What modern conveniences are the least we need?

[BlackSkimmer]

49. Yes. The only time I lived in an apartment was in college. I HATED smelling the smoke.

Years later, I visited my parents in their condo, which did not allow smoking in the building, but still, you'd smell it. Someone always has to have that cigarette.

Two fires there during the time my parents were there (both times I was house-sitting and thank god my parents were at the beach). Both fires were on a higher floor, thankfully, and I heard the alarm.

My mother, being hard of hearing, never even heard the test alarms. She would never have known. I was so glad neither was there.

A woman died of smoke inhalation in one of those fires. Alone, elderly, probably died in her sleep as she breathed the smoke...and they found her as they swept the building afterwards.

This was a very high-priced condo complex, with supposedly all kinds of safeguards, but still it happened. The building was built in the 60s, mostly concrete and is probably what stopped the fire the second time according to the fire department.

No way will I ever live in communal type living.