To piss or not to piss

Almost every week the municipal police of Riga reports happy news that yet another pisser has been court pissing near or on the Freedom monument in Riga. It almost sounds like there is some mafia or network of organized pissing crime. Yet no-one questions why so often people choose to urinate there? Some local nazies think that tourists do so to “shit into soul of Latvians”. Actually the answer is pretty simple. First, they do so to experience a little moment of fame – they are filmed on CCTV cameras, immediately being court by bored police guys and after that most likely they will make headlines in local media. The fine for urinating is much cheaper than if they would decide to buy air time on TV or in press. Also, having done that perhaps turns the pisshead into some sort of a hero in the eyes of greedy friends as besides the sight-viewing in relatively boring city they have done something adventurous to tell their friends back home. Secondly, and this hasn’t been brought up yet, is to look at it from psychoanalytic approach – to think how the Freedom monument works at unconscious level for passers-by. What does the photo from google remind you? Yes, you are right – an urinal or a toilet seat. We believe that there is some sort of way how architecture and its shape can influence behavior of people.