San Francisco has been using a special hydrophobic paint on outdoor surfaces that is designed to splash pee onto outlaw urinators who try to use the city as an open-air toilet.
The paint, known as “Ultra-Ever-Dry,” is sold by US-based Ultratech International, which has posted a series of infomercial-style videos about its amazing water-repelling qualities:
The videos gave anti-pee vigilantes in Hamburg Germany the idea of using the paint on walls to deter and punish public urinators:
Hamburg’s efforts in turn inspired San Francisco public works director Mohammed Nuru to try out the paint in San Francisco, concentrating on nine walls that are in areas with a high concentration of bars or a large homeless population.
A public works spokeswoman told Reuters that the “bounce-back” effect of the paint causes the urine to soak the urinator’s pants and shoes. “The idea is they will think twice next time about urinating in public,” she said.