Here in Romania a red flag will remind anyone of Stalin, Lenin and the dark times of our history. Not a smart thing to do.
Instead, a SOTA flag, possibly accompanied by the radio club logo, is a statement that has begun to gain respect. I will start using these flags as of this year in the relevant activations.
Considering the number of nations with red flags, I suspect there’s a distinction made between Displaying and Waving a flag, of ANY organization.
It’s also critical that observers are cognizant of circumstances and not assume because they see red there’s an emergency.
How long does anyone display a SOTA flag? One hour? One week? Now who is so observant to notify Search and Rescue in that first hour, with no report of missing trekkers? Besides, WE have radios. SAR can contact us before mounting a mission.
Flags only bring problems!
I used to have a flag but it decided to take off (in one activation)… AFAIC still flying! 
Other than that, all FB.
Sometimes, people ask what kind a fish exist around the summit.
Once, I was in the summit with my friend João, CT7ABE.
One guy was looking at me with a very very strange look while I’m erecting my antenna/fish rod…
A couple minutes after he asked what I was doing. I explained and he return:
"At first, I thought that you have a mental problem Then I saw the other one. Humm… 2 guys with fish rods in a summit. The probability of 2 completely crazy guys is very small.
So, I asked what kind of weird thing you are doing. Now, I understand and I think that’s very interesting!"
We earned a SOTA enthusiast which stood with us more than 30 minutes…
73
Pedro, CT1DBS/CU3HF
It is somewhat common on well traveled summits to get asked if I am talking to/looking for aliens. 
I am surprised I have not gotten the fishing comment.
I always use national flag of the summit country on the top of the pole, then comes my nation´s flag (Slovenian) and then our Slovenian SOTA flag.
Here is an example from Iceland SOTA activation. I have had no problems so far.
73, S59RA, Aleš
Earlier in the season I was asked if I was going to send messages from Trump to the Russians…
As an aside here readers might like to consider that flag etiquette in some countries (which can also mean law) prevents the national flag being flown together with any other nation flag on the same pole. I have no idea if this is the case above…
If it is done, then the message sometimes taken or inferred is that the higher flag (nation) is asserting dominance over the lower flag (nation) i.e. Be aware as some people can get quite sensitive about such things…
