Discussion Main / ClotheslineStealing

"May be becoming a Forgotten Trope due to the increasing ubiquity of tumble dryers."

Very debatable. Countries such as Britain appear to have an erthos where the tumble dryer is saved for days when it really is too rainy or cold or grim for clothing to dry outside. Experts actually reccomend air-drying clothes as it is better for them. A tumbler-dryer is also electricity-heavy and electricity costs. Nations where the sun shines a lot more - Spain, Mexico, Australia, italy, et c - also appear to favour the external clothesline.

I'm reminded of the authoritarian neighbourhood rules committees in the USA seeking to enforce fairly petty rules on all occupants in a street. There's a story about a british family temporarily resident in California, realised the sun shone longer, hotter, and more reliably than it did in Luton, and thought "Great!" we can save on electricity!" and installed thirty or forty feet of washing line in the back garden. Cue the local neighborhood committee, who demanded they take ot down, can't they use the dryer like anybody else, son't you realise this is lowering property values and do you wanna be taken for goddamm Mexicans? British family then said "there's nothing in the lease about this", and "Why use a dryer when you've got natural warmth and sunlight?" and "Have you heard the one about the Englishman's house being his castle? Get off my portcullis."

valuesdissonance?

Male, early sixties, Cranky old fart, at least two decades behind. So you have been warned. Functionally illiterate in several languages. Hide / Show Replies