Riverton pickers beat the heat with secondhand fans

To battle the stifling heat, a suitable fan could cost as much as $20,000, but the pickers at Riverton Meadows are offering cooler prices.

When THE STAR visited the entrance to the community on Tuesday, truckloads of items were seen, including appliances that are in high demand.

“Fifteen bills ($1,500) or a even a grand ($1,000) and a man can go cool down dem place, eno, because this heat nuh normal. People from all walks a life come get dem fan, man,” said Michael Carter, a picker. He reasoned that some buyers already had fans but that the heat calls for more.

“So instead of spending $30,000 to buy two more, dem just come and hold two fi little bit a money and go back a dem yard. Fan dem a work, and when dat clean off and go inna house, who can tell you say a Riverton it come from,” he added.

Meteorologists are predicting a highly active summer across the Caribbean, characterised by exceptionally warm temperatures, high humidity, and increased rainfall. Forecasters are monitoring an unusually busy Atlantic hurricane season, with above-normal tropical storm and hurricane activity anticipated as ocean temperatures remain well above average.

But Carter said that if the fans are not cool enough for the extremely warm temperature, they have the parts for the broken AC units at affordable prices.

“AC motor a no chump change, and because the time suh hot, it nuh take nothing for a motor to run red and stop work. So instead of buying a new one, dem come buy it here suh fi $2,000. A fan motor cheap, cheap because you can get one fi $200 or $300, and nuff time mi all give dem it free because mi is a parent, and when a next parent come tell mi say dem fan broke dung and dem broke, mi a go give dem it because the pickeny dem can’t manage the hot place,” Carter said.

Denver Smith told the news team that much of the trash that comes to the Riverton Landfill is in working condition as the previous owners get upgrades.

“Every summer ting dis, and nuff people will say we a sell garbage, but dem fan here, and the parts dem strong. Mi have customer who buy last year weh tell mi say dem fan a work good same way, but dem just want a next one. A di same ting with the AC parts dem, man. Nuff people house a blow little cooler because a di dump or the garbage weh we get pon di truck dem,” Smith said.

Mark, another picker, said while fan and AC parts are in demand for the summer, his best sellers are old refrigerators and freezers.

“Mi sell a freezer or fridge weh a work fi all $5,000, or if a just part, sometimes all a grand or five bills ($500). Nobody nuh have any money, eno, so people nah make because a pride [heat] kill dem because dem nuh have a fridge. Fridge a fridge, and is just the address weh it buy determine the price,” he said. “More time mi want all six hand when mi a sell my tings dem, eno because sometimes you will see di customer dem come and just stock up dem vehicle. All people weh sell chicken and meat, a here suh nuff a dem come buy dem appliances dem.”