Advocacy & Safety - Does wearing the flag get you treated better?

I was at my LBS ordering a new road bike last week, and I was talking with one young roadie who has way more experience than me.

He was telling me that in our area (Michigan), if you put on an American flag patch on your jersey or wear something red white and blue, motorists and random people treat you way better. Rather than getting almost run over, people honk their horns and wave much more, he said.

Do you all notice this in other places?

In SoCal...not at all.

I doubt anyone notices if I am wearing a flag or not.

Not in Hawaii.
Except of course on one of the military bases.

Actually youre not supposed to wear the US flag at all..... http://www.suvcw.org/flag.htm

Section 8: par d and j

This purpose of providing guidance based on the Army and Navy procedures relating to display and associated questions about the U.S. Flag was adopted by all organizations in attendance.

This is not a civilian code. If you choose to respect the code then you are not supposed to wear a flag. However you do not have to respect the code since it does not apply to most.

I thought the code meant that you should not literally wear a flag, like Kid Rock did when he turned a real flag into a poncho during the Super Bowl.

Wearing a jersey with a flag image/patch on it would seem to fall in line with the bagillion other hats and shirts people wear with the flag on it.

I don't know--maybe out in the boonies, or in a blue state. Act assertive and friendly and most of them will respect you without a flag. The hell with the few who don't.

Motorists are to pre-occupied to see a cyclist, let alone a flag on your jersey!

In the weeks right after the 9/11 attack, I wore my American flag necktie. I got a lot of thumbs up and "V" signs while riding through Washington, DC area traffic.

Paul

The flag code actually applies to everyone, it does not state that it is specific to one group of people...ie military, government or civ, however the code is not meant to be an end all follow the rule or go to jail type of situation. The code was developed to act as a guideline for ceremonies and general display of the flag and was written in good spirit. The flag code is not classified as a "legal" code. To abide by the flag code is purely up to the individual!

Personally, I would never wear an actual flag as any part of clothing.

jamiegoesbiking you are right it only applies to an actual US flag.

Do you all notice this in other places?


Probably wouldnt apply in France.

Probably wouldnt apply in France.

Dooooooooooooooooh! :roflmao:

Actually youre not supposed to wear the US flag at all..... http://www.suvcw.org/flag.htm

Section 8: par d and j

I guess those astronauts at NASA, Lance Armstrong, and a LOT more people are breaking the rules. ;)

jamiegoesbiking you are right it only applies to an actual US flag.

Not according to the referenced law. It's DC law, dunno if it applies elsewhere, but after editing out the longwindedness, it's pretty clear that the law applies to anything that a reasonable person would think was meant to be a representation of the U.S. flag.

Any person who...shall...expose...to public view...or for use for any purpose, any article..upon which shall have been printed...a representation of any such flag...to...decorate, mark, or distinguish the article...on which so placed shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $100 or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days...

The words ''flag, standard, colors, or ensign'', as used herein, shall include any flag, standard, colors, ensign, or any picture or representation of either, or of any part or parts of either, made of any substance or represented on any substance, of any size evidently purporting to be either of said flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America or a picture or a representation of either, upon which shall be shown the colors, the stars and the stripes, in any number of either thereof, or of any part or parts of either, by which the average person seeing the same without deliberation may believe the same to represent the flag, colors, standard, or ensign of the United States of America.

A roadie friend of mine says he gets treated much better by drivers while riding in Gainesville, FL (it's a small college town) when he wears his University of Florida team jersey with the Gator mascot on it. Makes me wonder what would happen if he wore a rival team's jersey instead.....

The worst case of flag abuse I saw was the US Olympic Committee (USOC) selling gym bags that were essentially made out of US flags. Yeah, I'm gonna put my smelly sweaty gym clothes in this thing, and then put it on the floor! Yeah, there's an idea!

It is common knowledge that an American Flag on the back of your motorcycle will result in favorable treatment from motorists and especially truckers. We never go on a road trip without a flag attached to the back of the bike. I don't have a flag on my bicycle nor an American jersey so I cannot comment on the effects in regards to bicycling.

Pro U.S. clothing is a plus in Michigan traffic. Michigan is a blue collar state that is very pro U.S. and especially U.S. manufacturing. Probably wouldn't work as well in some other places.

If you're a USian in the UK, wearing a Canadian flag will get you treated better. :)

I pinned them to my trunk rack on my bike. I actually used flags that I found on the side of the road - you know, the ones that fell off cars and trucks.. Heh... I have like three of them.

But I dont know if its helped me live better on the streets ;)

A roadie friend of mine says he gets treated much better by drivers while riding in Gainesville, FL (it's a small college town) when he wears his University of Florida team jersey with the Gator mascot on it. Makes me wonder what would happen if he wore a rival team's jersey instead.....

Don't go there.

My brother and I bought and wore U of Miami and FSU t-shirts as a joke in Gainesville and got death threats within minutes of showing ourselves in public.

I have a stars & stripes helmet liner which is only really visible when my helmet is off. However, I get the distinct impression that it gets respect when the helmet if off (I rarely if ever take it off while riding, though, so no *useful* effect).

While in France the past two summers (boohoo! not this time :( ) we carried a large American flag to various TdF venues. Proudest moment (aside from being spotted on TV by friends and family heehee) was walking in Bordeaux across a bridge to the start of a stage with the big flag held between us, getting the bird from a local. :D

Michigan is a weird place. I used to have relatives living in Michigan. The locals are OCD American. They used to and sometimes still slash tires and break windows of foreign cars. They did and still do have a conflict with the large Arab community.

Michigan is a weird place. I used to have relatives living in Michigan. The locals are OCD American. They used to and sometimes still slash tires and break windows of foreign cars. They did and still do have a conflict with the large Arab community.You, sir or madam, are full of crap. Michigan is and always will be the greatest state in the union. And we will slash the tires of any foreigner who says other wise! :D

Truthfully, I think your opinion may have had a slight basis in fact--25 years ago! Let me supply some more up-to-date information--totally unbiased, of course. :) Today, Michigan is proud to have the largest Arab population in North America, and people all over the state recently rallied to the support of an Arab-Michigander who was wrongly persecuted by the Feds. We are also a center of African-American culture (Malcolm X grew up here) and a thriving blend of Finnish and many other cultures in our Upper Peninsula.

The Big Three auto companies have long had partnerships and affiliations with Japanese, British and German companies, so that tension has dissipated. As in the rest of the country, industry is rapidly becoming a smaller sector of our economy. We are home to two major land grant universities, and the birthplace of Motown, Bob Seger, Iggy Pop, techno, and many other forms of music.

Michigan is one of the most beautiful regions of the world, nearly surrounded by stunning beaches on four of the five Great Lakes, and containing thousands of inland lakes, large and small. We have three national parks and a beautiful system of state parks. If you visited, I guarantee you would love Michigan.

You, sir or madam, are full of crap. Michigan is and always will be the greatest state in the union. And we will slash the tires of any foreigner who says other wise! :D

Truthfully, I think your opinion may have had a slight basis in fact--25 years ago! Let me supply some more up-to-date information--totally unbiased, of course. :) Today, Michigan is proud to have the largest Arab population in North America, and people all over the state recently rallied to the support of an Arab-Michigander who was wrongly persecuted by the Feds. We are also a center of African-American culture (Malcolm X grew up here) and a thriving blend of Finnish and many other cultures in our Upper Peninsula.

The Big Three auto companies have long had partnerships and affiliations with Japanese, British and German companies, so that tension has dissipated. As in the rest of the country, industry is rapidly becoming a smaller sector of our economy. We are home to two major land grant universities, and the birthplace of Motown, Bob Seger, Iggy Pop, techno, and many other forms of music.

Michigan is one of the most beautiful regions of the world, nearly surrounded by stunning beaches on four of the five Great Lakes, and containing thousands of inland lakes, large and small. We have three national parks and a beautiful system of state parks. If you visited, I guarantee you would love Michigan.

I don't know, Roody, St. Clair County is pretty awful for bicycling, as far as I can tell =) I'm originally from Northeast Ohio. I lived 10 minutes from Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I could drive just a little bit and ride for hours. I haven't figured out where I can go to do that in the Port Huron area. Maybe Canada?

On the other hand, St. Clair County is about as blue collar as it gets, and no one has ever said anything to me for driving a Honda with a Sierra Club sticker on it and a Cleveland Indians shirt on my back, hahaha. I like that people in the Midwest are generally nice.

I think it depends where you live. Ann Arbor is awesome, but once you pass New Baltimore going east, it turns a bit weird.

You, sir or madam, are full of crap. Michigan is and always will be the greatest state in the union. And we will slash the tires of any foreigner who says other wise! :D

Truthfully, I think your opinion may have had a slight basis in fact--25 years ago! Let me supply some more up-to-date information--totally unbiased, of course. :) Today, Michigan is proud to have the largest Arab population in North America, and people all over the state recently rallied to the support of an Arab-Michigander who was wrongly persecuted by the Feds. We are also a center of African-American culture (Malcolm X grew up here) and a thriving blend of Finnish and many other cultures in our Upper Peninsula.

The Big Three auto companies have long had partnerships and affiliations with Japanese, British and German companies, so that tension has dissipated. As in the rest of the country, industry is rapidly becoming a smaller sector of our economy. We are home to two major land grant universities, and the birthplace of Motown, Bob Seger, Iggy Pop, techno, and many other forms of music.

Michigan is one of the most beautiful regions of the world, nearly surrounded by stunning beaches on four of the five Great Lakes, and containing thousands of inland lakes, large and small. We have three national parks and a beautiful system of state parks. If you visited, I guarantee you would love Michigan.

I don't know, Roody, St. Clair County is pretty awful for bicycling, as far as I can tell =) I'm originally from Northeast Ohio. I lived 10 minutes from Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I could drive just a little bit and ride for hours. I haven't figured out where I can go to do that in the Port Huron area. Maybe Canada?

On the other hand, St. Clair County is about as blue collar as it gets, and no one has ever said anything to me for driving a Honda with a Sierra Club sticker on it and a Cleveland Indians shirt on my back, hahaha. I like that people in the Midwest are generally nice.

I think it depends where you live. Ann Arbor is awesome, but once you pass New Baltimore going east, it turns a bit weird.

Actually youre not supposed to wear the US flag at all..... http://www.suvcw.org/flag.htm

Section 8: par d and j

Does anyone else remember when President Bush was autographing those mini American flags?

How about something like this: http://www.primalwear.com/2005-SITE/MENS-JERSEYS/IRON-EAGLE-POP-UP_01.gif

While not actually a flag, it is the stars and stripes and gets the point across...

Wonder if this would be a positive thing to wear.

While riding in Europe last summer, almost 4 months, 9 countries I had a small USA flag on my handle bar bag. NEVER had an unfavorable comment about it.Fact was/is Americans can usually be spotted by most Euros even before we open our mouths, as I was told frequently we LOOK diff,bigger, healthier, walk diff and many other characteristics
When I did the PCH ride last Oct/Nov south of SF, Ca I had an American flag jury rigged to a wire mast on the rear of my bike, can't tell u how many polite toot-toots I had from passing motorists and when I was passed it was always by a wide margin. Amusing thing also was that some thought I was a foreign visitor being polite and showing the flag. Nearly every time I stopped I was asked where I was visiting the US from,"Oh, we thought you were a foreigner visiting and flying the flag"
Additionally, many, many times when I see a bent being ridden there is a flag usually a hi visiblity color showing on the rear,could just as well us a US flag there also

Who knows, maybe over time some respect could be generated by showing the flag.
I was in Paris when Lance won last year and there were far more USA flags flying than ANY other including the French flag, there were hundreds lining the Champs that Sunday
I don't know if he was staying there but the Hotel Crillon (way,way to pricey for my blood)on the Place de la Concorde had a HUGE flag of Texas flying from its staff

I don't believe I show any disrespect for the flag by using it politely, afterall I spent 12 years in the USAF, in a sense protecting it

I was at my LBS ordering a new road bike last week, and I was talking with one young roadie who has way more experience than me.

He was telling me that in our area (Michigan), if you put on an American flag patch on your jersey or wear something red white and blue, motorists and random people treat you way better. Rather than getting almost run over, people honk their horns and wave much more, he said.

Do you all notice this in other places?


And I am just wondering what would happened to Michael Moore if he worn a American Flag patch?

But then again if I worn an Australian flag patch hopefully I would be safe right across the USA.

Each July 4th, I participate in a parade as leader of the bicyclists' unit for quite a few years. Of course,the usual decoration was the US flag. I also used it during that event in the recent past. However, in the last couple of years I chose not to use the flag; after all, I had red, white, and blue everywhere from the paint on my bicycle to the safety lights that adorned it.

In comparison of when I used the flag to when I didn't, everyone treated me well and they still do.

That "slashing tires" story is THE stupidest urban legend I've ever heard.

The worst treatment I've ever seen is that at the Chrysler Headquarters in Auburn Hills, they require non-Chrysler owners to park farther away from the building and take a shuttle bus in. But we're only talking the size of a Disney Parking Lot.

I'm not going to tell you how great Michigan is because I don't want to shatter your misconceptions.

As for the stars and stripes getting better treatment, I'll wholeheartedly agree with that observation. I could practically zig-zag down mainstreet during rush hour wearing a National Team wannabee jersey.

I've thought about getting a red, white and blue USA jersey, but I wouldn't feel right blowing stop signs and being a general scofflaw while wearing it. :)

And I am just wondering what would happened to Michael Moore if he worn a American Flag patch?
So, what is the American take on Michael Moore? I always got the impression that he was quite a patriotic guy. Is he perceived as unpatriotic because he rages against the president and other institutions?

I'm guessing that the answers to this are going to be about a 50/50 split betwen traitor and hero. Anyone have something enlightening to offer? Just wondering.

My flag is also red, white and blue (in this order: blue, white and red), but wearing it on my jersey may be asking for trouble. So I wear it on my socks. At 110 RPM it's hardly noticeable :D
http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/1496/ultimaxvivafrancesocks9sf.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

So, what is the American take on Michael Moore?
My take is that American (or anybody else's) opinions about Michael Moore, the person or his personal opinion, are as relevant as opinions about Tom Cruise and his opinions; and just as irrelevant to bicycling advocacy.

My take is that American (or anybody else's) opinions about Michael Moore, the person or his personal opinion, are as relevant as opinions about Tom Cruise and his opinions; and just as irrelevant to bicycling advocacy.
Ow! That's going to leave a mark.