Chemical warfare and the "#1" Bumper sticker
We passed a car with a bumper sticker that said, “I pee in pools.” This was after the truck with a sticker for a presidential contender whose name rhymes with “grump.” Neither stickers are commonly spotted, in at least this part of eastern North Carolina. It was the “pool” sticker that got me to musing. I hoped that the driver did not live in our apartment complex since I am a daily swimmer in the saltwater pool.
Who has a sticker like this? More concerning is how frequent of an activity is this?
Turns out that the phrase, and earlier variation, “I pee in the lake,” is also available on t-shirts and hats. I went searching in our nearby beach shop that has all kinds of crazy stickers and shirts. No luck. I guess that is a good thing.
I surveyed a handful of friends regarding their thoughts on the bumper sticker. Though the surveyed demographic could be categorized as “hanging on to middle age,” their responses were universally negative regarding the driver. “Weird thing to joke about,” “undertones of laziness and not caring about others,” “risky behavior,” “attention seeking,” “self-esteem issues growing up”. The wearing of a slogan hat or t-shirt is a bit contextual. Perhaps a little funny but not if worn at the pool or to a job interview.
Beyond the attempt at humor, I was more concerned about the reality of the action behind the statement. Upon internet research (of course all the websites are accurate) I discovered a few facts:
· The majority of individuals surveyed have peed in the ocean.
· A well-known Olympic swimmer interviewed stated, regarding her teammates, that “everyone does it” citing the length of time of training, hydration before meets, and the lack of time to get to a bathroom before a meet. Oh, the things we did not learn during the coverage of the Paris Olympics. Gives new meaning to “USA – We’re number one.”
· I had always wondered about the use of dyes in pool water that would identify with blue color those that did “number one” in the pool. Never saw blue, never wanted to test it and find out personally. Conclusively, the blue pool dye threat is one of the greatest of pool myths, discouraging millions (if not many billions).
The chemistry lesson for this week’s blog post: Urine is part sodium and part chloride. “Urinating in a pool is dangerous for your heart? Urine and chlorine create dangerous chemicals when combined. Cyanogen chloride is classified as a chemical warfare agent and can damage your heart and lungs.”
Additionally, and contrary to common misperceptions, urine is not sterile. It contains bacteria as does everything in your body. Don’t pee in the pool.
As for the bumper sticker, if one is trying to be belligerent at least it is less offensive than a Confederate flag sticker or nasty political comment. The bar is low these days.