Kabul's Canadian Cars

Its rare to see a maple leaf sticker  on a car in Canada.  But here in Kabul the red and while flag is slapped on tens of thousands of cars.  

These are Great White North junkers, the cars crashed or crumbling, that don't pass the test at home, now given a new life in the Hindu Kush. (Never mind that some probably wouldn't make it over the pass without a push from passengers.)

Word on the street is these second-hand written-off wrecks are bought in bulk, no questions asked by the Canadian government,  and shipped to Dubai.  Enterprising mechanics cannibalize the ones too far gone, and build one that, at least, moves. The rebuilt wonders then end up on Afghanistan's roads, for one more roll of the odometer.

So why the Maple Leaf Flag, you ask?

One:  all those AirCare checks, Canadian Tire tune-ups, and Canucks' somewhat anal-retentive attitude to car care.

Second: Canadians cars typically have both heat, and air conditioning.  That's a valuable option in the wild temperature swings of the Afghan year.

Add some quick-thinking second-hand car marketing, and that Maple Leaf makes for a proud sign of quality.

But in this global economy, Canada has competition.

More and more German flags are sprouting on bumpers and windshields.

But before anyone think this is becoming a competition, its important to note one fact:

Almost all these cars ... are Japanese.