Yeah, like who does that? Maybe it's because our Mom always fussed if we walked out the door to go out without closing it.
Some of those situations reminds me of the old Green Acres TV show where Lisa and Oliver had to make sure none of their applicances added up to more than a 9 or a fuse would blow. It's kind of odd that it could still be a problem but maybe those areas never updated the infrastructure in some spots. I know in some rural areas near us they've been told that it will be a long time before they get cable. They won't run lines down a road with only a couple of houses unless more homes get built. Maybe that is the case in your examples