Flying the Flag
Dangerous? Nope, a chance to bond with fellow motorists!
Flying the flag for England during Euro 2004 can enhance road safety and reduce road rage, according to the RAC Foundation. The Foundation has rejected claims from some safety and motoring groups that flying the flag on vehicles is dangerous.
The RAC Foundation’s consultant psychologist, Conrad King, claims: "Contrary to adverse publicity about flying the flag we believe that drivers safely flying the flag show a better sense of pride in themselves, their vehicle and their country. This gives many drivers a sense of mutuality, which is seldom seen in motoring. You might see it in classic car owners but now we are experiencing white van man bonding with Mondeo man. Flying the flag can lead to a common bond and common aspirations. This has got to be good for road safety.
"Flying the flag can reduce road rage as there is evidence that flag fliers let others pull out and they are more forgiving if they make a mistake. Road rage tends to occur more in hot weather so perhaps the common bonding and feel good factor from flying the flag will be reflected in better road manners during Euro 2004 ."
Edmund King, Executive Director of the RAC Foundation said: "The vast majority of flag fliers are not obscuring windscreens or causing a danger to pedestrians or cyclists. Most are using small lightweight clip on flags that cause no obstruction or danger. It is good to see so many motorists expressing their feelings on the road in a positive manner rather than reverting to road rage. We are delighted that motorists are getting behind the England team ."
In the interests of science I have conducted an experiment, and can report that the flag can withstand speeds well in excess of 100mph (where legal of course)
Personally, I am certainly patriotic, but see most of these flags as being more about football than about England - the country.
Are they sold/given away by petrol stations at all?
If so, any thoughts on the extra petrol used by cars dragging these flags through the air on a daily basis? Bound to decrease the mpg, and increase petrol usage.
A sinister ploy perhaps?
;-)
rutthenut said:Well both really, they're supporting the English football team.
Personally, I am certainly patriotic, but see most of these flags as being more about football than about England - the country.
Not my style but there's nowt wrong with them and I certainly can't see why they're 'chav-tastic'.
Mansell Mania....
K1 CERB
Why does the England flag become a symbol for football ? Why do these gimps feel the need to have to belong to the same club and demonstrate it by littering our roads with broken plastic flags.
Check out the vehicles that they are on, there is a very common thread.
I followed a Pug 307 down the M5 last week, it started with 4 flags on it (1 on each window) and by the time we'd sat in traffic & the 4 gimps inside realised they had no air conditioning, they lost 3 of them within 10 minutes.... the funniest thing was that they didnt learn & were so surprised when they lost the 2nd & 3rd.... it had me in stitches as i ran over the flags.
I am stereo-typing (i hope) so please dont take offence, but i'm yet to see a flag on a decent car.
Watch em bend as the Corsa tries to get to 95 mph while undercutting the motorway traffic and cutting everyone up.
ninjaboy said:
Says it all....
I don't like the flags either but they don't make people racist, you could say the same about people who have religous symbols on their car.
Don't get me going about people with those fish on the backs of their cars....
I particularly like the England flag with the word England written in that Germanic script
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