Back in 1996 taxis and police cars were pretty plain in their packaging. Look at this old VK. Plain.
This is a Main Roads vehicle. This model is fitted with a number of two way radios, and would have a very busy center console that would look almost exactly like that of a taxi from outside of the vehicle. Transport Inspectors? Sounds official! Hop in...
And a couple of taxis.
There is a lot of extra embellishment on the new vehicles that wasn't on the old ones.
The Continental Hotel. Note the color of the lighting. Orange. Look what the taxi driver is wearing. And his haircut(!) Do you think you could tell the color of the side striping on the vehicles above in that? No chance. This taxi doesn't even have any apparent markings, except for the reflective sign (? magnetic = stealable) on the door. Note the roof mounted spotlights. This is an EA or EB model from around 1990.
I know a woman (Ex-insurance company executive, now a school teacher) who in October 1996 staggered out of a function in South Perth at 4.00pm on a Saturday afternoon, and said that she remembers getting into something that had lights on the top, but it could have been a fire truck for all she knew or cared. Luckily she made it home.
Scenario: Cover any specific 'Main Roads' markings. Wind down the window as you pull up, turn on the spotlights to obscure their vision, and yell 'Did you call a cab?' Semi drunk + midnight = gold. Most times you wouldn't even need to say anything. Just stop and turn on the lights. The victim would be in the car in a flash.
The MRDWA vehicles even had Government number plates, which were not unlike the Taxi plates, and usually a black numeric code on the door like the Taxi's did. Drop the vehicle back after the weekend's festivities.
Simples.