# Flags: where do you see them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 30, 2013, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flags-where-do-you-see-them/662303 "2013-06-30T23:47:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flags-where-do-you-see-them/662303/1 "2013-06-30T23:47:00Z")
In the U.S. there probably isn’t a city block without a American flag on someone’s house. Although much less common, I’ve seen other flags here in the Northwest: Washington State and Alaska flags on commercial buildings, Military and “Don’t Tread On Me” (and even Canadian flags) on houses. How common is it to see flags in your area? And what flags are they? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flags-where-do-you-see-them/662303/2 "2013-06-30T23:55:44Z")
My neighbors must all be commie pinkos as I have the only American flag on the block. I kid about thrm being pinkos, but here in the land of NASCAR, over the top patriotism seems to be the norm. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flags-where-do-you-see-them/662303/3 "2013-07-01T04:02:55Z")
_Everywhere_. Here in Chicago even the L cars have one on each side. You know, because of how often they ply international waters. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flags-where-do-you-see-them/662303/4 "2013-07-01T04:17:44Z")
Yeah, we fly a lot of flags on this side of the border as well. I was talking to a guy from France who said that flags are fairly rare in France, just found on major government buildings. The average French homeowner would almost never fly a flag. I saw the same rarity of flags in Finland. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flags-where-do-you-see-them/662303/5 "2013-07-01T13:36:07Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > _Everywhere_. Here in Chicago even the L cars have one on each side. You know, because of how often they ply international waters. Sorry - I just had to give you a pat on the back for that one. You made me choke on my Cocoa Puffs from laughing. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flags-where-do-you-see-them/662303/6 "2013-07-01T13:50:29Z")
Not many flags in the residential area where I live in Regina, except for the neighbour down the street who’s the widow of a former Lieutenant Governor - she’s got a high grade flag pole with the Maple Leaf flying every day. Flags on government buildings, of course. This week, lots of flags on the Albert Street Bridge, crossing the Wascana, near the Legislature: the Maple Leaf, the Saskatchewan Flag, and the Union Jack, alternating down both sides of the bridge, in honour of Canada Day. All three customarily fly over the Lege itself, plus a couple of weeks ago there was the Gay Pride flag at the Lege. Regina City Hall is up to 6 flags now: [Maple Leaf, Saskatchewan, Union Jack, City of Regina, Treaty 4, and Métis Nation](http://www.regina.ca/opencms/export/sites/regina.ca/residents/residents-regina-facts/.media/pdf/flag-precedence-illustration.pdf). Almost forgot: the single most common flag in these parts at this time of year is the [Saskatchewan Roughriders flag](http://www.google.ca/search?q=saskatchewan+roughriders+flag&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=8InRUf_LEOTRyQH6-YDYAw&ved=0CCoQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=598)! ---
**Author:** ![BorgHunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@BorgHunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BorgHunter)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flags-where-do-you-see-them/662303/7 "2013-07-01T13:59:18Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > _Everywhere_. Here in Chicago even the L cars have one on each side. You know, because of how often they ply international waters. The buses, too. And at least the ones on the sides of buses aren’t old and peeling off. Chicago is a little unusual in that [the _municipal_ flag](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Chicago,_Illinois.svg) is quite popular, possibly even more common than the American flag. I only see the state flag very rarely (pretty much only government buildings), but to be fair, [our state flag is terrible](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Illinois.svg). If you know where to look, you can see [the municipal device](http://forgottenchicago.com/articles/the-municipal-device/) in a few places, too. The Chicago Public Library’s logo, for instance, or on some pieces of municipal hardware like the boxes that control stoplights. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flags-where-do-you-see-them/662303/8 "2013-07-01T14:43:46Z")
No flags in our immediate neighborhood. We have a [dog-paw flag](http://www.google.com/imgres?safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=Qlg&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1024&bih=605&tbm=isch&tbnid=oC1DZKwiBZ9L9M:&imgrefurl=http://overthetoppets.com/index.php%3Fmain_page%3Dindex%26manufacturers_id%3D168&docid=6MC7mn46wnbuFM&imgurl=http://overthetoppets.com/images/PAFLAG.jpg&w=500&h=300&ei=5JTRUfypM5G44APwsICwDA&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:0,s:0,i:81&iact=rc&page=1&tbnh=174&tbnw=290&start=0&ndsp=14&tx=187&ty=63) we fly on our pontoon boat, and an [old style St Martin flag](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/s/sx.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/sx.html&h=216&w=324&sz=5&tbnid=mdRXwoYCdR48CM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&zoom=1&usg=__6ARPSKnDB00-6KNAPNfvbhnP-Eo=&docid=tFTicszFv70kXM&sa=X&ei=O5XRUdRnkKDgA4aXgMgJ&ved=0CDoQ9QEwAw&dur=2695) we fly on the patio during parties. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flags-where-do-you-see-them/662303/9 "2013-07-01T14:48:48Z")
Some flags around. My neighbor sometimes flies an Irish flag and you spot the odd assortment of other national flags but mostly what you see are decorative (angels, pets, etc) or sports teams. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flags-where-do-you-see-them/662303/10 "2013-07-01T16:13:11Z")
> [@BorgHunter](#): > > Chicago is a little unusual in that [the _municipal_ flag](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Chicago,_Illinois.svg) is quite popular, possibly even more common than the American flag. If I see one more person with that damn flag tattooed on them, I swear to God… ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flags-where-do-you-see-them/662303/11 "2013-07-05T07:11:49Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > _Everywhere_. Here in Chicago even the L cars have one on each side. You know, because of how often they ply international waters. Same as the city buses around Tokyo. On national holidays, the “Hinomaru” (Japanese flag) adorns the front of the cab. Interestingly a major city bus company is named “Kokusai Kotsu” meaning “International Transport” even though the buses never leave the city. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flags-where-do-you-see-them/662303/12 "2013-07-05T07:46:12Z")
In most of Spain you only see them in official buildings or on the offices of political parties and labor unions, unless there’s something special going on. In Catalonia there are lots of independentist flags currently hanging from balconies, along with some Spanish ones, but it’s because there’s something special going on: a bid for independence. In Navarre you sometimes see flags of Euskadi (Ikurriñas) hanging on the balconies of Basquists. This often leads outsiders to think that there is a strong Basquist movement in Navarre, but they’re mistaken: all those balconies without Ikurriñas belong to non-Basquists, and we’re the immense majority. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flags-where-do-you-see-them/662303/13 "2013-07-05T08:14:30Z")
Government buildings, private clubs etc. it’s fairly rare to see them on private residences. We also have [this.](http://www.visitcanberra.com.au/Things-to-do-and-see/National-attractions/Business-Details-Page.aspx?ID=9000806&Title=International+Flag+Display) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flags-where-do-you-see-them/662303/14 "2013-07-05T09:39:43Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > Government buildings, private clubs etc. it’s fairly rare to see them on private residences. > > We also have [this.](http://www.visitcanberra.com.au/Things-to-do-and-see/National-attractions/Business-Details-Page.aspx?ID=9000806&Title=International+Flag+Display) See, I’ve seen some smaller versions of that sort of thing in much smaller places in the U.S. I think there’s even a town near here that has like a 5-country set, for some reason.