U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry

[insaneintenti0n]

U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry - Yahoo! News

PERKASIE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) – Carin Froehlich pegs her laundry to three clotheslines strung between trees outside her 18th-century farmhouse, knowing that her actions annoy local officials who have asked her to stop.

Froehlich is among the growing number of people across America fighting for the right to dry their laundry outside against a rising tide of housing associations who oppose the practice despite its energy-saving green appeal.

Although there are no formal laws in this southeast Pennsylvania town against drying laundry outside, a town official called Froehlich to ask her to stop drying clothes in the sun. And she received two anonymous notes from neighbors saying they did not want to see her underwear flapping about.

"They said it made the place look like trailer trash," she said, in her yard across the street from a row of neat, suburban houses. "They said they didn't want to look at my 'unmentionables.'"

Froehlich says she hangs her underwear inside. The effervescent 54-year-old is one of a growing number of Americans demanding the right to dry laundry on clotheslines despite local rules and a culture that frowns on it.

Their interests are represented by Project Laundry List, a group that argues people can save money and reduce carbon emissions by not using their electric or gas dryers, according to the group's executive director, Alexander Lee.

Widespread adoption of clotheslines could significantly reduce U.S. energy consumption, argued Lee, who said dryer use accounts for about 6 percent of U.S. residential electricity use.

Florida, Utah, Maine, Vermont, Colorado, and Hawaii have passed laws restricting the rights of local authorities to stop residents using clotheslines. Another five states are considering similar measures, said Lee, 35, a former lawyer who quit to run the non-profit group.

'RIGHT TO HANG'

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.

Carl Weiner, a lawyer for about 50 homeowners associations in suburban Philadelphia, said the no-hanging rules are usually included by the communities' developers along with regulations such as a ban on sheds or commercial vehicles.

The no-hanging rules are an aesthetic issue, Weiner said.

"The consensus in most communities is that people don't want to see everybody else's laundry."

He said opposition to clotheslines may ease as more people understand it can save energy and reduce greenhouse gases.

"There is more awareness of impact on the environment," he said. "I would not be surprised to see people questioning these restrictions."

For Froehlich, the "right to hang" is the embodiment of the American tradition of freedom.

"If my husband has a right to have guns in the house, I have a right to hang laundry," said Froehlich, who is writing a book on the subject.

Besides, it saves money. Line-drying laundry for a family of five saves $83 a month in electric bills, she said.

Kevin Firth, who owns a two-bedroom condominium in a Dublin, Pennsylvania housing association, said he was fined $100 by the association for putting up a clothesline in a common area.

"It made me angry and upset," said Firth, a 27-year-old carpenter. "I like having the laundry drying in the sun. It's something I have always done since I was a little kid."

[Daox]

I'd have to file this one under the 'ol ridiculous file, haha.

[Christ]

I'm fairly certain I'd get physical with anyone who tried to fine me for hanging laundry, or any neighbor who "wrote a letter asking that I not hang my 'unmentionables'". I don't hang my laundry, because I don't really like it, but that's beside the point. I hold a very staunch view in life that if you don't like what I'm doing in my yard, keep your friggin nose out of it, else I'll start coming to your yard and pointing out all your dog sh!t and the like. That stuff stinks, ya know!?

[Piwoslaw]

"Excuse me, ma'am, if you don't like to look at my clean underwear flapping in the wind, maybe I should hang the dirties?"
"If I can't hang my clean clothes, then maybe I shouldn't clean them?"

Boy oh boy, are people STUPID! Living in a clean, plastic, sterile environment has sterilized their brains.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

"Excuse me, ma'am, if you don't like to look at my clean underwear flapping in the wind, maybe I should hang the dirties?"
"If I can't hang my clean clothes, then maybe I shouldn't clean them?"

Boy oh boy, are people STUPID! Living in a clean, plastic, sterile environment has sterilized their brains.

There is actually a medical argument that supports the clean environment thing...

Apparently, the occurrence of autoimmune diseases is higher in "developed" countries, while mostly non-existent in "developing" or "third world" countries.

So far, this is just what I heard the last time I was at a conference, but as I get more information on it, I'll see if I can dig up a chart, if it's even been published in a journal yet.

[Daox]

I've heard similar things Christ. Asthma is a much bigger problem in the LA area than elsewhere due to smog.

[Xringer]

"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."

Wow, that's a lot of people!
One of the complaints I've heard from those people (who were also Hams), is the No Antenna rules.
Ham radio folks had to learn how to make stealth antennas.
But people who wanted to get Satellite TV were mostly out of luck.
If you had a small dish on the ground, there was a fiberglass 'Rock'
you could buy to cover the dish..

Now that we have HDTV over the air and not much money to waste on cable TV,
I'll bet more Americans are going back up on their roofs with TV antennas.
And, there's going to be more fights with those enforcing restrictions..


Dang! I can see Canada from up here! Or is that Russia?

[NiHaoMike]

I think there are national laws (at least in America) that more or less override local and state laws about TV antennas, essentially guaranteeing everyone to have the right to set up TV antennas.

[Brucey]

I suggest everyone to never live in an incorporated. It's amazing people think they're getting a better life. What really sums it up is:

You get to pay more taxes to pay pencil pushers to come tell you what to do.

I could go on a long rant about all the trouble I've had from city officials here, but I'll just leave it at I'm never living in an incorporated again.