▁double - de cker ▁bus es ▁would ▁be ▁b anned ▁( The ▁Times , ▁ 9 ▁April ▁ 1 9 9 8 ), ▁that ▁British ▁rh ub ar b ▁must ▁be ▁straight , ▁and ▁that ▁bar ma ids ▁would ▁have ▁to ▁cover ▁up ▁their ▁cle av age . ▁ ▁In ▁some ▁cases ▁Eur om yth ▁stories ▁have ▁been ▁trac ed ▁to ▁deliber ate ▁attempts ▁by ▁lo bb y ists ▁to ▁influence ▁actions ▁by ▁the ▁European ▁b ureau c racy , ▁for ▁instance ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁custom s ▁duties ▁for ▁particular ▁products . ▁EU ▁officials ▁have ▁also ▁claimed ▁that ▁many ▁such ▁stories ▁result ▁from ▁unclear ▁or ▁misunder stood ▁information ▁on ▁complicated ▁policies , ▁and ▁are ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁seized ▁on ▁minor ▁errors ▁in ▁stories ▁as ▁evidence ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁entirely ▁fict ional . ▁ ▁Stra ight ▁ban anas ▁▁ ▁The ▁alleg ed ▁ban ▁on ▁cur ved ▁ban anas ▁is ▁a ▁long - standing , ▁famous , ▁and ▁s tere ot yp ical ▁claim ▁that ▁is ▁used ▁in ▁head lines ▁to ▁typ ify ▁the ▁Eur om yth . ▁Among st ▁other ▁issues ▁of ▁acceptable ▁quality ▁and ▁standards , ▁the ▁reg ulation ▁does ▁actually ▁specify ▁minimum ▁dimensions . ▁It ▁also ▁states ▁that ▁ban anas ▁shall ▁be ▁free ▁from ▁de formation ▁or ▁ab normal ▁curv ature . ▁However , ▁the ▁prov isions ▁rel ating ▁to ▁shape ▁apply ▁fully ▁only ▁to ▁ban anas ▁sold ▁as ▁Ext ra ▁class ; ▁slight ▁defect s ▁of ▁shape ▁( but ▁not ▁size ) ▁are ▁permitted ▁in ▁Class ▁I ▁and ▁Class ▁II ▁ban