The Brown Wrapper
By Gene Aronowitz
They called me the Brown Wrapper,
In 1978, when I became Commissioner of Community Mental Health in Westchester County, New York, one of my perks was a government vehicle, a new Plymouth Fury. I equipped it with a Citizen Band radio, known generally as a CB. On my first trip on the New York State Thruway, I heard a truck driver say, “There’s a brown wrapper at mile 24.” I picked up the CB microphone and asked, “What’s a brown wrapper?”
One person responded, “It means a brown unmarked police car. He’s heading north, a little past mile 25.”
My car was brown, and I knew that police cars in Westchester County and some other communities were Plymouth Furies. Because I didn’t see any other cars like mine in the area, I said, “I think you’re talking about me. I’m driving a Plymouth Fury but I’m not a police officer.” There was no response.
Most users of CBs have handles, nicknames used to identify themselves over the air. I immediately adopted the handle “Brown Wrapper,” and whenever I heard that expression being referred to at my location, I would say, “This is brown wrapper, driving a brown Plymouth Fury.” After giving my location, I would add, “but I’m not a cop.”
I occasionally saw truck drivers looking down into my car as they passed by, but I don’t know if anyone ever believed me.
