The Local, an English-language newspaper in Sweden, recently reported that a 45-year-old man avoided a fine for general public peeing. The man from Nacka (a Stockholm suburb) got off because he was discrete and failed to upset, which fulfilled a Stockholm court’s litmus test.
Nacka ruling makes open public peeing acceptable to everyone
Many believe it is totally acceptable to pee in public, as long as a catheter is not required to implement it, however most are worried the law will come in as a result of public censure. The Swedish newspaper Metro points out that public urination is indeed banned by statute in Sweden – there’s an 800 kronor fine ($120) – but that didn’t stop about 5,000 Swedes at critical mass from seeking public relief in 2009.
However, the Nacka ruling (as it is now popularly called in Sweden) changes the playing field. The door may now be open for Swedes to avoid fines for general public peeing within the event of emergency. So long as the afflicted makes reasonable effort to discover a toilet, and barring that avoids blatant public exposure and shields body parts, a Swedish courtroom may allow public urinators to walk. That’s a legal precedent that may sound like a boon to the Spring Break Stockholm crowd, however in reality it could wind up being a sticky interpretation-related mess for Swedish law enforcement. Where does a cop draw the line? When should the person be fined?
Court says ‘Intent to offend was lacking’
Stockholm district court Judge Annika Johansson determined that the Nacka resident’s actions were not intended to offend others and were not inherently offensive. The man just needed to go the bathroom. He was waiting for the bus and no toilets were around. He went behind the bus stop façade when he decided he could not wait anymore. Evidently he was not intoxicated and conducted himself as discretely as possible under the circumstances.
The United States should pay attention. It is possible to follow the law with reasonable interpretation. This is proof.
Info from
The Local
thelocal.se/29270/20100927/
Marathoners will come running to get it!
youtube.com/watch?v=8eLU5wYWKd4
