Sure, air conditioning has it’s down sides. It uses energy and it can inhibit social interaction by creating numerous closed in spaces rather than larger more communal areas. However, in other warm climates those ideological barriers have proven incapable of holding back something that feels so good it can be classified as “quasi-addictive.”

I would guess that the main reason for the limited use of air conditioning in Rome is simply that the buildings weren’t built for it. They are historic (pre-air conditining) buildings in a very history city. Why change something that has worked well for so long?

Still, when seen from the perspective of an Arizona resident it is amazing that it isn’t used much. In Arizona pretty much everything is air conditioned. The cars, the buses, the houses, even some parking garages. Yes, even the gigantic stadiums are air conditioned.

Considering how incredibly good air conditioning can feel on a hot day I wonder if there is another factor that I am missing. Could old buildings really have held an invention like air conditioning at bay? Perhaps there is a secret pact, or a conspiracy, involved. I hear that Rome is a good place for those.

It is now possible for my drain dream to be a reality (without the normal really-bad-smell or shrinking machine requirement). All I have to do is make reservations at that dasparkhotel and get to Linz, Austria.

Each room at the DasParkHotel is made from a section of really big cement tube (which they call “sleep-pipes” on their website). For comfort, a bed and side table are built into each tube. Additionally, the tube-room features electricity, a light, blankets, and cotton sleeping sacs. The round shape of the room also allows ample room to store stuff under the bed.

Unfortunately there isn’t a built-in bathroom or shower. For those amenities one must walk to the facilities provided by the park that the tubes are in. Oh yeah, did I mention that the tubes are plopped in a public park? They are.

How much does fulfilling this drainpipe fantasy cost? As far as I can tell from the website, that is up to each visitor. It seems to be a “pay whatever you feel like” system (they call it “pay as you wish,” but I like my version better). One just leaves some money in the tube when they leave.

The list is intended to provide travelers with a witty retort when their friends ask “why did you decide to go on vacation THEN?”. Since all the reasons on the list have been officially approved, they no longer need to be defended against the skepticism of one’s friends. This makes using the reasons on the list much less of a hassle than using any other reason.

Following the release of the list we got the chance to speak with the group’s chairman. We asked him if he was concerned about possible bias. Every member of the group does make money when people go on vacation. “Actually I was once quite worried about that” he responded. “Which is why I checked to make sure that we weren’t biased. Turns out we’re not.”

The officially approved reasons to go on vacation include:

• I stubbed my toe
• At times I dislike parts of my job
• It is cold here
• It is hot here
• It is cold somewhere else
• It is hot somewhere else
• I sneezed with a mouthful of flour and a spurt of it came out of my nose. I no longer wish to deal with the shame that brings in this part of the world. It burned too.

Creative Commons picture by tornatore.

People seem to be generally pleased that the list has been created. Many claim to be tired of trying to justify their vacations. “It has been a long time coming” said some guy we asked. “However, I am quite glad that there is now an officially approved list of reasons to go on vacation.“