On my way to or from the MARTA (subway) station, I pass a church that frequently smells strongly of urine. The courtyard on a level just lower than the street is usually occupied by the homeless at night, and I always assumed the bedroom included a bathroom, if you know what I mean. Yet, the odor was so strong although so courtyard was somewhat set apart,
On a recent afternoon, I chanced to glimpse a homeless man peeing in the doorway which was essentially a foot off the sidewalk. The church is on North Avenue, a fairly busy street and it was broad daylight. The gentlemen was not taking pains to be discreet.
I really wanted to run over and stop him. It was really sacrilegious. But what would I have said? I'd also risk him whisking around around on me, unable or unwilling to stop, a stream of #1 soaking my legs. Anyway, it wasn't a Catholic church he was peeing on, so I didn't care too much.
OK, just kidding, that's not true.
This episode at least explained why the smell was so strong. It's odd, as I watched the man leaking processed booze onto the sidewalk, I thought of a dog marking his territory. Perhaps repressed instincts; scent-marking at its most raw and primitive. Could there be some truth in this? Maybe better to leave it at face value, as the Atlanta Tourist Loop bus patrons saw him: a homeless guy peeing on a church.
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