Perak Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu must have been beaming with pride when launching the country’s first drive-in cinema in Ipoh, a brainchild of his as he had watched movies in the US inside a car when he was a kid.
Ticket prices are RM36 for single occupancy cars, RM42 for couples and RM46 for a family of four, including popcorns and soft drinks or water. In any case, those gathered in front of the big outdoor screen will have to arrive early and spend more than two hours inside a parked car with the engine and air-conditioning running. And this is when the “Grim Reaper” emerges, not in the movie but inside the car.
The silent killer creeps into the car unnoticed as it is colourless and odourless, making unsuspecting occupants drowsy and falling asleep, bever to wake up again. However, opening doors or windows while watching a movie would allow mosquitoes to enter and the occupants run the risk of catching dengue fever.