I was always under the impression that the lack of air conditioning in these vehicles had less to do with budget constraints and more with process constraints. If they're driving mailbox to mailbox, they'll likely want to keep their window down, and they frequently need to get in and out of the vehicle to deliver packages. Wouldn't that lead to a lot of dissipation of cooled air?
A/C with windows down and frequent door opening is still going to be a lot more comfortable for the driver than a crappy fan.
Even if that makes it wasteful, and makes the vehicles more expensive to operate, our postal workers deserve some comfort while they're driving around all day, 5-6 days a week.
It may have made their already abysmal mileage even worse. If it nocked off 2 MPG that would be an almost 25% reduction.
Glad the poor postal carriers are finally getting it. Having some in sweltering heat, even if you’re always in and out, is better than just a little fan.
I admit that A/C with windows down is how I use it when driving around town. Just for when I get into a hot car. When the car cools down, I turn the A/C off.
I do run A/C on highway trips, partly because I suspect that the noise with windows open can cause hearing damage.
