Dear Tom and Ray:

There are times when I would like to cover up my bumper sticker(s) so as not to offend people I am visiting -- my politics being more moderate than those of certain Neanderthalic family members I will be visiting next month. Are you aware of any product that will mask bumper stickers? Then if my wrong-headed relatives take a peek, the offense will be self-inflicted. -- Simon

RAY: Gee, that's a tough one, Simon. My brother's still trying to scrape the Adlai Stevenson stickers off of his '52 MGTD.

TOM: The easiest way to hide a bumper sticker is ... with another bumper sticker. But you need one that crosses the entire political spectrum. We might have some leftover "Save the Skeets" stickers. That was part of our campaign to keep people from shooting the poor little guys. Who could possibly oppose that

RAY: If you want a more temporary solution and you don't care what it looks like, Simon, you can simply cover them up with slightly larger pieces of blank vinyl, which you can buy from an art-supply store. Or get a "make your own bumper sticker" kit. Then just tape the temporary sticker on with electrical tape, and it should be fine for a long weekend, or however long you visit.

TOM: If the stickers are on a metallic part of the car, like the lift-gate of a wagon or sport utility vehicle, you can buy some magnetic signs and use those to temporarily cover up your stickers.

RAY: And best of all, with the magnetic signs you order or the do-it-yourself stickers, you can customize the message. So you can cover up your "Eat Free-Range Tofu" stickers with a sign that says "Ask Me About My Neanderthal Uncle Frank!"