[Konovalov]

I know it is really popular to blame this flag issue on the "multi-culti" or "immigrant" crowds and of course it is always popular here on this forum to heap sh_t on Muslims in general. Here is further evidence in addition to my earlier post on the root causes of this flag banning issue taken from the Workplace Law website:

Safety fears over England car flags
5 June 2006
news item

With less than a week until the start of the World Cup the debate over the use of England flags on cars heats up.

Are employers who ban the use of the flags kill joys? Or, considering the fact that employers could be ultimately liable if there was an accident involving a flag coming off the car of an employee driving for work, are they just being health and safety conscious?

Hampshire police has called on football-supporting motorists to take care when flying England flags from their vehicles. Drivers have been warned that they could face an assault charge if a flag was to fly off and hit a pedestrian. PC Derek Grist commented: "We are not trying to be killjoys, all we ask for is a little bit of consideration.''

Meanwhile the British Motorcyclists' Federation (BMF) and the RAC have warned drivers that if they want to show their support for England's football team they must make sure their flags are specially designed for car use and secured safely.

In a joint statement the organisations warned of the danger of the flags, which are often clamped into closed windows, coming loose. A spot check of the A-13 dual carriageway east of London showed an average of three fallen flags per mile, the RAC said, with a concentration at spots like entrance ramps where motorists speed up.

The decision of whether to ban the flags is a controversial one. Some employers have already taken the step of banning their use. Construction workers at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 have been told that flags are a health and safety risk because they might get caught in the wind and fly on to a runway. Northampton Borough Council has also banned their staff from flying the England flag from council owned vehicles for health and safety reasons.

Taxi drivers in Cheltenham had originally been threatened with having licences revoked if they flew a flag, but the decision has now been revoked. They are not the only employers to make such a u-turn, Tesco’s had originally banned flags in its delivery trucks but was forced to change its policy following public protests.






Mark Perryman of the England fans supporters' club commented:

"If there is a serious health and safety issue it needs to be taken seriously. But I was at Old Trafford for England's last match and about 25% of the cars carried flags. I didn't see any of them flying off and blinding people."

Roger Vincent, of Rospa, said:

"People need to be sensible how they display the flags so they are not sticking out the side of their vehicles where they could hit pedestrians or cyclists. We are also concerned about some people putting very big flags on their cars."

If employers do allow employees to display flags that are used for business purposes they would be wise to ensure that employees comply with the following suggestions from the RAC.

• Ensure that the flag is specially designed for car use.
• Position it so that it can’t interfere with the driver’s vision.
• Give passengers a warning not to open the window – it’s easy to forget!
• Make sure the flag is securely held in the gap between the window and the door.
• ake the flags in before driving on the motorway - driving at speeds above 50mph can shorten the life of the flag to less than one month – and the final is not till 9 July.

Bottom line is that St George flags are everywhere at the moment here in England and rightly so.