D.I.Y.

CARS

URBAN CAMOUFLAGE

With the right accessories, your vehicle can always be on “official business.” By Todd Lappin

Photograph by Todd Lappin

It started as a scam to find on-street parking. ured for urban vandalism deterrence, high-alpine One day, I had a social-engineering epiphany — if winter driving, assisting stranded motorists, and I decorated my car to make it look like a com- infiltrating the abandoned military bases where I mercial vehicle, I’d be able to park in yellow-curb like to take photographs. loading zones without getting tickets from the In these pages, I’ll reveal the sources and meth-overzealous parking control officers who regu- ods I employed to create an effective vehicular larly swarmed my neighborhood. disguise. With this covert knowledge, however, After a trip to an art-supply store to buy some comes great responsibility. I don’t condone using vinyl lettering, a fake company name was created, any of this for nefarious purposes. But like the decals were applied, and indeed, no parking tick- old Hollywood cop-show cliché about the diaper-ets were received. service delivery van that functions as a stake-out That was 18 years ago. Since then, all my surveillance post, just remember — the company vehicles have been decked out in corporate vehicle you see parked camouflage, even as my needs have evolved. In on your street or bear-addition to basic parking acquisition, my current ing down in your rear-car, a 1999 Jeep Cherokee I ordered new from the view mirror may not be factory in fleet-service white, has been config- quite what it seems.

With a “company” vehicle, you’ll enjoy special benefits and respectful admirers.

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