Gross Alert: 1 in 5 Americans Pees in the Pool

[steven johnson]

I know they chlorinate it -- but how's your gag reflex?

One in five Americans pees in the public pool, according to the survey conducted by the Water Quality & Health Council.
A less specific (but arguably grosser) finding shows almost half of all Americans (47%) admit to one or more behaviors that contribute to an unhealthy pool. There's no breakdown of what exactly the unsafe behaviors are ... one can only guess.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/weird/Do-You-Pee-in-the-Pool.html

[DS1]

1. 20% aka the same number of people who thought Bush was doing a good job

[Deja Q]

2. Okay, so tell everybody to put the cups back in the cupboard and stop taking the free sips.

:shrug:

[qnr]

3. I know thousands of people that never go near a pool. They must have a set

day where they make a special trip just to keep the average up.

[struggle4progress]

4. Actual survey claim is not "1 in 5 pees" but "1 in 5 has peed" -- a rather different claim

I'd bet that most pool-peeing was by children -- and I bet most of them quickly stop: "You pee in the pool!" was not an uncommon insult when I was a kid, and the invariable retort was "I do not!" -- though I heard a small number of kids actually confess to the activity before they realized it was not approved, and I have heard several adults admit they sometimes did this as children

Since fresh pee is typically sterile, while fecal matter is a common source for waterborne pathogens, I'd guess bathers with unwashed scuzzy butts were contributing to pool-spread disease, much more than the occasional idiot who pees

[Kali]

7. that is what I was thinking

sterile pee, dirty bodies (not just fecal matter)

intellectually I would take the pee
emotionally I just live in denial:rofl:

[Captain Hilts]

5. That means two out of every five do so. nt

[DarkTirade]

6. Oh yeah? Well, do you know how many fish pee in the ocean?

:P

[mentalsolstice]

8. I won't pee in pools, but I'll readily pee in the ocean.

In fact, I've gotten myself off my beach towel with the excuse that I'm going into that water to cool off, when really all I need to do is pee. Maybe TMI.

[charlie and algernon]

9. 4 out of 5 Americans are lying