the time were regarded as pure evil) and finally dismissed. since then our streets are flooded with urine of those unwilling to go drink something in some bar only to have access to the bathroom. I feel strange that in France there are free public urinals but no one uses them. They don't appreciate the luck of having public powers taking care of a lot of little things like free showers on free beaches and urinals, free medical care, and a government listening to them and not considering every criticism as an act of high betrayal asking for summary judgments and unlawful punishments like happens in Italy since the coming of the antichrist- I meant mr. Berlusconi.

riffran

Sep 1, 2009 12:23 PM CDT

That's just plain ole nasty.

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Paris Piss Brigade Targets Urine Sauvage