to think that public buildings in this country DON'T need air conditioning

[kitnkaboodle]

This is a typical British wishy-washy summer. You go out in your summer clothes and just about feel OK until you get inside some shop, bank, etc, where the aircon is blasting out. Why?? It's unnecessary, unecological and uncomfortable. I can't think that it's sound retail practice either, because it just makes me want to scoot around and get out as soon as possible to the warmth outside.

Worst culprits round here - Lloyds Bank and the Co-op. Brrr!

Have you tried working in there?

I agree, I fucking hate air conditioning unless it's around 40c and above outside

yanbu. We have evil air con in our office and it makes the place miserable. even when I worked in retail we didn't need the air con on.

Totally agree.

YANBU. Total waste of time in the UK, so long the building is reasonably well designed.

But try Hong Kong. You go outside to warm up.

I would normally agree however a local chain shop round here is horrendous. It is hotter in the shop than it is outside in full sun. I am surprised no one has collapses in it yet. I used to work there and complained no end. Even the manager was unhappy but head office said it was fine (they weren't sat in it)

If it's any consolation, you can guarantee all the hospitals will have their heating at full blast to even things out.

It's definitely needed in our student computer labs at my uni. otherwise the heat of bodies and machines in a relatively small area (and where you can't have easily opening windows for security) would be unbearable. But outside computer labs (and other temperature sensitive labs), I agree it isn't needed.

I think it's great to have it, provided it's used correctly.

I work in retail and last month our air conditioning was broken. If you consider that those working have to wear their uniforms and can't just throw on a pair of shorts instead, you could see how it was unbearable. So while I apologise for your mild discomfort when shopping with us when the air conditioning is on, I'm afraid YABU.

I work in a small room in a GP surgery and without air con my room regularly gets up to 35 degrees in the summer. I have a portable air con machine and couldn't do without it.

it's not mild discomfort, at any sort of drop in temperature my extremities turn yellow and look dead, it's quite painful (Raynauds)

am also somehow mentally unable to tolerate cold but think I'm a bit extreme about it and could pull myself together but I don't want to, instead I avoid AC where possible

If you're forced to wear a suit at work, even the slightly warmer weather of the British Summer makes you pathetically grateful for airconditioning.

It's impossible to work when your office feels like a pressure cooker and you feel like a casserole.

YABU. People have different comfort levels and yours isn't everyone's no more than mine is. The people who work there should absolutely take priority over those who pop in for a few minutes.

I worked many years in retail. Even if it's cool outside the shop is sweltering. BMs is awful. Even worse when you feel like your going to pass out on the shop floor

I was in McDonalds this morning and they had the air con on. It was quite cold, but the staff (especially those in the kitchen) looks like they were melting. I suspect that has something to do with the horrible polyester uniform they have to wear!

Of course most aircon problems people have comes down to not being able to set the thing up properly in the first place (and I'm not saying that because I can. It's a dark art to me too). Certainly in smaller shops, where the "swing" function is ignored, leading to ice floes developing in certain spaces.

Last 3 hotels we have stayed in, no one has been able to set the air con at all. No instruction book. Refunds at the ready ....

If you have ever worked in an office when the air con is out then you will know exactly why it is needed. Computers, servers etc make so much heat you would be surprised.

I love walking into a shop with airconditioning. I hate feeling too hot.
Yes, it is a bit cold here today so it wouldn't be necessary but on a hot day it's great.

I've noticed that supermarket chiller sections are incredibly cold these days. They seem much colder than just a couple of years ago and you can feel the "cold zone" at least an aisle away.
Can't they manage something more environmentally friendly, like sliding panels to keep the cold in one area and use less power?

Hmmm - yes, I wasn't thinking of the staff, I'm afraid. And I'm not talking about offices - just shops and cafes, etc

But shops and banks are commercial, competitive businesses, and if their buildings are regulated to the comfort of the staff and not the customers (me!), then something is going wrong. I literally couldn't get out of the co-op fast enough this morning.

What I find really funny is those establishments who actually offer it as a bonus "enjoy an ice cold drink in our airconditioned lounge" etc - not bloody likely. We get a hot summer - how often? About every 5-6 years? but we all like to keep up the pretence!

I'm fed up of having to take my coat when I go shopping

but it NEVER gets hot in England

we had, what, 3 days of around 30c earlier this year (am in east anglia)?

So the staff should swelter and faint in the heat because it might be too cold in there for you?

I would HATE to work in some of those shops which are kept really, really cold. It's SUCH a waste of energy to have the doors wide open and the air con on (during the few weeks it is very warm).

You see many staff bundled in layers when it's vest top weather outside.

lavender apparently putting the cold and frozen food behind doors, or even those plastic strips makes shopping harder and they make less money.

Personally I cannot wait to zip right through. I might do a PhD looking at whether people stop and browse so much (and thus spend more money) in the cool aisles as they do in the non-cooled aisles.