On Wardrobe and Assassins
From a reader who wishes to remain anonymous (literally):You hit on a really good point, and I thought you’d be interested to hear that a similar principal applies to conducting undercover law enforcement work as well. I’m not talking about Donnie Brasco deep-cover operations – just everyday cases where an agent or detective needs to be out in public without drawing unnecessary attention.
It can be a little trickier if you’re in a small town. There was a time once when I was off duty and was out at the airport waiting for my family to arrive on an incoming flight. I saw an agent I knew from another agency in a crowd and I greeted him, and he completely ignored me. I realized immediately that he was working and took it in stride. I’ve since learned that there is something of a proactive remedy against this happening in public. When I’m going to be out and socializing with other adults, I almost always wear the exact same thing – the same pullover sweatshirt, hat, and jeans. That is my social outfit, and I will never wear it while I’m working, thus somewhat reducing the chance that someone unexpected out on the street will recognize me and try chatting me up.
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