Minor British Institutions: The Royal Mail rubber band
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Years ago you might not have noticed the odd elastic band on the pavement. However, a decision by the Royal Mail in 2007 to issue red bands, nicely matching their vans and pillar boxes, has made them a more visible feature of national life.
The idea was that the posties who discarded them from bundles of letters would find them easier to retrieve. They didn't, so now we have much the same number of rubber bands littering the land, a fair proportion of the 342 million the Royal Mail issues every year – but they're just a bit more obvious.
For some, these bits of red rubber are a symbol of slovenliness; for others they represent a reassuring sign that the Royal Mail is still with us, despite its many tribulations.
There is nothing, one might add, to stop anyone picking one up and keeping Britain tidy. They make quite good substitutes for charity wristbands, and they also add a touch of glamour to an office worker's giant rubber band ball.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments