True or False: Is it illegal in Switzerland for men to pee standing up after 10pm?
You may have seen claims on social media sites that men in Switzerland aren't allowed to pee standing up after 10pm and wondered whether it is true. After all, the Swiss have some very strange rules.
Over the years, many stories have circulated about some very bizarre habits and rules that Swiss people have created to complicate their (and everyone else’s) lives.
For instance, you can’t engage in any even remotely noisy activity on Sundays or late evenings, or dispose of your trash in a haphazard way.
READ MORE:
- Six things you shouldn't do on a Sunday in Switzerland
- EXPLAINED: Why the Swiss government rummages through your garbage
So while the ban on nighttime vertical peeing sounds totally plausible in Switzerland, do people (specifically, men) really have to comply with it, or is this just an urban legend?
If you’ve been holding your breath (or bladder) waiting for the answer, you may find the response somewhat wanting.
Our research revealed that there is some truth to this rule, though it comes with a lot of nuances, similar to the urban myth about flushing toilets at night:
Swiss daily dilemmas: Can I flush my toilet at night?
Hopefully, this information will bring you... some relief.
The truth behind peeing
Without getting too deeply into the details of male urination pattern, it is obvious that when men relieve themselves while standing up, the noise made by this action can be quite loud.
The decibel level also depends on how tall the man is and how full his bladder is — the taller / fuller combination will result in louder peeing.
It all depends on how loud you are and how thin the walls are. Photo by Elyas Pasban on Unsplash
Much also depends on who is within the earshot of the bathroom and how thick or thin the walls in the apartment building are.
Daytime versus nighttime peeing
While during the day, loud peeing may be a bit more tolerable, at night the noise can be disturbing to your neighbours (again, it depends on how thin your walls are).
In Switzerland, the hours between 10 pm and 7 am are designated as national quiet time, meaning that no loud noises are allowed anywhere in the country.
While nobody can outright forbid peeing during the night — standing, sitting, or swinging from a trapeze — being a good neighbour means not disturbing the sleep of people around you.
In general, Swiss law requires tenants to be considerate of other residents in the building, though this rather general statement leaves a lot up to individual interpretation.
Still, common sense dictates that a very tall man emptying his full bladder can be bothersome to some people, though certainly not as much as someone playing a drum in the middle of the night, a dog howling at the full moon, or this:
‘Oh God — I'm coming': noise row goes public
The bottom line is that while upright peeing after 10 pm is not a criminal offence and you won’t be led away in handcuffs, it could be disturbing to sensitive, or just cranky and irritable, neighbours.
So what should you do if you get a call of nature in the middle of the night?
First, read your rental agreement to see whether, and what type of, nighttime noises are not allowed.
You may also want to sit on the loo rather than stand, insulate your walls, or go live far away from civilisation.
And here are some other Swiss rules that may keep you awake at night:
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Over the years, many stories have circulated about some very bizarre habits and rules that Swiss people have created to complicate their (and everyone else’s) lives.
For instance, you can’t engage in any even remotely noisy activity on Sundays or late evenings, or dispose of your trash in a haphazard way.
READ MORE:
- Six things you shouldn't do on a Sunday in Switzerland
- EXPLAINED: Why the Swiss government rummages through your garbage
So while the ban on nighttime vertical peeing sounds totally plausible in Switzerland, do people (specifically, men) really have to comply with it, or is this just an urban legend?
If you’ve been holding your breath (or bladder) waiting for the answer, you may find the response somewhat wanting.
Our research revealed that there is some truth to this rule, though it comes with a lot of nuances, similar to the urban myth about flushing toilets at night:
Swiss daily dilemmas: Can I flush my toilet at night?
Hopefully, this information will bring you... some relief.
The truth behind peeing
Without getting too deeply into the details of male urination pattern, it is obvious that when men relieve themselves while standing up, the noise made by this action can be quite loud.
The decibel level also depends on how tall the man is and how full his bladder is — the taller / fuller combination will result in louder peeing.
Much also depends on who is within the earshot of the bathroom and how thick or thin the walls in the apartment building are.
Daytime versus nighttime peeing
While during the day, loud peeing may be a bit more tolerable, at night the noise can be disturbing to your neighbours (again, it depends on how thin your walls are).
In Switzerland, the hours between 10 pm and 7 am are designated as national quiet time, meaning that no loud noises are allowed anywhere in the country.
While nobody can outright forbid peeing during the night — standing, sitting, or swinging from a trapeze — being a good neighbour means not disturbing the sleep of people around you.
In general, Swiss law requires tenants to be considerate of other residents in the building, though this rather general statement leaves a lot up to individual interpretation.
Still, common sense dictates that a very tall man emptying his full bladder can be bothersome to some people, though certainly not as much as someone playing a drum in the middle of the night, a dog howling at the full moon, or this:
‘Oh God — I'm coming': noise row goes public
The bottom line is that while upright peeing after 10 pm is not a criminal offence and you won’t be led away in handcuffs, it could be disturbing to sensitive, or just cranky and irritable, neighbours.
So what should you do if you get a call of nature in the middle of the night?
First, read your rental agreement to see whether, and what type of, nighttime noises are not allowed.
You may also want to sit on the loo rather than stand, insulate your walls, or go live far away from civilisation.
And here are some other Swiss rules that may keep you awake at night:
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