Ich bin ein not American . . .

When I lived in Europe, putting Canadian patches on your backpack was all the rage. Not that we had some overgrown sense of pride in our hockey-watching neighbors. Rather, those who wore such patches argued that it was safer and made them a less likely target for crime than if folks picked up on them being gringos. After all, who hates the Canadians? (Well, never mind that.)

During my time in Ecuador, many of us carried fake passports from countries like Trinidad and Tobago in the hopes we would be less valuable kidnapping victims. There was no liquid Ebay style market for victims back then against which to prove out our hypothesis, so this was all conjecture.

Well, thanks to the efforts of one entrepreneur, it looks like the international traveler identification paradigm is shifting yet again. Anyone else tempted to buy one to just wear here at home?

(Similarly, by now surely you have all seen these garment washing instructions)

Comments

[Chester]

1) "Ich bin nicht ein Amerikaner" would've been funnier.
2) I suppose I might think differently if I'm ever kidnapped by the Shining Path, but my personal opinion is that American travellers who "pass" as Canadians are cowardly fucks. Yeah, sure, if you're hiking through the boonies of Peru, you might do whatever you can to be safe, but if you're chilling in some hostel in the south of France, don't be a maple-leaf-poseur. Don't hide the fact that you're American. Do your part to show the world that Americans aren't a bunch of fuckwits like George W.

If you're a fuckwit, however, feel free to festoon your backpack with maple leaf patches.

[Chester]

3) I imagine that international terrorists are hip to the maple-leaf-patch scheme and now probably specifically hunt for that familiar red symbol, knowing that they'll probably end up snagging some wealthy co-ed taking a leave of absence from Brown.

All the more reason to ditch those maple-leaf-patches. Wear your own flag and wear it proud. Don't be a bitch like Jefferson Davis, getting captured in his wife's coat.

[Abercrombie and fitch london]

houghts on aerodynamic stabilization? What would a white sail with blue wedge lined by silver look like? Real pretty I recon!! Is this design known as the flying wedge?All the more reason to ditch those maple-leaf-patches. Wear your own flag and wear it proud. Don't be a bitch like Jefferson Davis, getting captured in his wife's coat.

[abercrombie fitch]

Think they would read the BILL if they had to live by it?

[Abercrombie clothing]

I'd like to point out that we have a shiny, black T-bird convertible for sale with your name written all over it.1

[abercrombie]

All the more reason to ditch those maple-leaf-patches.