Men Can Urinate While Standing, Rules A German Court

It took a court’s ruling to accord men the right of urinating while standing. A German court has ruled in favor of men’s right to pee standing up. The landmark decision was taken in a case in which a landlord tried to retain part of a tenant’s 3,000 euro deposit for allegedly damaging his toilet.

The unusual case was the result of a stained bathroom floor, which the landlord alleged happened because of his tenant. Apparently the tenant, who hasn’t been named for the sake of privacy, had the habit of urinating while standing up. Owing to the habit, the landlord alleged, the urine stains got permanently embedded into the soft marble laid on the bathroom floor.

However, the judge didn’t find the habit wrong, nor fit for a penalty. Judge Stefan Hank in the city of Dusseldorf quipped men who insist on standing “must expect occasional rows with housemates, especially women” but they cannot be held to account for collateral damage. He also noted that men were being steadily groomed or sometimes forced into peeing while sitting down.

Nonetheless, anyone who was in the habit of urinating while standing up shouldn’t be liable for a penalty. “Despite growing domestication of men in this matter, urinating while standing up is still widespread,” he said.

Interestingly, in Germany it is still a hotly contested issue. It is certainly no laughing matter when people debate about whether men should stand or sit while urinating. In fact, many urinals in the country have red traffic-style signs forbidding the standing position. On the other hand, there is a derogatory term reserved specially for men who sit and pee – “Sitzpinkler” – which implies that it is not masculine behavior.

Noting all of the above Judge Stefan agreed with the landlord that uric acid, a chemical commonly found in the urine, may have caused some damage to the bathroom’s floor. However, he ruled that the man’s method was within cultural norms, “urinating standing up is still common practice,” he said.

The tenant may have been let off the hook by the kind judge, who many suspect share the same habit, however, the landlord isn’t satisfied with the ruling. Though it is unclear as to whether he will appeal the ruling, Germany continues to be divided on the topic. Meanwhile, women are just trying to get the ‘hang of things’.

[Image Credit | Yasmapaz & ace_heart/Flickr, Wikipedia]