Heat related question.....

[Miss Mary]

With a good part of the US suffering this summer, with excessive heat warnings, do you think we would be able to handle these high temps better if we didn't rely upon air conditioning so much?

Perhaps I'm showing my age (born in 1955) but when I grew up, we didn't have A/C. Most of my friends didn't either, our schools didn't have it. About the only places that offered A/C were the multi-plex movie theaters and as I recall, the post office. Yikes, that statement makes me sound ancient! I honestly don't remember people complaining about the heat so much, back then. We just - coped. As best we could. And we didn't have to constantly adjust to that blast of heat that get when you brace the outside - like sticking your head in an oven or furnace. Back then, you just walked outside. I remember drinking a lot of lemonade and iced water, having fans in many rooms and sleeping in the basement when it got really hot. And the pace was much slower back then too - slow mode and again, we all coped.

Of course temps have slowly risen since I was a kid.

Please don't turn this into a Global Warming thread.

I'd just like opinions. I wonder if we didn't rely upon A/C so much if we'd manage the heat waves better.

Thanks.

Mary

[wxmann_91]

What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, so, IMO, yes (to answer the first question).

We have no air conditioning at our house (never really needed it until this year), and the heat was strongest when we were still in Canada. My grandparents, both around 75 yrs. old, were the only ones in the house. Then, my relatives arrived at the same day we did. There were 13 people in house last week at the time, including two extremely playful toddlers and of course my grandparents. Most if not all beds were occupied by at least two people, and the oppressively sticky atmosphere didn't help. My aunt left in a couple of days, my uncle stayed until yesterday.

In the end, not one person had any problems with the heat. We relied completely on fans, drinks, and opening windows. And this is coming from people who haven't experienced heat for quite some time after living in CA.

When my grandparents and mom lived in China they experienced even more heat (of course they were younger though). They lived in a small house packed together (my mom has 5 siblings) while 110 degree heat raged outside. No A/C.

In Dallas, our apartment's A/C broke constantly, sometimes during 100 degree heat. Us five people lived again in a fairly small space. Fans though did the trick.

[x-y-no]

THis is a very valid point. One becomes acclimatized to whatever temperatures one spends the most time in.

[angelwing]

I think we would, we didn't have AC when I was growing up, my mom claimed it bothered her arthritis, but finally we got one little window unit when I was about 13 and put it in the living room only when the temp went over 90, At night we'd sleep on the living room floor or the webbed lounge chair (which I only tried for 1 night the floor was better)

Now *I* feel it in my knees with the AC, I can't take too much of it either, but back then we all complained but drank a lot of water and iced tea and we managed. People nowadays are too pampered I think (oh geez I sound like an old fart )

[wxmann_91]

People nowadays are too pampered I think (oh geez I sound like an old fart )

You don't cause it's true

[CajunMama]

Try riding in your car in the heat with the windows down. When you get out of your car, the heat doesn't seem as extreme. (Probably cuz you're already hot & sweaty )

[Stephanie]

I've had this discussion with friends in the past. I totally agree with you Miss Mary. I was fortunate to have a pool in my backyard so I pretty much lived in that sucker. We didn't have central air conditioning until we moved down here in NJ in 1977. I remember that summer in NY, we had a major heat wave of over 100 degrees and NYC had a brown out. This all occurred in the middle of July. I remember still hanging outside, riding my bicycle, etc. Our bodies were acclamated to the heat and we were able to deal with it.

[AussieMark]

well last summer our 3 warmest days were 112, 109 and 104

all 3 I had air con on for

I don't think I could handle no air con with those kinds of temps.

[Miss Mary]

We are pampered angelwing and if that comment makes you an old fart, count me in too! Life just moved at a much slower pace back then too. I remember lots of bike riding, swimming, hanging out in the woods and creeks while growing up. We also routinely slept outside, we'd choose someone's yard and drag our parents old beatup chaiselounges over, putting our sleeping bags on top. Nothing fancy. No tents. Open air sleeping, under the stars. Again - no A/C! And oh yeah, coed.....all I seem to recall was playing spin the bottle, that's as racy as we got. LOL

CM, my dad's idea of A/C in a car were the cozy windows. When you were dying, he'd say - angle the cozy window at your face!

Nothing my family owned - house or car, had A/C. I also remember my dad announcing after our home was completed (he was the contractor and did about 75% of the work himself) he had a feature added to the furnace, for A/C later on. But it would cost $500 to add it (1967). Each summer we'd beg him to spend $500 for A/C - no way he'd say. That's outrageous!!!!

All I know is yes it was hot back then but we never had to brace ourselves to go outside. Or adjust to a store or restaurant's very low A/C setting. I take a sweater to the movie theater it's usually so cold in there in the summer. Yeah, it's offical I'm an old fart now!

Thanks for the responses everyone.

[bob rulz]

While I definitely prefer air conditioning, and I don't like heat, I can still handle it. My house doesn't have air conditioning; just a swamp cooler (which really only reaches the nearest rooms) and fans, and I was cool enough for most of the summer. However, I can't handle cars without air conditioning. It gets hot in those things, and while rolling down the windows cools it down a lot, it's also very noisy, and I like a nice, peaceful, quiet car ride so that I can talk to people.

And just for the record I'm 16...

[Miss Mary]

Update......poor Stephanie's A/C went out. Philly is expecting 103 today! You can read about it here.......oh Steph, you poor thing!

She says I didn't jinx her with this thread.....

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=87602

[Stephanie]

You're so sweet Miss Mary!! (((HUGS)))

They will be out to fix it today. Marty said that they did call. Also, my office's air conditioning isn't working either.

Hey, maybe I'll lose a few pounds!

[angelwing]

Hey Steph I'll join you, the AC quit in my van so I'll be losing weight for my 45 mile ride back home

Glad to hear that it'll be fixed, it's wicked out!

[Jim Cantore]

Hey Steph I'll join you, the AC quit in my van so I'll be losing weight for my 45 mile ride back home

Glad to hear that it'll be fixed, it's wicked out!

Wicked doesnt describe it

It's death valley

[Stephanie]

Hey Steph I'll join you, the AC quit in my van so I'll be losing weight for my 45 mile ride back home

Glad to hear that it'll be fixed, it's wicked out!

Going home will be the worst time of it! I hope you don't get much traffic.

I went outside about a half hour ago and it was like walking into a wall, even here in Atlantic City. It's 94 degrees now but there is a hot breeze.

[angelwing]

I plan on leaving here by 2 so I can get to my other job by 4, with a stop off at home to chill out for a few