Too pissed to drive?

May 19, 2008 10:55 AM

Too pissed to drive? ("An interactive urinary experience - not to be mistaken with the Wii.") Those naughty but practical Germans have come up with a way to discourage men from driving drunk using a video game embedded in a urinal. I don't know how successful it's been in the real world, but it did win a silver Clio award for Innovative Use of Technology. If you don't plan to be in a Frankfurt bar any time soon, or if you lack the necessary equipment to play, you can try the wee-free simulation here.
posted by maudlin (11 comments total)

Not quite so interactive, but I've always liked the Clearances-themed urinals at a pub near me.
posted by jack_mo at 11:22 AM on May 19, 2008

Yur-EYE-nuls? Really?
posted by miss lynnster at 11:23 AM on May 19, 2008

So, I played for a bit. Didn't crash (good thing too, I've only had coffee today). Got bored. Crashed on purpose (just to see the accident. Verdict: pretty cool). Here's my question: is there a point at which the game lets you know that you are not, in fact, too pissed to drive?

(Also, is this game like rigged or something? Because, you know, if you think it's cool to drive on the wrong side of the road than you are clearly too pissed to drive, even if you do dodge all the cars.)
posted by oddman at 11:26 AM on May 19, 2008

Is this the technology?
posted by mkb at 11:33 AM on May 19, 2008

And then there's the Dutch and their favourite trick for you-EYE-nuls: putting a fly sticker at an optimal location. Apparently it reduces splashback and keeps the area clean for a longer time. So if you give a man something fun to aim at, everybody's happy. (No real flies were harmed during this act of micturition.)
posted by maudlin at 11:37 AM on May 19, 2008

I was gonna post that MIT's media lab (or whatever it's called) did something like this (now here) a few years back, but then I saw that the same guys did them both. Pretty neat.
posted by inigo2 at 11:52 AM on May 19, 2008

Maybe I'm drunk, but the simulation link just shows me a blank screen and some music playing in the background. Do I need to start peeing on my monitor to start the game?

please answer quickly
posted by whir at 12:21 PM on May 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

This is a big FAIL for the stated purpose -

First, I don't need the guy next to me at the urinals to have any more reason than 12 beers to weave back and forth and piss on my shoes.

Second, what the hell is the guy going to do when he crashes the piss car - quick drop everything, whip out a pad of paper and pen, and jot down the cab's phone number? More splattered piss everywhere.

Nah. Here's what's going to happen - he's going to whip half around to yell to his friends waiting in line for the pisser that "WHOOOHOOO YEAHHHH...FUCKIN' NAILED THAT OTHER CAR." While I, once merely annoyed by the drops of piss on my shoes, am down right ready to kill the frat boy fucker for soaking my whole pant leg.

No matter how you cut it, this spells peemageddon.
posted by Muddler at 1:43 PM on May 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

But, is it as fun as Super Pii Pii Brothers?
posted by pompomtom at 4:47 PM on May 19, 2008

In related news -- Urinal Video Game Launched

"Two Belgian beer fans have launched a video game named Place to Pee, which allows players to fly down ski slopes or kill aliens while relieving themselves at urinals.

Werner Dupont, a software developer and Bart Geraets, an electrical engineer, got the idea while drinking beers.

'The Place to Pee' booth is designed for two users at a time and offers two games - blowing up aliens in outer space or skiing down a virtual slope.

Gamers hit their target by aiming at sensors positioned on either side of the urinal.

A specially designed paper cone allows women to play too, the inventors say.

Their Place to Pee logo resembles Manneken Pis, the little urinating boy fountain that is among Brussels' top sightseeing attractions."

posted by ericb at 8:40 PM on May 19, 2008

miss lynnster - that's standard (London-ish) British pronunciation for 'urinal'.
posted by altolinguistic at 6:33 AM on May 20, 2008