Canadian Friends: Please explain to me your flag obsession
 

Canadians seem to love their flag even more than Yanks. When traveling abroad you guys always have your flag emroidered on your backpack, which is cool. I understand. You want to make sure people know that you're Canadian, not American. You have your own identity. That's cool with me....

What I don't understand is why when you travel in the states, you seem to carry that flag obsession with you. Whether I'm watching Good Morning America or David Letterman, you always have that maple leaf right by your side.

In fact, I get the biggest kick out of the Canadian tourists in San Francisco, where husband and wife will wear matching Canadian flag hats, sweatshirts, hockey jersies, or Roots gear. It makes sense when you're overseas, but in the States? Don't you want to blend in? In America, oddly enough, it's okay to be an American.

What's the deal? :2 cents:

http://canflag.ptbcanadian.com/images/maggie.gif

What's a "flag"?

Check the Gay Flags.

<img src=http://www.pinette.net/chris/flags/gay/gay-cnda.gif border="1">

http://www.pinette.net/chris/flags/gay/

Gay flag of Texas: Steers and Queers

http://www.pinette.net/chris/flags/gay/gay-us-tx.gif

I'm Canadian and I don't believe I own anything with a Canadian flag on it.

I never said all Canadians...just Canadians that leave the country. As soon as they leave Canada, they've got that flag somewhere. Every Canadian I met traveling in Europe. Most of the Canadians that I see on vacation in the US. Canadians on Good Morning America....they've always got that maple leaf.

As I said, I understand the purpose when traveling outside of N. America. But in the U.S.?

Europe and such, yes, b/c it is safer. A lot of countries hate the US and don't mind Canada as much. Problem is a lot of Americans do it too, it is actually recommended in some countries if you are american to sew a canadian maple leaf on your stuff. Now the ppl going down to the US, those have got to be exceptions. You would actually be surprised how many canadians you see in the US, but the majority don't even own flags. :)
ZoiNk

Yeah, actually I know a few Americans traveling in Europe right now who have Canadian flags stitched on their ruck sacks.

As far as the one's in the U.S., the reason might be....1) If you're going on Good Morning America or some other show, what better way to ensure you get on t.v. than to have a Canadian flag. Who the fuck knows if they do anything with the flag outside the show. Also, anyone who wants to get on Good Morning America is probably cheesy anyways.

As far as tourists go, perhaps for every 1 canadian that does wear a flag, there are another 50 or so that don't, but of course I wouldn't notice them. They'd just blend in.

I have a co-worker who travels to Europe a lot. Everytime he went (especially in Spain), he would get hassled and people would discriminate against him and insult him because they thought he was American.
It all drastically decreased when he sewed a Canadian flag on his bag.

http://www.pinette.net/chris/flags/gay/gay-glory2.gif
http://www.pinette.net/chris/flags/gay/gay-us-ca.gif

Id sew this on my backpack before i wear some other countries flag to pretend im not american hahah

what kind of silly shit is that?

<img src=http://www.pinette.net/chris/flags/gay/gay-lthr.gif border="1">

what's weird is I hear the same thing from every Canadian. funny thing is, I've traveled extensively throughout Europe, even lived there. My Dad still does. I used to go every month in fact. And not once did I get hassled for being American. Maybe I just don't look American enough....who knows.

So I guess if I travel to Canada and/or France I better sew an Iraqi flag onto my backpack so they don't think I'm an awful American:winkwink:

http://www.teenie-man.com/piss.jpg




.

Flags are gay.

r u homophobic?

Not at all... but flags are still very gay.

So is shaving your pubic hair and getting solarium tans.

Poke is at the French, not you guys up north

http://www.internationalwdc.com/images/canback.jpg

LMAO....thumbsup

hahaha that is great.

i was in Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Burma and Thailand a year ago and it was more the rule then the exception that every Canadian I met had the flag slapped on everything.

I cringe when I see that. To me it smacks of an inferiority complex or worse a hoity-toity attitude that you are trying to tell everyone that you are not something (American) as opposed to letting everyone who you are.

If this was normal human behaviour such as a sense of patriotism - then why is this only common amongst Canadians amongst all the nationalities that travel extensively?

You are safer travelling if you're known as a Canadian. I experienced this first hand while I was backpacking in Italy.

Anyways.

There's a general dislike for Americans as the stereotype over most of the world is that they are loud, rude, obnoxious, aggressive, etc. If you're Canadian, none of those stereotypes are there, except that we are nice, kind, and giving.

Oh, and please, my fellow American GFY'ers, don't act shocked please.... That truly is how your country is viewed (stereotypically) and I don't think this war will help that any.. :)

Cheers,
Matt

Anyways, that's totally wrong and doesn't make any sense. The French still love Canada and Canadians... So does Europe... so pointing out France is ... pointless.. and dumb, in the sense that it isn't a proper/factual joke.. blah. Anyways.

Cheers,
Matt

better make sure a beaver doesn't bite your dick off

The joke is that it's prolly safer to be an Iraqi in France rather than a Canadian....come on man I thought you guys had a far superior educational system than ours :winkwink:

I cannot believe I know you and you'd actually say something so idiotic. Canadians with flags, Americans with Canadian flags, and so on, are really just people who *think* it is safer. Absolute bullshit. The only thing that makes one safer while travelling is travelling safely. Canadian backpackers have just as bad of a reputation as the American and Australian backpackers, obnoxious drunks. I've backpacked many a place and not run into any troubles because of not having the Canadian flag pasted all over me, just curious stares as people try to figure out where I'm from because I have the flags of every country I've visited on my bag. It's about ego, and the misconception that it'll somehow keep you safe.

i have the flag tattoed on my back...pride dude....i love Canada...don't get me wrong..i like the States as well, but i love it here...i can see myself retiring out west in the foothills

and the threads just keep getting lamer...

:1orglaugh

We always get american tourists up here every summer in my city. They come for the clean beaches and fresh lobster (ick). Sadly, they all have cars with american flags plastered on their bumpers, mini-flag's on their antenna they drive like ass. never stop at red lights. On wrong side of highway doing 150(quebecers are bad for that too).

Some american bald headed fucker and his 80 year old wife pull into a driveway and park on the sidewalk instead as I was biking along the sidewalk. Ask them to move from the sidewalk so I can continue on my merry way on my bike and I am told "how dare you, I am an american!" So I responded, "well in canada it is illegal to park on the sidewalk, so long fucker" And I left a nice litle scratch on his cadilac with my sharp pedal.

Anyone that says it is a load of horshshit that it is safer to travel abroad with a canadian flag on your backpack has their fucking head up their ass to the fact of how much the rest of the world dislikes americans in general(most all that I know are good people, the as a whole that isn't the case). Hell where I used to live I remember some business put up a business sign pointing to their shop or something on a highway.. Basically said 'Turn left here, 2 miles till 'whatevertheshopwascalled', but the point is he put miles on it instead of KM because of all the american tourists that came through.. The sign was trashed and gone in a day because of that. Holland is a huge place to go with a Canadian flag, I know when my stepfather went there in the 70's total strangers would invite him into their houses for tea and snacks from seeing that flag..
Given some of you probably have been to europe and have been left alone, those of you were probably well-mannered polite people, however a lot of americans will get hassled big time just because they are not as polite as some other tourists, and they are ignorant to high hell, and show absolutely no desire to change that, and to make matters worse sit around in complete confusion that the rest of the world doesn't bend to their language, beliefs and way of life..

I AM AMERICAN....

I'm not particularly intelligent, open-minded, or generally well-liked.

I don't live in a clean place, I don't eat nutritiously very often, And
I abandon my car on the side of the interstate until the tires are stolen.

I don't know Shakespeare, Da Vinci or Gutenberg, Although I'm certain they weren't American.

I drink watery beer. I don't use utensils when eating.

I believe in guns for settling disputes, not discussions.

And I pronounce it AIN'T, not AREN'T.

I don't say "you're welcome" in response to "thank you", I say "Uh Huh"


Burger King IS fine dining and Miss America is a virgin.

Ketchup IS a vegetable and WWF wrestling is real.

The UNITED STATES is the ONLY country in the world, The FIRST nation of ignorance, And the BEST part of South America!

My name is Johnny Bob Jimmy Joe Ray, I'm married to my sister, AND I AM AMERICAN!

I can proudly sew my country's flag on my backpack......until I go anywhere.

Burger King IS fine dining and Miss America is a virgin.

Ketchup IS a vegetable and WWF wrestling is real.

The UNITED STATES is the ONLY country in the world, The FIRST nation of ignorance, And the BEST part of South America!

My name is Johnny Bob Jimmy Joe Ray, I'm married to my sister, AND I AM AMERICAN!

http://artsweb.uwaterloo.ca/~pghaffar/american.htm


-----------------------------------

probably an ex GFYer....


:thumbsup

Given some of you probably have been to europe and have been left alone, those of you were probably well-mannered polite people, however a lot of americans will get hassled big time just because they are not as polite as some other tourists, and they are ignorant to high hell, and show absolutely no desire to change that, and to make matters worse sit around in complete confusion that the rest of the world doesn't bend to their language, beliefs and way of life..

The joke is that it's prolly safer to be an Iraqi in France rather than a Canadian....come on man I thought you guys had a far superior educational system than ours