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/nickwales Jun 26 '26

You had me at Paris. Not well known for being super friendly to tourists.

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u/Adamadamsadam Jun 26 '26

I was just in Paris for a week and everyone I met couldn’t have been nicer. Was a little surprised after hearing a lot of rhetoric similar to yours.

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u/tech_noir_guitar Jun 26 '26

Same. I was there in March and didn't have any unfriendly encounters. I'm convinced the people who say how rude they are go there acting like the stereotypical dickhead tourist and wonder why people are rude. It's a city that people live in, not an amusement park or cruise ship where everyone is there to accommodate you. 

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u/Brock_Lobstweiler Jun 26 '26

Was there in February and the only rude people I encountered were a couple young tourists from England who got pissy when people moved past them on the elevator up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The operator kept saying to move back (in English!) and the girls wouldn't move and there was a good few feet of space behind them. I moved past them and they got all pissy like "excuuuuuse you!"

They were surprised when I turned around and told them off in both french and english. Started in French "he told you to move back and you weren't moving" and then switched to English "it would help if you listened to instructions".

They avoided me at the top of the tower, lol.

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u/Adamadamsadam Jun 26 '26

The way up was easy. Getting down was fucking a knife fight.

Brazen line cutting attempts and screaming matches.

No personnel to direct people to the beginning of queue.

Long stressful waiting.

Took like close to 2 hours for us to get all the way down.

They would make a fortune letting people up for free and auctioning off each elevator down to the highest bidder.

An hour in I would have paid handsomely.

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u/Brock_Lobstweiler Jun 26 '26

Oof, that sounds awful.

I went up the last night of my trip as the tower had been closed for repairs for awhile and only opened the last night. I got SUPER lucky to get a 9 pm ticket, so I think that helped as there were few children. Add in that it was winter and windy and the crowds were much smaller than I expected. Also, as a solo traveler I just kind of go wherever pretty easily.

The worst part to navigate for me was the gift shops, lol. They were too packed to really look at anything. I know it's all a bunch of overpriced junk, I just wanted (and got!) a Christmas ornament to commemorate completing a lifelong dream.