No Stars & Stripes for USA's Team Bus at World Cup
May 5, 2006, 9:33 am
#1
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No Stars & Stripes for USA's Team Bus at World Cup
The official team bus to be used by the United States during the World Cup will not bear a flag for security reasons.
The 32 official buses were presented Thursday in Frankfurt, and the other 31 buses have large national flags of their teams painted on the rear sides
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...367027&cc=5739
Perhaps a bit off-topic around here, but it's a real shame that Americans even have to make such considerations when traveling abroad (especially at an event that is all about national pride!)
The 32 official buses were presented Thursday in Frankfurt, and the other 31 buses have large national flags of their teams painted on the rear sides
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...367027&cc=5739
Perhaps a bit off-topic around here, but it's a real shame that Americans even have to make such considerations when traveling abroad (especially at an event that is all about national pride!)
May 5, 2006, 12:11 pm
#4
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Originally Posted by FWAAA
32 buses. 31 of which have huge non-USA flags painted on them. One bus without a flag. How difficult would it be to pick out the USA team bus?
May 5, 2006, 12:28 pm
#5
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Over Here, Over There
Originally Posted by bigbrownboy
Perhaps a bit off-topic around here, but it's a real shame that Americans even have to make such considerations when traveling abroad
Every time I stop by my AAA office I see the travel items they sell. Including a big luggage tag with a big American flag on the back. It always makes me think that any tourist with one of those might as well wear a T shirt with a bulls eye on both sides and the word "TARGET" written in Arabic. That's not paranoia, that's simple reality these days.
May 5, 2006, 12:30 pm
#6
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Originally Posted by Flaflyer
OTOH, reality is Keep a Low Profile--It's Safer.
Every time I stop by my AAA office I see the travel items they sell. Including a big luggage tag with a big American flag on the back. It always makes me think that any tourist with one of those might as well wear a T shirt with a bulls eye on both sides and the word "TARGET" written in Arabic. That's not paranoia, that's simple reality these days.
Every time I stop by my AAA office I see the travel items they sell. Including a big luggage tag with a big American flag on the back. It always makes me think that any tourist with one of those might as well wear a T shirt with a bulls eye on both sides and the word "TARGET" written in Arabic. That's not paranoia, that's simple reality these days.
May 6, 2006, 3:22 am
#8
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Am I a target?
Originally Posted by Flaflyer
OTOH, reality is Keep a Low Profile--It's Safer.
Every time I stop by my AAA office I see the travel items they sell. Including a big luggage tag with a big American flag on the back. It always makes me think that any tourist with one of those might as well wear a T shirt with a bulls eye on both sides and the word "TARGET" written in Arabic. That's not paranoia, that's simple reality these days.
Every time I stop by my AAA office I see the travel items they sell. Including a big luggage tag with a big American flag on the back. It always makes me think that any tourist with one of those might as well wear a T shirt with a bulls eye on both sides and the word "TARGET" written in Arabic. That's not paranoia, that's simple reality these days.
Maybe I've misunderstood but does your post imply that the current reality is that having something that defines yourself as an American visible when travling abroad is going to invite a rocket launcher aimed right at you, I guess by an Arabic speaking person? Seems a little over the top.
I'm going to be wearing a USA Soccer jersey every day in Germany when I travel for the cup next month. I was thinking of getting one with the initials G.W. Bush on the back but though that some might not find humor in it
. Anyhow, I plan on coming home alive from this trip...do you think I should reconsider?
May 6, 2006, 3:47 am
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Originally Posted by travelinmanS
I'm going to be wearing a USA Soccer jersey every day in Germany when I travel for the cup next month.
May 7, 2006, 2:22 pm
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Originally Posted by travelinmanS
Maybe I've misunderstood but does your post imply that the current reality is that having something that defines yourself as an American visible when travling abroad is going to invite a rocket launcher aimed right at you, I guess by an Arabic speaking person? Seems a little over the top.
May 7, 2006, 2:46 pm
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Originally Posted by Flaflyer
looking for a kidnap victim, or is out for a little Sunday afternoon drive-by RPG action
May 7, 2006, 9:14 pm
#12
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Not a particularly new issue
Originally Posted by bigbrownboy
The official team bus to be used by the United States during the World Cup will not bear a flag for security reasons.
The 32 official buses were presented Thursday in Frankfurt, and the other 31 buses have large national flags of their teams painted on the rear sides
..
The 32 official buses were presented Thursday in Frankfurt, and the other 31 buses have large national flags of their teams painted on the rear sides
..
And I think it was a safe bet back then, and still would be now, that a downhill ski race is NOT a likely place to find middle eastern terrorists. Not to mention that the average American reaction to an attack on a DH race would be "the US *HAS* a downhill ski racing team outside the Olympics".
"Right on the Edge of Crazy" is a very entertaining book about the US ski team in those years, and it has a good chapter on the whole incident.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/078...Fencoding=UTF8
Bob