Is the air conditioner broken? In order to protect themselves and their passengers from the intense heat, Afghan cab drivers have come up with a clever solution.
Blue cabs with air conditioners affixed to the top and exhaust hoses bringing cool air through the passenger window are common in Kandahar, a city in southern Afghanistan where temperatures frequently rise above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
“Three or four years ago, it began to get really hot. The air conditioning systems in these cars were broken, and fixing them was too costly. Driver Gul Mohammad stated, “I therefore went to a technician and had a custom cooler made.”
The 32-year-old purchased the system for 3,000 Afghanis ($43), which he constantly replenishes with water and connects to the batteries of his vehicle.
