No Number One

Everyone who has passed this way, Coles & Newark, knows why this sign adorns the back of Pinos. Panhandlers station themselves on the north side of Newark, harass pedestrians and the customers of Goody’s Chinese Food and the Paradise bodega, and use this spot as their toilet. I saw this many times. Nothing quite makes your night as having to cross in the middle of the street carrying your take out dinner in order to avoid the addict pissing behind Pinos. The panhandlers are usually benign, but sometimes, when they’re particularly high or drunk, they get belligerent. They seem to get chased away, but they always come back. Now there’s an official warning. No Urinating. Will it be heeded or ignored? Yes, we live in a city where people have to be reminded not to go to the bathroom in public. I wonder though, does the sign imply number two is permitted? And, can people urinate on the sidewalks by the those buildings that have no sign? Guess we’ll have to check the municipal codes to determine these violations. For now, one hopes the No Urination sign is more effective than Jersey City’s No Parking signs.