Why are rubber bands red

today was our annual staff conference and each staff was given $1.50 coffee allowance. Since not everyone can fit into our auditorium, we are given the choice to watch the live telecast at various spots within the dept. But we didn't. (Ppl however get a kick out of watching things like our DCEO modeling our new corporate uniform on stage-- that was during another recent award ceremony :P) anyway, so our support staff suggested getting nasi lemak for breakfast instead, and so this morning everyone gathered at the table for a brief nasi lemak respite (haha more like inertia to work cum form of escapism)... and cos diff ppl had slightly diff choices, some packets came tied in blue-colored rubber bands (quite rare)... when we were finishing up someone asked me to pass a rubber band (to secure the trash) and it suddenly struck me as I was handing over the good old red rubber band to a colleague -- why are rubber bands usually red?? When i posed the question to colleagues, one claimed that cos the rubber seed is reddish... then another interjected -- but latex is white! no conclusion was reached though. well, in Singapore rubber bands i've seen are mostly red; some yellow. So why red? when I reached home and quizzed my Dad, his guess was that since most things aren't red it's more visible when rubber bands are red. I think that sounds like a logical reason... but then... why not purple?? not many things are purple. why not orange?? why red?? is it also cos red is primary color that's easy to 'mix'? what's your take? :)