Dripping Hong Kong air-conditioning units spew unresolved nuisances
While dripping air-con units annoy passers-by and pose health risks, the authorities seldom take effective action against those responsible
Nathan Road has long been a tourist Mecca. Thousands of visitors and local residents walk along the famed "Golden Mile" every day to enjoy the shopping and soak up Kowloon's bustling atmosphere.
But they also soak up something they haven't bargained for - water dripping unchecked from the countless faulty air conditioners above their heads.
"This looks like something from the dark ages or a third-world village somewhere," said Mary Mulvihill, standing at a corner of Tsim Sha Tsui and gesturing at a puddle of water formed by a leaking air con on a scorching summer day. Mulvihill, originally from Ireland, has lived in the area for more than 20 years during which she has fought an endless campaign, all by herself, against this problem.
"On one side the tourists have the dripping air conditioners and when they escape from all the dripping air cons they fall over the buckets and everything on the street," she said. "This is absolutely appalling."
Aside from soiling the streets and causing a constant nuisance, these faulty cooling machines also pose a public health risk. The pools of water they generate can play host to bacteria and fungi, and lead to the spread of legionnaires' disease, according to health professionals.