It’s ‘Peeback Time’ In Germany: New Anti-Urine Paint Splashes Pee Back At Drunks

Public urination is as common in Germany as it is anywhere else in the world, but the city of Hamburg has had enough of the pee and is fighting back in a very effective way.

Most people are all-to-familiar with the experience of leaving the movie theater or walking down a back alley to get home, only to be met by the pungent smell of stale urine, which makes some of us physically nauseous.

So what about a special paint, known as hydrophobic paint, which deflects pee back on to the person peeing to dissuade them from using the particular wall or doorway?

As Uwe Christiansen, who is a board member of the St Pauli Interest Community, which is spearheading the initiative, told reporters, “It was a real annoyance that was growing and growing. We wanted to bring people to reason.”

Since no amount of signs or threats dissuaded people, especially men, from peeing where they wanted, the new paint is revolutionary as the person peeing ends up with shoes and pants full of their own urine.

There are even signs on the newly painted walls which read, “Don’t pee here! We’ll pee back.”

Despite the fact that the new paint has only been up for a few days, according to Christiansen, locals have welcomed it and think it’s an awesome deterrent, “I’ve seen in Facebook and the local newspapers that the reactions were very positive. People were just tired of the peeing on walls, home entrances and playgrounds.”

The campaign’s local organizer, Julia Staron, spoke to Spiegel Magazine about the new initiative, telling them, “We don’t want to send tourists away, we’re happy to host them. The solution is just to explain our rules. Don’t photograph prostitutes while they’re working. Don’t vomit in mailboxes. And now, don’t pee on walls! This paint action is just the beginning.”