User Panel
Quoted: When the AUSA (Association of the US Army) convention was in DC a few years ago, they had heavy security while everything was being set up. Tons of defense contractors showing off their latest gear, weapons, etc. There was LOTS of security, armed military guards, bomb-sniffing dogs - the whole nine yards. I got in by wearing generic coveralls and having a clipboard. I drove up to the ramp to the loading docks, waved my clipboard with some printouts of floor plans, etc. at the guy and told him I was there to set up booth number whatever. Not even driving a van with logos or anything - just my private SUV. He let me through and I just parked by the loading docks, and had full access to everything. If anyone cares, it’s this kind of thing (photos from when the expo actually opened) https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191014_075822-1127272.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191014_075952-1127273.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191014_153230-1127278.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191016_122841-1127280.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191016_123023-1127282.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191016_123603-1127294.jpg View Quote Is that a mini-tank? I want one!! |
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OP is correct. And, gray man drives a Subaru Forester with several magnetic COEXIST bumper stickers/rainbow flags, etc.
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Quoted: Fuck the whole gray man concept. It's all a fucking fallacy. You're only gray in your personal perception bubble. Fortunately most people are so fucking self-absorbed they wouldn't notice you if you were wearing pink tights with blue polka dots and your favorite furry outfit. ROCK6 View Quote I am reminded of that episode of Cops with the truck driver in pantyhose and a leopard print leotard talking to the popo about having has wallet stolen by some guy who was in the cab with him. |
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I don't care what anyone wears, I assume most folks are armed...
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Quoted: When the AUSA (Association of the US Army) convention was in DC a few years ago, they had heavy security while everything was being set up. Tons of defense contractors showing off their latest gear, weapons, etc. There was LOTS of security, armed military guards, bomb-sniffing dogs - the whole nine yards. I got in by wearing generic coveralls and having a clipboard. I drove up to the ramp to the loading docks, waved my clipboard with some printouts of floor plans, etc. at the guy and told him I was there to set up booth number whatever. Not even driving a van with logos or anything - just my private SUV. He let me through and I just parked by the loading docks, and had full access to everything. If anyone cares, it’s this kind of thing (photos from when the expo actually opened) https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191014_075822-1127272.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191014_075952-1127273.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191014_153230-1127278.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191016_122841-1127280.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191016_123023-1127282.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191016_123603-1127294.jpg View Quote Seems like security should have been tighter at an event like that but yeah you make the perfect point of how easy it can be to gain access to places if you look and act like "you are supposed to be there." lol |
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It really has less to do with what you are wearing than you think !!!
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View Quote I wouldn’t buy it unless you’re Latino and drinking a Bud Ice tall boy in the middle of the day. |
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View Quote polo or fishing shirt, jeans, boots, hardhat, and pro looking vest (no cheap mesh home depot bullshit, one with pockets) "I'm here to look at a leak" will get you into just about anywhere, including the uppermost levels of the Texas State Capitol rotunda and exterior deck, back of house at hospitals, colleges, etc. @Canoeguy |
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Quoted: They say that Americans have a characteristic strut/swagger to the way we walk. Our mannerisms/movements are also different. View Quote Long hallway in the NATO mx complex leading to the office suite. Commanders (Dutch) secretary sat up close to his office door. She told me she could hear the Americans coming every single time...we walked faster than everyone else on the installation, and didn't stop two or three times to have conversations with everyone we passed. She would stop me every single time I came into the office to exchange pleasantries. Drove me crazy, but she made a point of it. I was used to "is the boss in? I need to see him." Instead, I got, "How are you this morning. Beautiful, isn't it? I had the most interesting dream last night...". That, and at the morning mx meeting everyone in the whole damn room would shake hands and exchange greetings. As in, all 20 to 25 people. It's like they looked for an excuse to put off getting down to business for as long as possible. |
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Fan Belt Inspectors looks like Fan Belt Inspectors.
Saw a man/woman couple going to an event as security. I said, "Los federales!" The woman's jaw dropped in surprise. They didn't behave as a couple which was the tip off. If she was hanging on his arm, or if they were holding hands, or if she was leading as if she was angry at him I would have thought they were a couple. |
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Lol, my Masters polo, khaki shorts, and Sperry Gold Cup's and they'll never see me coming!
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You also have to blend with your surroundings including the fashion trends of the majority in your AO.
Criminals are ABSOLUTELY aware of the type of things police officers wear even when undercover. If you are wearing a G-Shock watch they think you're a police officer. If you have a crew cut haircut they will think you are a police officer. If you are wearing boots and don't look like someone who is dirty off a job site they will think you are a police officer. They notice that stuff. If you're in the ghetto, look ghetto, if you're in the country side look like a hick. When in Rome do as the Romans do. Walking around looking like a 5.11 catalog model is going to make you glow. If you're in a wealthy suburban town in Colorado then sure look like 5.11 or an REI catalog guy, but that stuff doesn't work outside that niche for blending in. Sadly, you may have to suffer some performance degradation in order to blend so your pants might not be super cool with articulating spandex and your watch might not be able to give you GPS navigation or stand up to an EMP blast or something. |
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Quoted: When the AUSA (Association of the US Army) convention was in DC a few years ago, they had heavy security while everything was being set up. Tons of defense contractors showing off their latest gear, weapons, etc. There was LOTS of security, armed military guards, bomb-sniffing dogs - the whole nine yards. I got in by wearing generic coveralls and having a clipboard. I drove up to the ramp to the loading docks, waved my clipboard with some printouts of floor plans, etc. at the guy and told him I was there to set up booth number whatever. Not even driving a van with logos or anything - just my private SUV. He let me through and I just parked by the loading docks, and had full access to everything. If anyone cares, it’s this kind of thing (photos from when the expo actually opened) https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191014_075822-1127272.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191014_075952-1127273.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191014_153230-1127278.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191016_122841-1127280.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191016_123023-1127282.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191016_123603-1127294.jpg View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Work coveralls and a clipboard can be really effective. It sounds totally cliche, but it works. Yep. Work pants (which for me are khaki 5.11’s), a polo, boots and this stuff: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/503720/4A52CDDD-9A5F-4E9F-8072-3647E1837CDA_jpe-2355511.JPG Gets me in and out of just about anywhere unimpeded. That includes buildings in DC with “security” desks. Add 2 of these: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/503720/E923F6E5-6B04-40A6-B319-C902AEC9F7FF_jpe-2355513.JPG And 1 of these: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/503720/5B6049AA-17E2-4E2E-83E6-484B889503D9_jpe-2355514.JPG And you can park pretty much wherever you want to. I don’t have any logos or magnets on my truck, either. When the AUSA (Association of the US Army) convention was in DC a few years ago, they had heavy security while everything was being set up. Tons of defense contractors showing off their latest gear, weapons, etc. There was LOTS of security, armed military guards, bomb-sniffing dogs - the whole nine yards. I got in by wearing generic coveralls and having a clipboard. I drove up to the ramp to the loading docks, waved my clipboard with some printouts of floor plans, etc. at the guy and told him I was there to set up booth number whatever. Not even driving a van with logos or anything - just my private SUV. He let me through and I just parked by the loading docks, and had full access to everything. If anyone cares, it’s this kind of thing (photos from when the expo actually opened) https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191014_075822-1127272.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191014_075952-1127273.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191014_153230-1127278.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191016_122841-1127280.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191016_123023-1127282.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1715/IMG_20191016_123603-1127294.jpg That’s awesome! Just looking and acting like you belong there, with something to do and being a part of the background, most people will just go right along with it. Props help too Granted, I’ve had legit business throughout DC - but like yourself, I’ve always either been waved through, or just walked right past any sort of security. Same goes for parking: full sized trucks don’t fit in DC garages, so I just parked on the street with cones and strobe. I may just be very lucky, but I never got a ticket or towed. |
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Quoted: You also have to blend with your surroundings including the fashion trends of the majority in your AO. Criminals are ABSOLUTELY aware of the type of things police officers wear even when undercover. If you are wearing a G-Shock watch they think you're a police officer. If you have a crew cut haircut they will think you are a police officer. If you are wearing boots and don't look like someone who is dirty off a job site they will think you are a police officer. They notice that stuff. If you're in the ghetto, look ghetto, if you're in the country side look like a hick. When in Rome do as the Romans do. Walking around looking like a 5.11 catalog model is going to make you glow. If you're in a wealthy suburban town in Colorado then sure look like 5.11 or an REI catalog guy, but that stuff doesn't work outside that niche for blending in. Sadly, you may have to suffer some performance degradation in order to blend so your pants might not be super cool with articulating spandex and your watch might not be able to give you GPS navigation or stand up to an EMP blast or something. View Quote There’s probably a few things to consider on not going too gray, foot gear comes to mind, a good stable shoe or boot, helps in physical contacts and if you have to run away like a sissy girl, a good belt, clean underwear etc |
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Quoted: The down side of that methodology is when you go someplace that actually has security, and they discover you aren’t a contractor and now you get to wait in line with everybody else, but you also get your own personal case agent at the local fusion center. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: When the AUSA (Association of the US Army) convention was in DC a few years ago, they had heavy security while everything was being set up. Tons of defense contractors showing off their latest gear, weapons, etc. There was LOTS of security, armed military guards, bomb-sniffing dogs - the whole nine yards. I got in by wearing generic coveralls and having a clipboard. I drove up to the ramp to the loading docks, waved my clipboard with some printouts of floor plans, etc. at the guy and told him I was there to set up booth number whatever. Not even driving a van with logos or anything - just my private SUV. He let me through and I just parked by the loading docks, and had full access to everything. The down side of that methodology is when you go someplace that actually has security, and they discover you aren’t a contractor and now you get to wait in line with everybody else, but you also get your own personal case agent at the local fusion center. Oh sure. I doubt it would work at Langley, or in Baltimore, or at the Pentagon. But it was just funny to me how the security presence at the venue was HUGE, but getting into the loading docks was laughably easy, and I was basically just waved in and ignored. I mean, I already own coveralls, a clipboard and a dolly, and I just used my private vehicle - so this required no effort on my part. . |
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Quoted: Done. Just took the pic for you. VP9SK for scale. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/394169/AB34D48B-90C2-4390-9B2E-0AE319E3C174_jpe-2355299.JPG View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: so, a gay mustache and a pullover? in before "what mustache wax do you run?" and "what's your go-to tier one cashmere blend?" https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/394169/AB34D48B-90C2-4390-9B2E-0AE319E3C174_jpe-2355299.JPG So this whole thread was just to justify your use of pomade and mustache wax? Blending in with hipsters is a bold strategy. |
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Spotting a "grey man" for me has nothing to do with the clothing, it's the body inside the clothes that give you away.
If you're cut, standing confidently with good posture, and obviously presenting situation awareness you just outed yourself. Lose some muscle mass, get that forward head posture going, and install some distracting smartphone apps for the ultimate in concealment. |
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Quoted: It's probably your haircut. I rock a pretty short crew cut and don't dress like a slob and I've been asked the same thing plenty of times. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: It is impossible for me to grey man. Lifelong civilian and everywhere I go, even wearing fucking skinny jeans and a sweater, I'll get the "are you a cop?" or "were you military?" I will never be able to blend in. It's probably your haircut. I rock a pretty short crew cut and don't dress like a slob and I've been asked the same thing plenty of times. That and his idea of skinny jeans are what might be baggy on others. One of the reasons I couldn't get into Nic Cage as some badass Army Ranger dude, is his horrible posture. Ex-Mil dudes don't tend to slouch/hunch like that. It's been drilled out of them. Posture is one of those things that people notice. |
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Do you mean my bendy-Bill dad-hat with Betsy Ross flag gives me away?? I am shock. Guess I'll give up my sneakers, slim jeans, and button-up disguise.
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I agree that body language and posture can give you away. But some of you guys are acting like it’s full on espionage here. I just want to pass a cursory glance.
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I cannot help but think of any morning during shot show as you get near the venue - the place is awash with tacticool clothing ??
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OP is wrong. Most people have no idea if someone is carrying. I watched a dude open carry a G26/27 in Walmart in Jacksonville a few years ago. No one even noticed. FYI open carry is still mostly illegal here.
Nobody notices things like what the OP posted. Nobody. |
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Quoted: OP is wrong. Most people have no idea if someone is carrying. I watched a dude open carry a G26/27 in Walmart in Jacksonville a few years ago. No one even noticed. FYI open carry is still mostly illegal here. Nobody notices things like what the OP posted. Nobody. View Quote You noticed. So did others, they just didn’t care at the moment. |
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Quoted: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/478694/663281644_276677public-2231938.jpg I am THE grey man. View Quote Legit....you should start a YouTube channel. |
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I don't need to be grey man, whatever the hell that is. I'm old. I'm no threat to anyone unless they try to harm me. I can carry anywhere I go that doesn't have a metal detector, no problems.
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Quoted: There are WW2 stories of escaped american POW's getting snagged because of how they held their cigarettes. View Quote Attached File |
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Quoted: OP is wrong. Most people have no idea if someone is carrying. I watched a dude open carry a G26/27 in Walmart in Jacksonville a few years ago. No one even noticed. FYI open carry is still mostly illegal here. Nobody notices things like what the OP posted. Nobody. View Quote Threats are what you need to worry about, not soccer moms and oblivious sheep. |
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Quoted: The local trails are filled with people wearing weighted vests and camelbacks. Molle chest pouches actually fit right in. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Nobody will notice my Hill People Gear pack! They make low profile running packs you can't hardly notice with a shirt off if you are in shape and wearing dark shorts as a backer. Grandma even knows it's low profile and doesn't stick out (at 2:50) but it's not $100 Hill Bros Gear. Also, a lot of people may not run on trails in the woods. Many run in neighborhoods or in town. Amphipod AirFlow Lite and AirFlow Endurance Waistpack First Impressions |
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Honestly, I don't think it matters anymore. Almost everyone dresses like shit and has no situational awareness.
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Quoted: Honestly, I don't think it matters anymore. Almost everyone dresses like shit and has no situational awareness. View Quote It's the person that's not glued to their phone or into themselves that's the watcher. Many places you can open carry (which is legal in VA) and no one will notice. Dress like a civilian, look at your phone and glance up once in awhile and you'll blend in. |
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Quoted: OP is wrong. Most people have no idea if someone is carrying. I watched a dude open carry a G26/27 in Walmart in Jacksonville a few years ago. No one even noticed. FYI open carry is still mostly illegal here. View Quote When my son was a teenager, there were a few times that we were shopping in Walmart, and he spotted someone open carrying or with the bottom of the gun/holster sticking out from under their shirt. He would just get my attention, smile, and nod towards them. |
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Arizona Jeans
Weyland Utani T Shirt Swiss Tech flanel shirt (literally grey) 48 years old and overweight. Still, everyone (especialky cops) thinks im a fed. |
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Quoted: I don't think this is the case at all. Lets say something goes down, something big and you are just trying to get home. Roadblocks. Here I am in my dress shirt, nice shoes and my Outback vs dude in his truck covered in gun stickers and grunt style t-shirt. If you think people don't profile, as in all people, you would be wrong. Throw on some jeans, a hard hat, work boots, and a neon vest and you could basically go anywhere. In fact I would go so far to say that a neon vest might be a valued addition to a get home bag. View Quote That’s impersonation, but it has its place. My point is that outside of some covert operation, you going to dress for your job, activity, leisure, furry party, whatever; what will give you away is demeanor and actions not your attire. Sure, there are extremes. You don’t dress in drag at a biker event, and you don’t where a MAGA hat or three-piece suit during a rainbow parade event down in Key West. You would do far better just focusing on improving your situational awareness rather than dressing like a bum when downtown to avoid attention or normal activities. Having spent time overseas as a white American in racially homogonous areas where white isn’t too popular, your “gray man” is simply a tourist, saying “Eh”? every so often so they think you’re Canadian. Quoted: I am reminded of that episode of Cops with the truck driver in pantyhose and a leopard print leotard talking to the popo about having has wallet stolen by some guy who was in the cab with him. View Quote That is an extreme, but I doubt the truck drive would have been spared being a target if he was dressed as a Hells Angel. His first mistake was letting his guard down likely trying to engage in risky activity with a stranger. He mistook, being “gray” for being “gay”. We all make mistakes, that one is a little more unforgettable. ROCK6 |
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Levi jeans
Carhartt shirt Nike shoes Benchmade knife cause i love this country and it's 2nd amendment freedoms |
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Rules to being a grey man.
1. Don't wear anything with a gun logo, ammo logo or other weapons-related logo on it. No Sig Sauer shirts, no Underwood Ammo shirts, no USCCA shirts. Same thing goes for political clothing, as this can be used against you in court. 2. Don't carry around anything tacticool like a 5.11 backpack. 3. No tacticool pants like 5.11 or the like. 4. Don't wear baseball caps with velcro for morale patches on them, nor boonie caps. 5. Don't be the guy that has a visible pouch on your belt. Phone and knife should be hidden. 6. Long-sleeve shirts in summer are a dead giveaway. Just get some Hawaiian shirts. 7. Don't put gun stickers on your vehicle. Same criteria as Rule 1. I'm sure there are more, but this is a great baseline of rules. I saw a Hawaiian shirt online the other day that was goth-themed. It had skulls embedded in palm tree patterns. I steer clear of that shit since it can be used against you in court. |
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Quoted: Rules to being a grey man. 1. Don't wear anything with a gun logo, ammo logo or other weapons-related logo on it. No Sig Sauer shirts, no Underwood Ammo shirts, no USCCA shirts. Same thing goes for political clothing, as this can be used against you in court. 2. Don't carry around anything tacticool like a 5.11 backpack. 3. No tacticool pants like 5.11 or the like. 4. Don't wear baseball caps with velcro for morale patches on them, nor boonie caps. 5. Don't be the guy that has a visible pouch on your belt. Phone and knife should be hidden. 6. Long-sleeve shirts in summer are a dead giveaway. Just get some Hawaiian shirts. 7. Don't put gun stickers on your vehicle. Same criteria as Rule 1. I'm sure there are more, but this is a great baseline of rules. View Quote Here are a few more: 8. Be short 9. Be slightly to moderately overweight 10. Have somewhat bad posture, like slouchy 11. Have earbuds in 12. Dick around on your phone a lot That will definitely help to blend right in, in todays society. |
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Quoted: Rules to being a grey man. 1. Don't wear anything with a gun logo, ammo logo or other weapons-related logo on it. No Sig Sauer shirts, no Underwood Ammo shirts, no USCCA shirts. Same thing goes for political clothing, as this can be used against you in court. 2. Don't carry around anything tacticool like a 5.11 backpack. 3. No tacticool pants like 5.11 or the like. 4. Don't wear baseball caps with velcro for morale patches on them, nor boonie caps. 5. Don't be the guy that has a visible pouch on your belt. Phone and knife should be hidden. 6. Long-sleeve shirts in summer are a dead giveaway. Just get some Hawaiian shirts. 7. Don't put gun stickers on your vehicle. Same criteria as Rule 1. I'm sure there are more, but this is a great baseline of rules. I saw a Hawaiian shirt online the other day that was goth-themed. It had skulls embedded in palm tree patterns. I steer clear of that shit since it can be used against you in court. View Quote In red: You've never heard of the Boogaloo Boys??? |
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Quoted: 99% of people are so oblivious to their surroundings, it really doesn’t matter what you wear as long as you’re not outrageously over-the-top obvious. View Quote Around here, the dead giveaway is the hyper-vigilant guy with Oakley glasses and a team baseball hat. There are no baseball teams around here. A John Deere hat, T-shirt with your favorite breed of steer, (No Holsteins in these parts) well-worn jeans, and really dirty work boots is an instant gray man. Also don't fake the Southern drawl. Most people here don't use it except when pulled over. Walking like a wuss with shaved balls is also a dead giveaway. |
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I can add from experience when traveling in Japan, don’t be 6’5” and red haired
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