You Can't Go There!
By Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (19588)
London, England
August 22, 2024 11:20am CST
After the cafe stop it was onto the reason for my visit to the City.
Very much like today, in Victorian times there was a shortage of public lavatories in London, but a great deal more pubs.
After all that drinking with no toilets, but a convenient ally you can guess what happened next!
In an effort to prevent this use, urine deflectors were installed, the idea being to deposit any liquid on the boots of the offender.
Not sure if they were very effective, but they are a bit of talking point, these days.
This one is in Clifford’s Passage, just off Fleet St. There is another similar one near the Bank of England. There is also one next to disused Aldwych Tube Station, but I couldn’t find it, so it may have been removed.
6 people like this
3 responses
@Tampa_girl7 (50614)
• United States
22 Aug
I can’t say that I’ve ever seen one before. When I lived overseas I had the misfortune to see people use trees in very public places.
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (50614)
• United States
22 Aug
@Ronrybs I’m sure it happens here, but I’ve never seen it in the USA.
2 people like this
@Ronrybs (19588)
• London, England
23 Aug
@Tampa_girl7 Can't say I've seen it here, but not the kind of thing you go looking for!
@JudyEv (341836)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Aug
I hadn't heard of these but old pubs here had a gutter along the bottom of the bar; the idea being that men could urinate without losing their spot at the bar. Women were barred from public bars but what self-respecting woman would want to drink in such an environment? 
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (90339)
• Arvada, Colorado
25 Aug
Never knew of these..I always remember though no toilets ever available shopping in England dang it. Or of course paying for to go and walking miles.
1 person likes this
