I could never make any sense out of the children’s nursery rhyme “Rub-a-Dub-Dub”.
Specifically, how did three tradesmen end up together in a bathtub lost in the sea? My “research” led me to the original rhyme from the 14th century where instead of men in the tub, there was a trio of maids presumably unclothed.
The three tradesmen were naturally curious and were caught ogling the maids much to the chagrin of “respectable” society. The “Rub-a-Dub-Dub” may have been the 14th century way of saying “Tsk Tsk” to show societal disapproval. I believe that the nursery rhyme illustrates a unique problem that could exist in a modern air-conditioned shopping center where a meat shop, a bakery, and a place that sells scented candles and greeting cards have conflicting HVAC needs. The meat shop requires a cooler temperature to prevent spoilage after a side of beef leaves the “cold room” at about 34°F until the chopped and ground products are wrapped for the buyer. The baker’s hot ovens will conflict with the butcher’s needs and the aromas of the scented candles will compete with the delicious odors from the cakes and bread fresh out of the baker’s ovens. And, if the cold air from the meat shop mixes with the warm air from the bakery, condensate could cause the greeting cards in the candle shop to warp. The three businesses will be “out to sea” about a solution until they consult with an HVAC professional to solve the dilemma. This could involve the use of spot zone cooling for the bakery, maintaining a slight positive pressure to stop odors from outside entering the stores, or a more effective vent system to control humidity and temperature in the butcher shop and candle store.