I used to have this problem, but I somehow got over it by imagining to piss in the face of the queen of England. Something about unloading in her face while she’s sitting there all prissy like makes me laugh which relaxes my muscles enough to piss.

Pro tip: If you have a shy bladder, you can just go into a stall to pee.

This reminds me of one night where a group of friends went out drinking. Just before we were going to leave the pub to go to one further down the road one friend said he needed to take a piss. It triggered something in a bunch of us as most of us realised we needed to go.

The toilets were really busy; that situation where you're pissing in what is basically a trough with your elbows touching the elbows of other guys next to you. Immediately on trying to go it just wasn't happening. I stood awkwardly for about a minute, zipped up, washed my hands and went outside.

Everyone gathered round and we started walking. We were walking in silence for about a minute when one guy said "Did anyone else manage to actually pee?" To which loads of us burst out laughing. Turns out we all did the same thing, even though we needed to pee, we all failed to do so.

that guy looks like the dad from cloudy with a chance of meatballs lol

The comic for the women's bathroom is two girls in stalls waiting for the other one to leave so she can shit.

I sit down when I pee. There nothin that crazy bout me.

So I don't really worry about getting caught "not peeing" or whatever, but I do often take a moment or two to get started.... and I also frequently attend concerts.

I never worry about being watched, but boy do I feel like a jackass sometimes taking thrice as long as everyone else when there's a line out the door between bands.....

Hah, I've literally been there. Imagine a 9'x9' prison cell with two men, steel bunk "beds", and a solid steel toilet. Also, you're high on suboxone because there's not much else to do in prison.

You're a grown man, standing facing the toilet with wiener in hand, with another grown man's head like 3 feet behind your ass. Standing there for what feels like eternity. And you're thinking "Oh shit. He's going to think I don't know how to piss or something. This is weird. His head is way too close to my ass. Fuck, I'd better not fart. I forgot how pain killers and shit can make you unable to piss. It's got to be the sub I took. I have to go so bad but I don't know how to make it work. I did forget how to pee!"

And as you panic, your bunkie finally says something like "What the fuck, dude? Did you forget how to piss?" and all of your fears come true.

I used to sit because it was more comfortable.

Now I sit for... Different reasons lmao

Great, now I'm not going to be able to pee all day.

I've got this trick. Basically, I start relaxing the muscles on the way to the restroom. Not enough that there's any chance I'll piss myself before I get there. Just enough that by the time I'm in front of the urinal, it's not difficult to start the stream quickly.

There was this one time I felt kindof bad about. went to the restroom where I worked (back before I was working remotely) and used "the trick" as usual. I get there, and there's a guy at one of the urinals already. I peed, flushed, washed my hands, and left the restroom before he produced a drop.

Of course, in all likelihood, "the trick" won't continue to work so well as my beard grows grayer, and some day I'll be the other guy.

I always thought this comic was upvoted because the absurdity of it is funny, not because it's a thing that people are actually anxious about and therefore relate to.

The solution to this problem is simple: Just don't use a public bathroom... the world is a giant, enormous shitter with endless and diverse opportunities to more or less hide behind something and let it flow.

Why let yourself be trapped and domesticated? Your Dick wants FREEDOM!

Here's some advice I received years ago for this very situation: if you're struggling to piss due to stage fright, imagine pissing on the head of someone you hate. Really imagine it. Imagine micturating all over their hair (or their scalp), the aghast expression, then them spluttering while trying to mouth 'What the fuck?' it does work. I don't know why it works - and I most definitely don't want to know - but it does work.

You're all most welcome :)

I could write a lengthy essay about how the design of modern western public bathrooms reflects our social hypocrisies, inconsistencies, and social ills. In fact I have been gathering thoughts for a while now with plans to do so.

And I too opt for a stall whenever possible, I'm a cis-presenting man but I still don't feel safe enough at a urinal for the pee to flow. But this stuff is often invisible to those it doesn't affect adversely.

This is one of the reasons why I don't understand how other men use pissoirs. Like how do you manage the absolute lack of privacy?? And I'm not even talking about hygiene (you don't use toilet paper when uaing a pissoir)

I feel this, also if I just can't squeeze anything out there is this additional awkward thought process.

When do I put it away? Will they know I didn't pee? Should I shake it to pretend I peed? Oh God there is a child next to me. Now everyone will think I am pretending to pee to see this child's weiner. I can't step away now. I'll just have to wait until the room is empty.

the bathroom never empties out, I die there.