eirikur said this incident is an interesting microcosm of how society and law develop the women of this town are attempting to regulate competition the social standards mechanisms i expect that shame has already been tried have failed so legal is next the point could also be to hassle the sunbather for reasons not given in the story the sunbather has probably pissed off the complainers in other ways too law and society are wholeheartedly trivial big fuzzy concepts like sluts vs moms are convenient vehicles for petty disputes as often as not lucas 