Lydia dusted her face with a rag as she watched the last beam slowly settle into place. She stepped up, checked its alignment, then undid the straps that held it suspended from the crane. "All good!" she yelled to the crane operator, and he waved back as he began to swing the crane out of the way.

Time for lunch! Lydia smiled as she set her tools down and sauntered over to the trailer. She had senority, so she didn't have to rush for the stall. It was a good thing the company had invested in two - on sweltering days like this it made everyone's job so much easier to have them available, and of course the whole crew was in an out at lunch.

Clutching the rag, she went to the unobtrusive white structure next to the trailer. It looked almost like an outhouse, but was a little larger, with a flat grill roof and had cords trailing from it toward a portable generator. She stepped inside, latched the door, and breathed in relief as the Personal Cooling Stall's roof-mounted air-conditioning unit turned itself on and sent a rush of cool air toward her.

Sweet bliss! Taking the spray hose from the wall, Lydia sprayed a mist of cool water over her face and arms, then tilted her head up to enjoy the blast as it was carried away by the AC. She would never want to work in a room this cold - but after the exhausting sun on the construction site, it was a relief.

Finally, she wiped herelf dry with the rag, and unlatched the door. The AC shut off as she opened it. Outside a line was already forming; first in it was the crane operator, looking a bit put out. "You were in there a while," he said accusingly.

"I was outside in the sun," she told him. "You were in the nice shady crane cab. There's enough for everybody; don't sweat it."

As one, her co-workers groaned at the pun.

*

Jon panted as he locked his bike to the rack. He loved bicycling to work - really, he did! The wind in his face, the stretching of muscles ... the opportunity to go "neenet neener!" as he breezed by the traffic jam on Twelfth Street ... but while he was cool and comfortable while he was moving, when he got to work his temperature had gone up and he walked into the office a miserable ball of sweat, surrounded by a cloud of his own body heat.

Until last month. Last month, Accounting had finally approved the purchase of a Personal Cooling Stall.

The builidng AC was elderly and struggling, so rather than try to plumb it to the stall, they'd simply arranged the vents to carry off the included AC's waste heat. It had gone into what had been a supply cupboard; the indoor model didn't need its own walls at all, but most people opted to use them anyway, to reduce cooling loos to the adjacent rooms. So the inside of the cubboad now resembled a dimly-liy shower stall, with smooth faux-marble walls.

Jon latched the door and the AC kicked in, sending a blast of cool air down toward him. Gratefully, he began to comb his hair, at once eliminating the helmet-hair and letting the cool air reach his overheated scalp. Jon was well aware just how much of the body's temperature regulation depended on the head. Combed and cooled, he took a moist wipe from the wall dispenser and rubbed down his face, neck, and arms, loosening his collar as he did to get the air down his shirt.

He dumped the used wipe in the trash, rebuttoned his collar, and unlatched the door. The AC shut off, and he stepped out of the stall the picture of a professional, put-together executive assistant.

His boss was waiting in her office, lazily fanning herself. "Oh, Jon, good morning," she said. "Can you look my notes from the conference call and draft a letter to Acme Corp? I think they're ready to sign a purchase order. The building AC's on the blink - I was sweating all through the call. I'm going to step into the cooling stall."

"Certainly, ma'am," Jon said cheerfully, and sat down to work. Without AC they'd both be in and out of the Cooling Stall all day - but at least they had it to use.

*

Why wait? Order a Personal Cooling Stall today! The outdoor model is perfect for construction sites, roadworks, machine shops ... anywhere people work and get hot! Increase productivity and reduce the risk of heatstroke! The indoor model makes a lovely addition to an office, for the convenience of cycle and foot commuters, or people who feel more comfortable at a lower temperature than the building AC ... or as a "thinking aid" - did you know that it's clnically proven, concentration and alertness increase at lower temperatures?

Cheap to operate - it only cools a small area, and only when it's in use. Insulated walls help keep it cool! Cheap to buy - only $750! Install it yourself, or our trained technicians will install it for you at low cost.
-- gisho, Jul 24 2006

Personal Air Conditioning http://www.sharperi...oduct/sku__SI758SL2
a) much more compact
b) much cheaper [DrCurry, Jul 24 2006]

Be Kool Soft Gel Sheets http://www.drugstor...eets_for_adults.htm
Be Kool® gel sheets provide immediate cooling relief in a convenient disposable product. [Zuzu, Jul 28 2006]

personal air-conditioner personal air-conditioner
Prior art [pashute, Aug 02 2010]

Personal Blood Cooler http://www.sharperi...h+motorized+fan.axd
Perhaps Dr Curry was referring to this, the original post is now "Not Found" [pashute, Aug 02 2010]

mix a little alcohol into the sprayer for faster evaporation and more cooling.... [+]
-- bleh, Jul 24 2006


Not seeing why you don't just air condition the porta-potties.

But frankly, anything like this is just going to keep people off the job, a no-no for the kind of jobs you're talking about.
-- DrCurry, Jul 24 2006


[DrCurry] - because they smell, are harder to achieve air circulation in, and aren't really big enough to stand up and turn around in.

People won't stay because the stalls are deliberately set with the temperature uncomfortabley low - this makes it faster to cool off, which is the idea, but also means people will start shivering once they have.

That link you gave is intruiging, but I don't see how it works to cool the whole body - just the neck area. Is there something I'm missing? (Also it makes one look like a git, but so do a lot of things people voluntarily wear to work already, so that's a minor objection.)
-- gisho, Jul 24 2006


Heck, I would love one at home. Sometimes it gets HOT working in the yard.
-- Galbinus_Caeli, Jul 27 2006


I was going to invent a personal blood cooler, that works by sending cooled water at slightly lower than your body temperature. Sitting on your arteries (on the neck) they cool your blood and body. Could work on ice in an insulated compartment, or with a tiny AC unit that blows the hot air away. But then saw [Dr. Cury's] link, and found the link I just referred to. Looks like it does something similar. If I'm wrong, someone please tell me, and I'll halfbake it. Meanwhile I'm contacting those guys, and becoming an importer.
-- pashute, Aug 02 2010



random, halfbakery