So it’s April Fool’s again. That day when all of us, no matter how young or old, how educated or sober, get to act like frat boys and act out our inner feelings on those around us and call them “pranks.” This annual venting by playing what are often cruel jokes on others is a favorite for many of us and keeps some of us out of prison. More or less.
So.. you have deep seeded psychological issues to vent on your friends, loved ones, co-workers, boss, mother-in-law.. what have you? Here’s five ways to do it and involve something all of us love: cars.
When All Else Fails, Grab the wrap.
Saran (clear plastic) or pallet wrapping is most popular, but get creative with your resources. Toilet paper is a good standby and more environmentally friendly than plastic, of course. For the really creative, though, bubble wrap is a good choice. Any of these options is relatively fast, so it can be done with little fear of getting caught in the act.
If you have a lot of time on your hands, a good slicer, and a lot of Saran.. try wrapping the car once, then wrapping it again while placing slices of cucumber, carrot, apples.. anything really. Heck, make it a salad.
Awesome.
Stick It!
This one requires some forethought, but is awesome. And it can be repeated and even done to total strangers. Make some magnetic bumper stickers. You can buy kits for them at any office supply store. They’re cheap. Put outrageous slogans on the stickers. Things like “Cops Suck!” or “Bank Bailouts are Beautiful” are a good start. If you’re really malicious, you can make them extremely nasty, but slightly funny (while still somewhat offensive or controversial) is best. Be creative. Or surf Facebook.
Then simply print off the fake bumper stickers and put them on people’s cars. The best marks are those with very expensive rides, custom paint jobs, or who are very meticulous about their car’s finish. Bonus points if you place it and they don’t notice for a couple of days.
The Post-It Prank
This prank requires a lot of sticky notes. A lot of them. Like eight bucks’ worth from Wal-mart. That alone will mean many can’t really afford it. For the deep-pocketed prankster, though, and the one who has a lot of time or a lot of co-conspirators, this is a great prank. Usually, the person it’s done to won’t know what it is until they get close to the car. Better yet, these are almost a guaranteed Facebook meme once you do it.
Well worth it if you can swing it. Bonus points if you take the extra time to write occasional remarks about the person, their car, their mom, etc. on some of the notes.
Turn It Up!
This is a simple prank that, if you have access to get into the car, takes about thirty seconds to set up. Basically, you just turn every knob on the dash to full. Stereo, climate controls, wipers, etc. For extra annoyance, telescope the steering wheel all the way out and lean the seat one notch forward so it’s not immediately obvious that things are out of whack until the victim sits down and immediately finds they need a chiropractor.
Bonus points if you re-tune the stereo to a station playing music the victim hates or put in a special mix CD of any horrid music you can find (say Celine Dion or Abba).
Noteworthy Accident
This one is another great quickie. Write a note saying how sorry you are about hitting their car and how you feel bad and will pay for any damages. Obviously, nothing happened and the car is fine, but this is a great way to make your victim very nervous and it’s guaranteed that he or she will immediately circle the car to carefully inspect for damages.
Bonus points if you leave a lot of details in the fake note, like a phone number, fake cheap provisional insurance policy number, etc. Even better if the mark finds “damage” that “wasn’t there before” and blames it on this “accident.” This is one you can bleed out for days if you play it right and do a little setup before hand – like a collaborator your friend doesn’t know who can act as the note-leaver on the phone.
