SF's Infrastructure Is Falling Apart Because People Keep Peeing On It

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

How many times do we have to say it? San Francisco, stop pissing on your city.

A streetlight fell down Monday night in the city’s Nob Hill neighborhood, narrowly missing a driver. The streetlight was old, officials said, but its metal base was also heavily corroded. Corroded by pee.

Advertisement

Public urination is such a problem that the city’s utilities commission is mounting a visual check of all 25,000 streetlights. And urine-soaked lamp posts aren’t the only infrastructure being undermined. The city recently finished painting nine walls with hydrophobic paint designed to repel the piss of people who treat the city like their own personal urinal.

Okay, but surely we can’t just blame humans for this—what about all the dogs?

“We believe there was some contribution of dog or human urine on the base of the pole,” PUC spokesman Tyrone Jue said. “It has actually been an issue for us in the past. We encourage people and dogs alike to do their business in other places, like a proper restroom or one of our fire hydrants, which are stronger and made out of cast iron.”

Advertisement
Advertisement

You hear that, Frisco? Please pee on the fire hydrants instead.

[SF Gate]

Advertisement