SPECTACLE: THE FAST AND THE FASTIDIOUS
If you receive a ‘fraandship’ request from anyone standing beside a beautiful Ferrari, Jeep, SUV, Harley-Davidson or any other exotic set of wheels, think twice before accepting it. In case you are doing it because you like the automobile in the picture, chances are that he or she got that picture taken during the Karachi Car-Nival 2017, which showcased many such cars last week.
Despite the rope-and-post barriers around the cars, volunteers at the motor show, organised by Motorheads Pakistan and Bullseye Communications, were having a difficult time keeping the enthusiasts away from the cars and bikes on display. Every other minute, there would be someone or the other stepping inside the cordoned off area and posing for a photo.
“Please beta, don’t touch that,” says Saifullah Khan, a young volunteer guarding the cars behind the barriers, to a seven-year-old boy who seemed so much in love with the shiny black Porsche that he was lying on top of its bonnet, with arms outstretched as if giving it a bear hug. The youngster had to be pulled away from the car by two volunteers who swiftly deposited him back on the other side of the barriers.
Some 75 to 80 sports cars and other fast and heavy marvels of modern engineering were showcased at Karachi’s Frere Hall grounds last week. But some proud owners can also panic at the sight of fans...
“It is even more difficult keeping the women at bay. We can’t even force them to leave,” says Mohammad Umer, another volunteer.