City o' freaks

I have lots of things to post about, all of which I hope I'll get to at some point. But for now, just a random observation: why is it acceptable in Hamburg to take a piss in public, as in piss on the sidewalk, in broad daylight? Today I was sitting outside my favorite cafe having a cup of coffee and some delicious chocolate cake. I had a new book of short stories, a super table and all the time in the world - the set-up for a wonderful and relaxing afternoon. And what happened? Immersed in a E.M. Forster story, I heard the sound of liquid hitting the pavement. I looked across the street expecting to see someone watering flowers or perhaps someone pouring out a bottle of water. Instead, a hobo-like person had his or her (not clear which, and frankly, don't want to know) pants pulled down and taking a piss while standing in the middle of the sidewalk. Keep in mind it was round about 3:30 in the afternoon on a fairly busy street. And no one blinked an eye. I would think this was just some random occurence, but it's the fourth such incident I've seen in the past 2 years. That may sound random to you, but keep in mind I spent over 25 years in Kansas as well as two years in the Rheinland and never experienced anything like that. Did I miss the day in German class when the cultural acceptance of daytime sidewalk pissing in Northern Germany was discussed? 'Cause I just can't seem to find it in my heart to be ok with that. Guess I really am a closet conservative.