Live data from Hacker News

U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

reuters.com

211–220 of 329 posts

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stupid people like the first person mentioned in the article, who apparently doesn't live in an HOA and was asked by a town official to stop hanging laundry?

There is nothing wrong with asking.

I don't know if I necessarily agree with that when it's someone in a position of authority like a government official who is doing the "asking" since that typically carries the implied threat of some sort of repercussions

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#212

Quoted post unavailable.

> It still weirds me out that people in USA are such bad neighboors Don’t mistake single news articles for cultural norms. Things like these are in the headlines because they’re weird, rare, and noteworthy. I assure you this situation isn’t playing out across the entire US. Stereotyping an entire massive country based on a single news story about a weird dispute between neighbors is just illogical. This is outrage jo…

> based on a single news story

I've seen more than one story about this sort of behaviour from US housing associations.

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#213
post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree - it reads like propaganda paid for by this "Project Laundry List" organization, in the pattern of PG's Submarine article. Since when does this need to be a national issue anyways - "U.S. residents fight..."

The article establishes the national relevancy directly: > His principal opponents are the housing associations such as condominiums and townhouse communities that are home to an estimated 60 million Americans, or about 20 percent of the population. About half of those organizations have ‘no hanging’ rules, Lee said, and enforce them with fines. Millions of Americans live under covenants that prevent them from doing…

This is still a poor article. If that's really the point, then they should have focused on many other points related to covenants and not confused that point by including people who were not under covenants. They could also tell us what their solution is (make associations illegal?). Or are the just complaining without any solution or even a salient argument.

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You agree to the contract. As simple as that.

Why would anyone do that, then?

Because, and you may not know this, some people have standards they live by. They like "nice things". And there's large groups of them that feel this way and want to ensure they don't attract an antisocial person that has different values.

I feel like people have this really funny idea that everyone should accept them and respect them for exactly who they are and that people should respect whatever it is they want to do. This isn't true at all. Your mom and dad may, but no one else does even if we say we do.

We specifically construct social systems like private clubs, HOAs, etc to keep people out because we don't want to associate with people like them. A great thing about liberty is it allows us to freely associate which means groups of people can construct social gates which keep other people out that can't or won't meet a standard.

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#215

I can’t imagine such a freedom limiting law in any European country or here in the UK. Utterly absurd a country that prioritises freedom so much also dictates how people are allowed to dry their laundry. I’m sure if the wind could be taxed they’d not restrict it though…

You certainly can find areas in the UK where this isn't allowed. You may not be privy to them but I know they exist because I've been to them. In many places in the UK you must paint your home a particular color (black is common in farmhouse areas) and you must use materials that are appropriate to the listed status of your home. Some communities of people have by-laws as well such as where you must park your vehicle and if you can hang dry things in the front - which you can't where I know people that live.

In essence, anything your neighbors can see is highly restricted in what you can do.

And of course, many places don't have this and people have small properties so they park on the slim slice of property in front of their home.

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>What if someone decides they should park their car on the front lawn since the boat and camper take up the driveway? Or just set a couch up on the front lawn because I like to have a nap there? Wait, isn't America meant to be land of the free? Is it their front lawn, or is it not? I live in a much less "free" country according to any American, and yet neither thing would be a problem. It's your front lawn, want to…

I should be able to build a giant ferris wheel on my front lawn because it's my property after all!

If you can't see a difference between parking a car vs building a giant ferris wheel on your front lawn, then I'm afraid that's on you. There is a line with what's acceptable - but luckily in most places and in most people's minds it doesn't lie anywhere where you think it does.

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#217
Years back we rented a flat in a building that housed a lot of retired people. A regulation we weren't aware of was that you weren't allowed to hang anything on the railings of your balcony. On a day off we were cleaning and left a mat we'd washed to dry, hanging over the railing. It wasn't there an hour before we had a delegation at our door of angry elderly residents. They weren't one bit nice about it even after we immediately apologised, took down the offending item and explained that we were unaware of the regulation. Later we got an apologetic call from our landlord who said he was ringing because he'd received a complaint about us.

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#218

I can’t imagine such a freedom limiting law in any European country or here in the UK. Utterly absurd a country that prioritises freedom so much also dictates how people are allowed to dry their laundry. I’m sure if the wind could be taxed they’d not restrict it though…

No post body was provided.

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article establishes the national relevancy directly: > His principal opponents are the housing associations such as condominiums and townhouse communities that are home to an estimated 60 million Americans, or about 20 percent of the population. About half of those organizations have ‘no hanging’ rules, Lee said, and enforce them with fines. Millions of Americans live under covenants that prevent them from doing…

This is still a poor article. If that's really the point, then they should have focused on many other points related to covenants and not confused that point by including people who were not under covenants. They could also tell us what their solution is (make associations illegal?). Or are the just complaining without any solution or even a salient argument.

It's a human interest piece: I took the point of Carin Froehlich's story to be that it affects more than just the people who are forced to not air-dry their laundry.

Given the simplicity of the problem ("I can't hang my laundry [without people, including local officials, complaining]"), the solution is a little obvious ("I want to be allowed to hang my laundry"). I think the journalist who wrote this probably trusted us to understand that.

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I lived for years in Paris. Dryer don’t exists there. You just don’t have space for one … Is the weather THAT different in London ?

> I lived for years in Paris. Dryer don’t exists there. You just don’t have space for one … Is the weather THAT different in London ? Do you not have space for a washing machine either? In many apartments in the US the dryer is stacked on top of the washing machine. It doesn't consume any additional space.

I can't speak for Paris, but often in UK apartments the washing machine will be in the kitchen under the counter, so above them is counter-space.
Post reply on HN