In the late teens and early '20s of the last century, during the grueling 6+ hour Grands Prix they ran in Europe, the spectators would play the handkerchief game.
The idea was to get your handkerchief stuck on a GP car as it went by at speed, and if you've ever tried to throw a handkerchief, you know that one must be standing on the intended target for any kind of accuracy.
In those days, with exterior brake and gear levers, hood mascots and radcaps, knockoff wheels and quick-fill fuel caps, a player was certainly presented with a variety of targets.
Thankfully the French brought in crowd control in the 20's and the problem disappeared overnight, at least in GP racing. Open road sports car races, like the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio, still saw the game being played well into the '60s.
In essence, excited peoples is dumb.
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