Culture Shock!

They kept telling us that we will experience culture shock after a few days here.  Except for the lack of tap water in restaurants the only real culture shock is the child peeing tradition of Prague.  This city could use a few of the above signs.  Andrew C and I were on our way to the metro station when we turned the corner and there was a kid with his pants at his ankles peeing on a tree with this father next to him.  Now if this was the first instance of this pants-around-the-ankles public urination by a small child I would not be so surprised (I suppose).  But as Andrew C was telling me, he and Andrew S were walking by our building a few days ago and there was another kid with his pants dropped peeing on the family car as his parents were packing the car for the weekend.  Confounded by this behavior, I later asked one of the RA's if this was normal Czech custom.  She laughed and said that she never thought about it but as a child most little kids in Prague are brought by the street or a gutter to pee if they have to.  I can only imagine that this comes as a result of the European way of charging for the use of a public bathroom.  In New York I occasionally come across a child, or otherwise, peeing against a wall or tree but at least in NYC they make use of their flies, a tradition that should be adopted here in Prague, or they can at least find a somewhat secluded alley.