I would also add "what is it with US fire hydrants in general?"
In the rest of the world they're just a metal cover in the pavement that the fire brigade open when needed. In the US, they're a sticking up object that blocks a parking space for no obvious reason.
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Really, so much in the US just seems to run on "this is the way it used to be and therefore must always be forever" even when way better solutions exist.