#4: Ordinary Clotheslines Were Apparently Too Ugly
Laundry could not simply flap wherever homeowners pleased. In Levittown, residents were expected to use removable rotary drying racks rather than ordinary permanent clotheslines, and those racks belonged in the backyard. Developers considered visible wash a reminder of crowded city neighborhoods they were trying to leave behind. Apparently suburban respectability could be measured in socks. The washing itself was fine; the scandal was allowing passing motorists to know your family owned undershirts and towels either.
