Piss on Airport Carpets

As a frequent traveler passing through airline terminals I commonly see folks laying their heads directly on carpets to catch some rest. As a man I must tell you that almost every unrinal in airport rest rooms has a puddle of piss below it on the floor into which numerous customers step and then track onto the carpets in the waiting areas. Think about that the next time you want to sleep on the floor.

the same could be said for any public space really - and don't swim in the sea because thats where fish go to the toilet

My first thought here is, "Who cares?'

Isn't urine sterile anyway? Sure, there are loads of nasty substances that get tracked around public places, but why bother worrying about them. The general precautions of washing your hands, staying relatively clean are good enough for most folks. The alternative of encasing oneself in a sterile bubble is generally not feasible in most world travel situations.

partymarty4870 wrote:the same could be said for any public space really - and don't swim in the sea because thats where fish go to the toilet

It's where we all go to the toilet. The ocean's downstream from everyone!

eh. There's often nowhere else to lie!

"Who cares anyway? Isn't urine sterile?" Have a Ph.D. do you? Certainly not in biology or medicine! My view is that those who care are people who would like to avoid the thousand, or so, diseases they can contract from laying their heads in a puddle of piss. Do you feel lucky? Okay then, let some stranger pull the trigger on your health. Check with your physician, or maybe, witch doctor!

Dr. P.

A recent study showed that there are more deadly germs on kitchen counter surfaces than many bathrooms.

Urine is basically sterile, which is why it is recommended that if you are low on clean water, you can use piss to clean off your wound as a last resort. Again- this is by experts on survival.

Secondly, if one demands a sterile bubble around one all the time, it is shown that said people tend to get much sicker when they DO get sick as a result of non-exposure to small amounts of microbes that the immune system needs to learn to handle.

There are way too many tales of 'careful' travellers in third world countries that went nuts making sure they didn't get exposed to alien germs, or even germs in their own country, but then had a salad with minimal amounts of foriegn microbes or ice cubes, result being a bad stomach when more careless people go along just fine not being particularly finicky.

If the carpet of an airport is bad, I shudder to think of the bacterial load of say, sleeping on the ground on a camping trip. Wow.

NOw, if you're talking about blood contamination, or swapping spit or bodily fluids with some foriegn or domestic partner, thats where the real contamination comes in, along with contact with a dead body or dead animal, and lastly, just shaking hands and then touching ones mouth. Much more scary than any given carpet.

Also, don't swim in bodies of water where there is an effluent pipe nearby, or drink water known to carry cholera..dysentery... That means the Jersey beach sometimes, since at times the bacteria count in that water can be sketchy as well.

Its not just travel... Must learn to balance your awareness of risks...

That is a good point, and I do think it is nasty to be sleeping or laying on someones piss... yes. I too have noticed the huge puddles underneath every urinal in every airport I can think of. Even though "they" say man-piss is sterile, I dont want it on my head or any part of me.

But I am not going to lose sleep over the fact that other people do it. By all means, go ahead, if it makes you catch up on some shut eye. I will opt for an uncomfortable airport chair over a floor with urine or whatever else may be tracked on it.

To all others, I respect your right to rest your head on whatever you like.

That is a good point, and I do think it is nasty to be sleeping or laying on someones piss.

But you're not. There are only minute traces, much as you most certainly sleep on someones crap when someone farts under the blankets.