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Arrr Bee's avatar

This is just bizarre. France is poorer than the US, and poorer than Israel per-capita (now), but while I grew up in Israel without A/C until age 15, when my parents added tiny A/C to the bedrooms we used them during summer nights, despite Israel having expensive electricity and a lower GDP per-capita at the time. Everyone had fans before that mid-80s change. These days my mom’s apartment has A/C in every bedroom and a central unit for the living room and kitchen, and while she is old school and prefers a fan, she’ll turn it all on when we visit.

This seems like nothing more than social pressure and weirdo stubbornness. The units are affordable enough now, as are fans. Nobody says turn them on 24/7, but during heatwaves? What is wrong with these people? France isn’t a developing nation. Is it illegal to put window units or cut holes in walls for the exhaust end of the A/C?

Amazingly weird, fun read.

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Agatha Englebert's avatar

Brico’s like Brico depot or Bricomarché. We bought our airconditioners (for houses in the Netherlands and France) here in France because they were so cheap and easily available.

So book an airbnb with air the next time. They do exist.

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