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How Urinals Helped Win World War II

It is commonly believed that the victor in any war is the one with the biggest army and best weapons. There is another factor, however, that is equally important, namely the quality of the leaders and their strategic capabilities. As part of that, being able to communicate, especially to obtain covert information, is critical to thwarting the enemy. It might surprise you to learn the extreme measures that go on beyond what you see in movies and television shows. For example, during World War II, it was the open-air urinals in Paris that helped win the war.

The idea of public urinals might be distasteful by today’s standards in many areas of the world, but these proved to be effective rendezvous points where members of the French Resistance could report on enemy movements with nobody being the wiser. They were also used by Allied spies and soldiers to avoid Nazi interference when passing along weapons and information.

While the idea of having open-air urinals wasn’t for this purpose, it certainly fit the bill as a place to go that didn’t arouse suspicion. The actual reason for them was to reduce the problem of urine on sidewalks, buildings, and alleyways. At one point there were more than a thousand open-air urinals in Paris, but eventually they came into disfavor. There is just one remaining, despite some interest in reviving the practice.

While it is highly unlikely that you have open-air urinals at your business, you do need to maintain the ones you have for your customers and staff. At hybridH2o, we offer waterless urinal products for private and public urinals that make a great addition to any waterless urinal. Reach out today to learn more.