Taiwan was recently smacked by Typhoon Morakot. That typhoon caused major flooding and has rendered some 100,000 cars (by government estimates) inoperable. The government has started a variant of the Cash for Clunkers program which actually rewards a person for turning in a car by giving them a raffle ticket, worth a chance at winning…a bike.

We found this interesting not just for the comedic value of the potential “prize” but also for some of the reasoning as to why this program is in place. This story in the Taipei Times describes the first concern is to limit the potential for the spread of disease, and wet cars with rotting stuff inside them certainly harbor the correct conditions for that to happen. The mention of an “illegal second hand car market” raised our eyebrows a little. Also, the credit being offered to junk ten year old cars and motorcycles for cash “recycling awards” makes us shiver a little as well.