New culture craze?
Editorial
Guyana Chronicle
January 18, 2007
ONE of our photographers yesterday took a shot of a young man urinating in broad daylight against the fence of – all places – Parliament Buildings in Georgetown.
There he was, at ease, and relieving himself in full view of dozens passing by and around and he seemed to think it was the normal thing to do.
The photo stirred some talk in our offices and someone said there is a food stall in the city where men urinate right alongside whenever they please.
In and around the city, it has become common to see men of all ages stopping to take a pee by the roadside, in full view of women and children passing by.
It’s as if a new culture craze has sprung up in the country.
Men in mini-buses, cars and other vehicles no longer think twice about stopping to relieve themselves on parapets or against lamp and telephone posts when the urge takes them.
They stop, take a leak and are gone their merry way, with no one seeming to care.
Some people say the problem is that public toilets are no longer available for people in the city or are few and far in between and hard to find so men have to relieve themselves where they can.
Are women and girls not subject to the same problem and pressures? So, why aren’t they seen relieving themselves in public as frequently as men are?
Maybe, it is a growing and acute case of weak bladders that has affected Guyanese men that drives them to what seems to be a mounting compulsion, and perhaps the Health Ministry should launch an urgent public investigation into the situation before it becomes a national epidemic.
Maybe the answer to the rage is for the authorities to install public urinals at crucial points, such as at bus and car parks and in busy shopping areas.
Men urinating in public is a growing and disgusting habit that would not do the image of the country any good, especially with the influx of visitors expected for Cricket World Cup, the Rio Group Summit and other major events this year.
There is a major clean-up and beautification of the city and other parts of the country under way.
Verges are being cleared, derelict vehicles and trash are being removed, and so many other facets are being looked at in the major facelift exercise.
The authorities should also be looking at ridding the country of the new culture craze that seems to have taken hold of some men.
It’s time to ease their bladder blues.