1. Look sheepish, like you would never been in this huge vehicle if you weren’t forced into it by overprotective security officers.
2. Look ill. Maintain a greenish-grey visage that makes it clear that if you weren’t so terribly ill, you’d be on a local bus at this very moment.
3. Ride with someone older than you, and develop a facial expression that indicates you are just the gormless flunky riding involuntarily in the VIP car.
4. Fill your vehicle with boxes and bags, to make it clear that the SUV is hauling important equipment and you’re just along for the ride.
5. Wear your damn seatbelt. If you’re going to cruise around in a symbol of oblivious neo-imperialism you owe it to world to be safe.
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You’re writing to one of my aid-work pet peeves. Way to rock it!
Right on, Alanna! I used these tricks in the DRC probably 20 times (well, I was only there for 7 weeks).
Outstanding! I only got to ride in a white vehicle once as a graduate student doing fieldwork in DRC; a bit jealous of the fact that there ARE seatbelts!
I have #3 down.
Wondering that these vehicles aren’t yet manufactured in China…
#3 is my tactic of choice
Love it.
I always had some pride in the fact that my organizations (Practica, IDE, EWV, all tech-heavy organizations) tend to roll around in beat up old hilux trucks filled with pumps or pipes.
They’re still white, but far from spotless.
B
I also have a ’88 2wd Nissan truck back in Canada – basically the oldest, weakest pickup you can think of. It’s white, with a hand-painted door. After living in Ethiopia for the better part of a year, I’m super tempted to make a set of those massive ‘UN’ stickers, and put them on my truck in Canada…
B
[…] Not our Land Cruiser, by the way. Practica’s still takin’ the bus over here. But in case we ever do roll in Cruisers, Alanna has let me know how to do it without looking like a tool. […]