The US is wildly over air-conditioned. I see people wearing coats indoors with some regularity. Restaurants, hospitals, theaters, cars, bars, people's houses and apartments, even hotel rooms - all ac'd like refrigerators. When I check in to a hotel nowadays the first thing I have to do is turn off the blasting a/c. In fact at the last hotel I stayed, as I checked in the receptionist made it a point to tell me where the thermostat was because, she said, "first thing everybody wants to turn off the a/c." 'So why turn it on so damn high?,' I thought, but didn't ask.

I was in a Denny's (God forgive me) the other day with family. It was a pleasant 80ish outside. And I swear more than half the people in the place were wearing jackets and sweaters to deal with the indoor weather, including several of the waitresses who were wearing heavy sweaters. We made the mistake of entering the place unprepared for the frigid clime. Within minutes the kids were shivering and I had to go back out to the car to dig some jackets out of the trunk for everybody. Used to be one had to dress for inclement weather outdoors. Now you have to put on special wear for the indoor weather.

Back when I was growing up (granted, dinosaurs were still roaming the Earth) very few places were air-conditioned, and those that were had it on only very moderately. We had a unique way to control room temperature back then. It was called 'windows' (no, not the Micrsoft version.) They were basically holes in the walls blocked by panes of glass that could be opened or closed at will. Some places had fans too. Room temperature could be altered by opening or closing the 'windows' to various degrees and sometimes turning on a fan. Granted, it was an imperfect method of controlling the temperature but nobody had to wear a coat indoors and I imagine energy bills were significantly lower.

I figure the US could save a tremendous amount of money and the resources used to generate power just by turning off most of the air-conditioners. Granted, the current thin-skinned princess-and-the-pea generation would be forced to suffer discomfort and hardship heretofore unknown by people their age, but it might be worth it to help diminish our energy addiction, as well as reduce our contribution to climate change (assuming the massive amount of hot air that will be generated by the inevitable moans and cries of the Whiniest Generation doesn't offset the carbon reduction.)

Colder rather than hotter... easier to add a jacket than to strip off a layer of clothing in public.

Combine that with cheap energy and you get the "why not" factor. 80 is comfortable to us... after having lived in the tropics... however for many 80 is sweaty stink time.

Especially when you factor in the added insulation layer of obesity.

I find it far worse in Bangkok than the States 'cause it's hotter & I do a lot more walking around - boil-freeze, boil-freeze, boil-freeze. It's a good way to throw your body off and pick up a cold.

I had a similar problem in the UK but with excessive heating especially on public transport. I'd wrap up warm and stamp my feet at the bus stop or train station. Sometimes there'd be a metal bench to sit on. These are highly conductive and suck the warmth out of your body as if you're sitting on a block of ice. The moment I entered the bus or train I'd start sweating and would have to strip off down to my t-shirt, which is a pain if I'm going 1 or 2 stops. The driver and ticket collector would be wearing a short sleeved shirt made from the thinnest material ever manufactured.

LTO, what yer missing is MONEY MONEY MONEY. Sales of AC units, electricity, repairs, maintenance, etc. The sacred cow of the U$A...making MONEY. Oh, and jackets that ppl will buy to keep in the trunk to endure meals, movies, etc.

Speaking of frigid temperatures... I've flown through Doha international airport several times in the past (maybe 6?), and I've now been twice since they've opened the new airport (I'm here now, on my way back to Cambodia). The place is downright frigid. At first I figured it was just me because of Cambodia, but I soon noticed it wasn't. A whole bunch of other people are stealing blankets from the planes and wearing coats. People sleeping are all in a crazy fetal position with their hands under their armpits in a desperate attempt to retain bodyheat. When I doze off on one of those lounge chairs, I wake up freezing cold. I have to walk it off for 25 mins and my teeth are actually chattering a bit before my core warms up again. Not sure why they set the ambient temperature so damn low. Too high is also bad, but it feels like 15 in here. I wanted to file a "feedback" complaint last time, but didn't know where to do it. Being here again has reminded me of why I wanted to do it. I figure I'll check out their website and send them and email when I get home. You never know...