Urinating in public always involves a fair amount of risk. Streetside tinklers hope that no one sees their indiscretion and pray they don't get caught in the act by a passing policeman.
However, one Dutch man, head of the airline company sponsoring his country's speed skating team at the Winter Olympics, said he had an experience of relieving himself that was less than relieving when he was approached and detained by guards for peeing on the fence of President Vladimir Putin's residence in Sochi.
Atilay Uslu, the Dutch-Turkish head of Corendon Dutch Airlines and sponsor of the country's speed skating team at the Winter Olympics, told the newspaper De Telegraaf that he was detained by a dozen guards for urinating on the president's residence and held for about an hour before being released on Sunday night.
The Dutchman said had been looking for a place to buy a shawarma around 2 a.m. after attending a party at the Heineken Holland House when he could no longer ignore the incessant ringing of nature's call and decided to empty his bladder on a very tall fence.
During his detention Uslu, who did not know who lived in the villa beyond his impromptu toilet, said he heard the guards talk about a "one-way ticket to Siberia" and use the Turkish word for "dungeon."
When he was later released and returned his possessions, which included 3000 euros ($4100) for buying cruise tickets for his employees, he said that he was missing 1000 euros ($1366). He has not tried to get the money back.
The Dutch speed skating team has whizzed out to a fast start so far at the Sochi Games, winning seven total medals and three golds.
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