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Is it illegal to urinate in the countryside in UK?

Thankfully, there is no general law forbidding urinating in public in the UK. However, there are still a number of laws you could be prosecuted under for an emergency toilet trip.

somersetlive.co.uk - What you need to know if you're stuck in traffic and need a wee

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Wherever you’re travelling this weekend, traffic congestion is likely to be an issue. The RAC estimates up to 14 million people could be on the roads over the August bank holiday weekend.

And at some point, they are going to need the toilet.

While this may seem a trivial issue for many, try telling that to the motorist stuck in traffic, busting for relief, with no public conveniences in sight. And a lay-by, sadly, is the next best thing and we’ve all kept everything crossed in the hope of finding one - and fast. The University of the West of England estimates that in the last 10 years, public toilets in the UK have decreased by 40 per cent. So with this in mind, here’s our guide on what you need to know if you get caught short on one of the region's main roads.

Is urinating in public illegal?

Thankfully, there is no general law forbidding urinating in public in the UK. However, there are still a number of laws you could be prosecuted under for an emergency toilet trip.

Outraging public decency is the first

This offence is prosecuted between 400-500 times in the UK per year. It can lead to an an unlimited fine and prison term.

According to inbrief.co.uk, to be guilty of this offence….

you must carry out an act which is lewd, obscene or of disgusting character, which outrages minimum standards of public decency as assessed by the jury; the act must take place in a public place, or a place which is accessible to, or within view of, the public; the act must take place in the actual presence of two or more persons who are capable of seeing it – it is irrelevant whether these people actually saw the act or were outraged by it. Prosecutions are rare. The last time a case of outraging public decency was brought to court was in 1989 after an artist displayed earrings made of human foetuses. The case ended with a £500 fine for the artist.

Indecent exposure

Another crime you could be committing is indecent exposure under the Sexual Offences Act of 2003. This concerns exposure that is considered offensive or morally unacceptable, so if you’re discreet, you’re unlikely to be punished. Finally, there’s the Exposure Law under the 1986 Public Order Act, but if you keep yourself to yourself you should be okay. You may not have to fear, however, if you’re on the A30/A303 this bank holiday, which has a whopping 25 public services.

Motoring offences

If you are driving on the motorway, bear in mind it is illegal to stop on the hard shoulder because you need the toilet. You need to drive on to the next exit or services.

According to the RAC, stopping on the hard shoulder is only permitted:

In a breakdown

In an emergency

If told to stop by the police

According to the AA, inappropriate use of the hard shoulder is an offence under motorway traffic regulations and incurs up to a £100 fine and three penalty points.

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Do guys and girls have the same size pee hole?

In females, the urethra is short, only 3 to 4 cm (about 1.5 inches) long. The external urethral orifice opens to the outside just anterior to the opening for the vagina. In males, the urethra is much longer, about 20 cm (7 to 8 inches) in length, and transports both urine and semen.

training.seer.cancer.gov - Urethra - SEER Training

Urethra

The final passageway for the flow of urine is the urethra, a thin-walled tube that conveys urine from the floor of the urinary bladder to the outside. The opening to the outside is the external urethral orifice. The mucosal lining of the urethra is transitional epithelium. The wall also contains smooth muscle fibers and is supported by connective tissue. The internal urethral sphincter surrounds the beginning of the urethra, where it leaves the urinary bladder. This sphincter is smooth (involuntary) muscle. Another sphincter, the external urethral sphincter, is skeletal (voluntary) muscle and encircles the urethra where it goes through the pelvic floor. These two sphincters control the flow of urine through the urethra. In females, the urethra is short, only 3 to 4 cm (about 1.5 inches) long. The external urethral orifice opens to the outside just anterior to the opening for the vagina. In males, the urethra is much longer, about 20 cm (7 to 8 inches) in length, and transports both urine and semen. The first part, next to the urinary bladder, passes through the prostate gland and is called the prostatic urethra. The second part, a short region that penetrates the pelvic floor and enters the penis, is called the membranous urethra. The third part, the spongy urethra, is the longest region. This portion of the urethra extends the entire length of the penis, and the external urethral orifice opens to the outside at the tip of the penis.

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