The airline which I served as a B744 driver there was a TRE/TRI ex BA, coming from BEA.
He used to fly the Trident during his early years as a pilot.
During a conversation on our aviation beginnings he mentioned his experience on the Trident and this particular issue...I didn' pick up any "joking" mood at that time...and let the thing finish there.
Few years later, talking with another retired B74 captain about our nostalgic years, I came back to this issue and we tried to figure out the "aerodynamic" reason behind that...we came to no conclusion...and I lost my ex BA friend's telephone number...