A question for the Euros

[Nightshade]

Having a different culture is NOT by any means the same thing as having no culture.
So, if people feel that increased use of central A/C isn't a factor in diminished social interaction (I strongly believe it is) then what's the reason? I think that TV also has a good bit to do with it, but almost every new home I've seen built in the last ten years doesn't have a porch.
I remember sitting on my grandparents porch as a kid during the evenings, especially in the summer. They were always out there after dinner and would regularly talk with the neighbors walking down the street.

[Nightshade]

i think based on this thread alone that americans and europeans are equal in their lack of knowledge of each others respective cultures or the lack thereof...

Agreed, to an extent.

[prince1000]

Having a different culture is NOT by any means the same thing as having no culture.
So, if people feel that increased use of central A/C isn't a factor in diminished social interaction (I strongly believe it is) then what's the reason? I think that TV also has a good bit to do with it, but almost every new home I've seen built in the last ten years doesn't have a porch.
I remember sitting on my grandparents porch as a kid during the evenings, especially in the summer. They were always out there after dinner and would regularly talk with the neighbors walking down the street.

i would blame the automobile before i would blame AC.

[Nightshade]

Elaborate.

[Dave]

Hmmm.... we've got a fair coming up soon that draws 100-200K people each day.

And a festival just ended last week that had 500K attendance...

Don't worry, I just have to stick up for Podunk IA

[Tsakali_]

Elaborate.

simply put, b4 the auto towns where build in such fasion to where peole could get places on foot (the local grocery store etc.) imagine a bunch of people walking the same streets and not greet eachother heh would be kinda weird... the interaction starts there

edit: k my explanation is a little weak but I hope it'll do

[Nightshade]

Elaborate.

simply put, b4 the auto towns where build in such fasion to where peole could get places on foot (the local grocery store etc.) imagine a bunch of people walking the same streets and not greet eachother heh would be kinda weird... the interaction starts there

edit: k my explanation is a little weak but I hope it'll do

I don't think that your statement is incorrect, but I fail to see the relevance. I'm not talking about engaging in social discourse with those running errands, but rather simply being outside on the porch during the warm months to escape the heat.

[prince1000]

Elaborate.

suburban sprawl, enables people to move further and further away from the city and it's ills but most importantly further away from people and social interaction. then factor in the psychological and physiological affects of spending 2+ hours a day in a car if spent in traffic, as most people do that drive everyday. breeds a more individualistic and misanthropic society.

huge summation right there but i think you get the point

[prince1000]

I guess I need to call the organizers of our 20+ yr running annual City Stages event which draws around 200k people and tell them its off now because Pext said it doesn't happen in the US. lol.

nah, but you could stop being such a defensive and reactionary twat on the internet.

calm down there sparky, your sensitive side is exposed.

classic

[plained]

i kinda think that no matter where you live , if your bitter , youre jus a cunt to anybody happy

jus sayin

[Eraser]

Airco isn't common in households here in the Netherlands, but the average number of days with tropical temperatures isn't as much as in some regions in the US.

Most officebuildings do have decent airco, as do most shops. The newer generation of trains (from the past 10 years) have airco as well and more and more cars get airco too.

I think that if you ask the same question to someone from southern France, Spain, Italy or Greece you'd probably get a different answer.

[werldhed]

Yeah, but judging by your IP, your city is the one of the largest north of Chicago

Heh... That's true... but that doesn't change the fact that a lot of US towns (big and small) have such social events. I just picked the largest one. :icon26:

[Doombrain]

it never gets hot enough over a long time for people to invest in ac in the uk so shut up

[Tsakali_]

not to mention americans are way too spoiled when it comes to AC, I believe the recomended temp in most manuals here is something like 69... that's just unecessary

my girlfriend for instance sleeps under the covers while the AC is blasting away :icon27:

and it seems to be a pretty normal occurence here with many others

[plained]

really ey ?

im surprized that air cond is not that common in euro land

its pretty well all here

[werldhed]

not to mention americans are way too spoiled when it comes to AC, I believe the recomended temp in most manuals here is something like 69... that's just unecessary

my girlfriend for instance sleeps under the covers while the AC is blasting away :icon27:

and it seems to be a pretty normal occurence here with many others

Agreed. I never use A/C unless it's absolutely unavoidable. Like when it's 105 F like this weekend. I never even use it in my car.

My gf, on the otherhand, demands that it is always on. And I have friends that run theirs to the point that your fingers start to go numb. It sickens me.

[plained]

its 33 outside and 67 in here atm

[MKJ]

So, my question is: Do European homes have porches and the social interactions that go along with them?

our climate doesnt allow more than 3 days of 'porchtime' so, no, we dont have porches nor A/C

outside of the city a lot of houses have patio's though. but again, whats the point.

[Ryoki]

What should be said is that once the weather gets like it is now, most people tend to run from work to parks/terraces/what have you. In the back of our minds we have the unsettling idea it could start raining any minute, and every second of suntime should be enjoyed to the fullest before it's too late...

[MKJ]

and thats justified. fuck last month where it was 28C when i went to work and fucking raining when i went home

[SplishSplash]

In europe people build their houses with brick instead of wood, which is why our houses are cool even without A/C. (And don't get destroyed everytime a storm comes by.)

[Eraser]

Even the big bad wolf has nothing going against us!

[MKJ]

yet he still comes over to your house to blow

[ek]

Well in Australia we had a long period where there was a huge demand for cheap houses and apartments, so we built alot of shit houses without proper insulation. Hot in summer, freezing in winter.

[Nightshade]

In europe people build their houses with brick instead of wood, which is why our houses are cool even without A/C. (And don't get destroyed everytime a storm comes by.)

Gosh, no one's ever done that here.