Back in the 60s, when there were no Ubers or surrogate drivers or designated driving services, Turkey had a very popular service for drunk people. Küfeci (pronounced “koo-FEH-ji), or basket men, were called upon to bring the drunks home. The term came from the root “küfe” which refers to someone who was so drunk that they could no longer stand up or walk. There’s even a saying “Kufelik Olmak” which roughly translates to “needing to be carried home in a basket.”
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One might think, “For what reason would these men be doing such a laborious task?” Well, these küfeci actually have day jobs as porters, carrying people’s baggage and other belongings. When the sun sets, they do side jobs carrying the people instead.
Of course, the drunks themselves were not hiring these basket men, as one can imagine they would be too drunk to even string anything intelligible. Rather, the pub owners are the ones who call on these küfeci to lug the drunks back home safely, so that the owners can close up shop.
It’s an interesting way of getting some extra cash, though I’m not entirely sure about the logistics of the whole matter. But, I guess the porters must be strong enough to carry full-grown men, put them inside a basket, then transport them home. It’s also possible that several people would help put the drunks inside the basket and leave the rest to the küfeci.
(Image credit: History in Memes)
Source: neatorama