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11 Aug 2013
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I think putting any national flag on your vehicle makes you a target.
Most people are intelligent enough to distinguish between a country and its government, but a few are not, and they may take their prejudices out on you or your ride.
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Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250
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11 Aug 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brclarke
I think putting any national flag on your vehicle makes you a target.
Most people are intelligent enough to distinguish between a country and its government, but a few are not, and they may take their prejudices out on you or your ride.
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I think if one rides fast in a zigzag patern the bullets will miss so not over worried.
sent with tapatalk because i made it work!
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Learning my craft for the big stuff, it won't be long now and it's not that far anyway
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11 Aug 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by colebatch
What happens to the Union Flag if Scotland wants out?
Is there a backup flag thought out?
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Maybe on the next flag they will include the duchy of Cornwall's flag? Now that Westmnster seem to have disbanded our Stannary Parliament.
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11 Aug 2013
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I believe it is better to travel inconspicuously as possible.
The reason is as follows, people do not notice things unless they have a particular interest in them. For instance, when my daughter took up horse riding, we started seeing horses everywhere. Before we were oblivious to them.
An unmarked bike with travelling gear will only attract interest/be noticed by bikers or those interested in talking to strangers. People you probably would like to meet. A bike bedecked with riches would attract someone interested in the riches. similarly a bike or car sporting a national flag would only be of interest in someone who had a reason to be interested in someone of that nationality. It might be friendly, it might not. Mostly it does not matter, but it could trigger some opportunistic action. Without the flag you disable the nationality interest.
I have had many conversations for one reason or another, all of them pleasant during my travels. Partly because I am travelling, partly because of my bike (currently an Enfield) and many other reasons.
I prefer to tread softly and not mark the rice paper 
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12 Aug 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by g6snl
I think if one rides fast in a zigzag patern the bullets will miss so not over worried.
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Probably best to lose the flag in that case - all that zigzagging plays havoc with the fuel consumption.  
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12 Aug 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by colebatch
What happens to the Union Flag if Scotland wants out?
Is there a backup flag thought out?
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Due to the UK becoming a 'Mickey Mouse' country, I would vote for this flag.
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12 Aug 2013
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The reason I'm contemplating having a small one even if I prefer none at all, is that you either have to have a europlate (showing the country code) or a sticker with the country while driving around in Europe. I'm thinking that perhaps other countries here and there have the same sort of rules. I guess I could remove a sticker easily and carry a couple to stick on if stopped and asked for it.
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12 Aug 2013
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I doubt it would be a drama, I really do.
Ive managed to get to Georgia so far on a Nepali number plate. Thats a red square with script similar to hindi on it which is pretty much illegible to everyone outside southern Asia, and it hasnt been questioned once, apart from the occasional confused customs agents and overlanders.
A friend of mine has rode to Thailand from the UK on a vintage bike, so it has the black and silver number plates (looks totally bad-ass) and again, i dont belive there was a problem.
Interestingly i think UK numberplates are the only country who now have different colours on the front and back.
Although by all means take some stickers but I bet they will end up more useful as gifts for when somone tries to give you, 3 water melons, 2 bottles of vodka, 17 rolls of bread and a pocketknife, and you dont know what to do or say.
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12 Aug 2013
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I have a Union Flag helmet because I like the "Austin Powers" look.
My covering of the EU flag on my number plate with a GB and Union flag is a political statement. I would have taken anything that removed the EU one and was still roughly legal, the GB/Flag was just available and doesn't seem to worry anyone.
I really doubt anyone will notice who wouldn't have noticed a foreign vehicle anyway.
My panniers display the flags of the countries I've visited that would sell me a sticker, plus pictures I took along the way. The pictures get more comments.
Looks like this https://picasaweb.google.com/1044429...47289/Panniers#
Andy
Last edited by Threewheelbonnie; 12 Aug 2013 at 15:57.
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12 Aug 2013
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It remains a human trait
Quote:
Originally Posted by oldbmw
The reason is as follows, people do not notice things unless they have a particular interest in them. For instance, when my daughter took up horse riding, we started seeing horses everywhere. Before we were oblivious to them.
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Post number 3 in this thread contains the same point:-
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ar-among-71573
Regarding the flag of the UK, it has evolved and it will do again, if necessary - I have a mini-version of the union flag as it was during the days of the American wars of Independance, and it does not include Northern Ireland, but I haven't researched when that flag was added.
Heraldry has the rules to deal with all such changes.
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12 Aug 2013
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I personally like the monochrome version of the UK flag:
Or the Australian red ensign:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben Douglas
I doubt it would be a drama, I really do.
Ive managed to get to Georgia so far on a Nepali number plate. Thats a red square with script similar to hindi on it which is pretty much illegible to everyone outside southern Asia, and it hasnt been questioned once, apart from the occasional confused customs agents and overlanders.
A friend of mine has rode to Thailand from the UK on a vintage bike, so it has the black and silver number plates (looks totally bad-ass) and again, i dont belive there was a problem.
Interestingly i think UK numberplates are the only country who now have different colours on the front and back.
Although by all means take some stickers but I bet they will end up more useful as gifts for when somone tries to give you, 3 water melons, 2 bottles of vodka, 17 rolls of bread and a pocketknife, and you dont know what to do or say.
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Hehe, well that is an excellent reason to carry a few for those moments alone.
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12 Aug 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by colebatch
What happens to the Union Flag if Scotland wants out?
Is there a backup flag thought out?
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And if that happens and we are presented with a new flag overnight, are we expected to switch allegiance overnight from the old flag to the new flag?
If yes, then how much allegiance does that imply we ever had to the old one? If that allegiance can be reallocated hook, line and sinker in a night? I mean could you do that with a wife, or a girlfriend? Surely if you could switch girlfriends in a night then it meant you were never really attached to the old one. (swingers excluded)
What happens to all the other countries whose flags contain the Union Flag ... Australia, New Zealand and probably dozens of others .... do they also change flags overnight if Scotland succeeds?
And we will need a new name for the flag ... The Union Flag is a name that represents the England - Scotland union.
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12 Aug 2013
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I like to flag, not to tell people where I come from, but to tell where I don't come from....
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12 Aug 2013
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Scotland
The official line is that there will be no change.
They combined England (red crusader cross on white) and Scotland (adds blue and St.Andrews cross) at the Act of Union. Wales was never represented but Ireland (red diagonal cross) was added in 1803. Ireland was never modified or removed when Ulster and the Republic were split in 1922. The Irish Tricolour and Ulster Flag did change though. No particular logic and if they removed Scotland and added Cornwall you could also get requests for a Yorkshire Rose, Westminster Portcullis, Welsh Dragon, Leeks, feathers, Sony logo and goodness knows what else to go on.
I imagine Scotland would just not use it which would make sense.
Andy
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12 Aug 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TwoUpFront
I personally like the monochrome version of the UK flag:
Or the Australian red ensign:
Hehe, well that is an excellent reason to carry a few for those moments alone. |
Yep, I wish I had something better to give than my email adress and a smile...
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