# Taking flares to a soccer game?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taking-flares-to-a-soccer-game/299135>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 13, 2005, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taking-flares-to-a-soccer-game/299135 "2005-04-13T15:32:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taking-flares-to-a-soccer-game/299135/21 "2005-04-13T19:41:01Z")

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> [@GorillaMan](#):
>
> Precisely - that was my point, that road flares simply don’t (as far as I know) see use anywhere in Europe.

They are saved for sporting events.

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taking-flares-to-a-soccer-game/299135/22 "2005-04-13T19:51:50Z")

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> [@gotpasswords](#):
>
> You might also know of them as “fusees” or “railroad flares”

Their use on railways, that’s one I had heard of. Although I think I’m right in saying that audible explosive charges are/were the prefered ‘last ditch’ warning signal - three placed on the rail, on after another, so they go off in sequence as the train rolls over them. The obvious advanrage of these is there’s no potential to cause distractions or visibility problems to anything or anyone else.

The other point about maritime flares is that they’re _intended_ to be held and waved. Although not to be thrown.

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taking-flares-to-a-soccer-game/299135/23 "2005-04-13T19:53:10Z")

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…errr, I meant the preferred warning signal in Britain.

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**Author:** ![rburget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rburget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rburget)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taking-flares-to-a-soccer-game/299135/24 "2005-04-13T21:42:37Z")

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The flares which are approved by the US Coast Guard for waving on boats are intended to be held in one’s hand. Here, a boating safety instructor shows  
[how to hold the flare](http://www.bobsipx.com/dsps/flares.jpg) so that it doesn’t drip burning stuff on the deck (or one’s feet.)

I can’t imagine using them at a US football game, but I am from the home of the Oakland Raiders, so practically anything could happen. 🙂

The boat flares look a lot like the ones sold at auto supply stores for motorists to put on the road in case of a breakdown, but the latter won’t have the USCG approval and expiration date that water cops expect to see during an inspection of vessel safety equipment.

> [@awldune](#):
>
> (some text deleted for brevity)…  
> Are flares more available in Italy than in the US? I can’t recall ever seeing them for sale, though I’ve never gone looking.

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