‘Dude, Don’t Blame Me, Eh? I’m Canadian!’

American travelers abroad sometimes find themselves in sticky situations. In the Middle East, they occasionally face hostile locals. From Europe to South America, they’re asked to explain everything from the overthrow of Salvador Allende to global warming to the invasion of Iraq. Three years ago this month, in our holiday Gift Guide, we suggested a solution: Give the American traveler you love a “Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Canadian” T-shirt. The bold red-and-white shirts would say it all to the miffed mullahs and torch-wielding mobs, we insisted, diffusing any potential hostility. It was a joke. But it turns out that an American company is now marketing a “Go Canadian” package to American travelers aimed at accomplishing just that. T-shirtKing.com is selling a $24.95 package featuring a Canadian flag T-shirt, lapel pin, luggage patch and how-to-speak Canadian reference guide. CNN.com features a story about the package. Of course, some Americans have long pretended to be Canadian when overseas. But this is the first time we’ve heard of any marketing pitch aimed at them. We still think “Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Canadian” is the bold way to go.

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