All this speculation about the prius smh. I clearly drove it to Scotland.
Speaking of abject poverty, while it does suck if her AC is out, a huge amount of housing in LA doesn't even have AC. The weather is nice enough you can get along with fans most of the summer, and many of the more affordable (lol, still more expensive than almost anywhere else in the state) apartments are old enough they have no AC. When the Santa Ana winds blew occasional heat waves in, we drank ice water in cold baths for a few days
her AC, broken though it may be, is one of her many luxuries many of her neighbors won't have