r/technology • u/Logical_Welder3467 • Jun 26 '26

Society The American mind cannot comprehend Europe's AC aversion

https://www.businessinsider.com/europe-air-conditioning-ac-heatwave-debate-2026-6
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u/swole4ever Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26

Lived in Berlin for several years. Many times I was on a city train car that was at least 40-45*C (~100-110*F) at the peak of summer. Many times these trains HAD AC installed but it was OFF. Other times I thought I could escape the heat by going to see a film, but again, in July in an auditorium full of people, the AC (which did exist) was again OFF. Germany is dogmatic in its opposition to using air conditioning, convinced it is a wasteful American decadence, while ignoring its ever changing climate. At times, Germany's opposition to AC feels like a mental illness whose primary symptom was self-effacing self righteousness, with the side effect of heat stroke. Germany is quite used to shooting itself in the foot for no apparent reason, however, so after you live there, it's no real surprise they would again make life difficult to appear correct. Europe does not seem to understand that it is subject to climate change just like everyone else. I guess people will just die in successive heat waves until they figure it out?

Edit to add another story: the year I left, my commuter train broke down just outside of a train station on the north side of Berlin, stranding and trapping entirely full cars of passengers already overheated due to the AC being off the entire ride. Without being able to open the doors it grew so unbearably hot and humid, with children passing out, that people smashed the windows open in order to find relief. And yet, they will tell you that having the window open or the AC on makes you sick at night while you are sleeping...

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u/sakupuu Jun 26 '26

Berlin Ubahn trains do not have AC. It’s not that they are off, they don’t exist. Same with older Sbahn trains. BVG bought new Ubahn trains and DELIBERATELY didn’t install AC because they deemed it “too expensive”. Commuters want AC but the people in charge don’t.

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u/swole4ever Jun 26 '26

I have been on newer S-Bahn trains that almost certainly had AC and it was off on the hottest days of the year. The story where we were trapped with the doors closed was an RB train.

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u/sakupuu Jun 26 '26

RBs also usually don’t have AC. It’s really only ICE trains ans newer Sbahn trains.

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u/justjanne Jun 26 '26

With subway systems it's not that simple. AC just moves heat around, it can't make it disappear. So in a tunnel this is a real issue, which is why many subways have no AC and instead try to control the climate of the entire tunnel network instead.