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A local interest group has applied the special
water-repellent paint, also used in shipbuilding, on two
especially frequented buildings in the renowned nightclub
district near the port to deter "Wildpinkler", as Germans call
them.
"This paint job sends a direct message back to perpetrators that
their wild urinating on this wall is not welcome," Julia Staron,
who organized the group, told Reuters. "The paint protects the
buildings and the residents and most importantly it sends a
signal this behavior is not on."
In a video posted on YouTube that drew 181,000 viewers on its
first day alone, Staron is shown putting up signs in German and
English that say: “Hier nicht pinkeln! Wir pinkeln zurueck” (Do
not pee here! We pee back!).
The special hydrophobe paint is, however, expensive.
Staron said it costs about 500 euros to paint a six-square meter
area (65 sq. feet), but it was worth the effort and was already
having a positive effect on newly protected walls.
"If you compare the work involved for daily cleaning of the mess
and the awful smell, as well as all the collateral damage
involved, it has definitely been well worth it," she said.
Staron said her community group came up with the idea after
realizing conventional methods were not having the desired
effect.
"We tried to analyze the problem and come up with a solution,"
she said. "We were especially interested in coming up with an
idea that would be suitable for this quarter," she said,
referring to St. Pauli's famous redlight and nightclub district.
(Reporting by Juliana Woita; Editing by Susan Fenton)
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