Are Americans really prudes?
Yes, that is not a stereotype, it is true. If you don’t want any trouble with the police, better not take off your bikini top at a public beach. Even in the changing room Americans do not like to be naked – who gets undressed completely chooses a single cubicle. Even little children may not be seen naked in public. From an American point of view, it is highly indecent to let children run around unclothed – even on the beach or the swimming pool – in public.