Prostitution in Afghanistan
Vehicle registration plates with the number are seen as so undesirable that vehicles and apartments bearing the numerals are said to be virtually unsellable in the capital, Kabul. The drivers of such vehicles have reported abuse and derision from pedestrians and other drivers. Some have had their registration plates altered to hide the numbers. One such driver, Zalmay Ahmadi, told The Guardian: "When I drive around all the other cars flash their lights, beep their horns and people point at me. All my classmates now call me Colonel 39." Number plates containing '39' were withdrawn in early 2021.