It essentially refers to finding it difficult, or being unable, to urinate when others are around. I've not used one since."Īccording to registered psychologist Rachel Hard, Paruresis – or "shy bladder" – is extremely common in men. I was unable to pee and I was so embarrassed – to this day, I still wonder if he noticed. In the post-film rush I ended up pissing next to my father-in-law, because the long queue dictated which urinal became available. I'd never met my girlfriend's dad, so was keen to make a good impression," he explains. "I was staying with my in-laws for the first time. Henry* also tries to avoid urinals, singling out one toe-curling memory of "stage fright" in particular.
#NUDE GAY MEN PEEING IN URNIAL SIMULATOR#
Used almost 3 million times, the simulator reveals that the majority pick urinals that are furthest away from other men when given different options. In fact, online urinal simulator is dedicated to this split-second dilemma. It's common for men who use urinals to position themselves far away from other men. But if there's another person in there and there's a spare cubicle, I'll use that." "But I once had an awful pee block at one of those exposed four-way festival urinals, and maybe that left some kind of mental imprint?" In terms of avoiding them, James says it's "a real case by case deal – if it's an empty loo, I'll use a urinal. "I never used to have an issue with it," he explains.
James, 29, tells me that, around five years ago, he began getting "stage fright" when using urinals. It turns out I'm not alone in my urinal antipathy. But as soon as I enter a public toilet, I'm out as quick as possible. At home, I take a leisurely approach, often sitting down while judging other people's meals on Instagram. As a gay man, I've got no beef with penises in most situations – in fact, quite the opposite – but the expectation to use a urinal and to pee standing up are the two biggest downsides of penis ownership. It almost always ends in the above result, unless I've had seven of my beloved vodka sodas. I quickly improvise a performance of faux penis shaking and hand drying, before exiting sheepishly. After about 30 seconds of inaction, the panic sets in, soon evolving into full-blown mental catastrophe as I realise that nothing is coming. Alternatively, you can wait it out, hoping that when you get there your bladder will perform. First, you wait in a separate, somehow more humiliating queue for a cubicle, publicly signalling to every man in sight that you're desperate for a shit – even though you aren't.
#NUDE GAY MEN PEEING IN URNIAL FULL#
Not only is the cubicle engaged, but the dreaded queue for urinals is, unlike me, in full flow.įor a man who doesn't like peeing at urinals, these circumstances present two choices. After heading to the men's toilets, my fears are confirmed: they're mobbed. After three vodka sodas with fresh lime and a splash of cranberry (yes, I'm gay), the familiar tingle of my bladder greets me. It's a busy Saturday evening in my local pub. This article originally appeared on VICE UK.