Line #120 Main/VanInBlack


1	[[quoteright:332:[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/van_in_black.png]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:332:Subtle.]]
3
4	->''"How do you know they're watching us?"''\
5	''"Because that pool cleaner's van has been parked out on the street for over four hours. No one's pool is ''that'' dirty."''
6	-->-- '''Sandra Bennet''', ''Series/{{Heroes}}''
7
8	That large, menacing black van pulling over on the other side of the street the moment you go inside. Maybe you dismissed it as [[ConspiracyTheorist paranoid speculation]], just as "The Man" wanted you to but you should know what it means -- [[AncientConspiracy They]] are watching you at this very moment from that very car. If {{Lampshaded}} there will be a honkin' big radar dish on top.
9
10	These vehicles provide a sense of foreboding mystery to the characters they follow and the audience. The vans appear in the background, and are viewed only from the outside. Unlike SpiesInAVan, it's common that neither the audience nor TheProtagonist ever find out who is in the vans, or what they are doing. Occasionally, both tropes can occur in the same series, if there are competing vans or if the organization operating them determines the heroes are not their enemy and invites them into TheMasquerade.
11
12	If they're not only watching you but about to kick your ass, then the black van will be replaced by a black sedan or SUV with tinted windows - the GAZ-13 or 14 Chaika and the Chevrolet Suburban, depending on the setting. An important distinction was that in Soviet times and places, black vehicles were entirely reserved for official government fleets while when a black Suburban is seen on American streets in real life, it is assumed to be in soccer-mom use.
13
14	See also BlackHelicopter. The CleanupCrew might come in one. Commonly used in VehicularKidnapping, and every parent's worst fear is that one of these might be a CreepyStalkerVan. [[NonIndicativeName Despite the trope name]], any van of any color can qualify, for that matter it doesn't even have to be a van, just a non-descript nebulous organisation monitering someone in a vehicle. For the curious, the trope title is simply a pun on TheMenInBlack. Compare SinisterCar.
15
16	----
17
18	!!Examples:
19
20	[[foldercontrol]]
21
22	[[folder:Advertising]]
23	* The "[[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Definitely Flowers: A totally normal flower delivery service]]" van featured in [[http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7hlr/johnsonville-brats-family-favor this]] Johnsonville hot dogs commercial.
24	* One credit card commercial stars a woman lamenting how her father and his "associates" would find things that FellOffTheBackOfATruck, and as a result, ''she'' gets stalked when she's out on her own. Thanks to her new card, and that everything comes with a receipt, she likes to hold the invoice up in plain view of the not-so-inconspicuous van and shout at them, "You've got nothing!"
25	* In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oSgAcT_g2w this commercial]] for [[Advertising/EnergizerBunny Energizer batteries]], a MadScientist working for the Supervolt battery company uses a van for "Ed's Diaper Service" as a cover for his laboratory. He creates a robotic female rabbit with a bomb inside to chase and blow up the Energizer Bunny, and tracks them from inside his van. Thanks to the short life of the Supervolt battery the bombshell bunny runs on, [[HoistByHisOwnPetard his van ends up in ruins]].
26	[[/folder]]
27
28	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
29	* The Yamainu's vans in ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry''.
30	* These show up in ''Anime/DigimonTamers''. Amusingly enough in an early episode, Takato [[{{Lampshading}} comments]] on how those look amazingly like they'd belong in a GovernmentConspiracy.
31	[[/folder]]
32
33	[[folder:Comic Books]]
34	* The van in ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'', although it's white and actually ''is'' fairly nondescript. Invoked by Chase, who went with it precisely because of vans' reputations for blending in:
35	--> '''Chase''': Remember those two sniper dudes last year? When everyone in Virginia was looking for [[CreepyStalkerVan one white van]]? The cops couldn't find it 'cause every plumber and electrician and whatever drives one of these things. [..] That's why I asked my parents for one. I get in this bad boy, and I totally drop off The Man's radar.
36	* {{Mooks}} driving around in a black van sedate Wallace and capture Esther in ''ComicBook/SinCity''.
37	* [[ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}} Clint Barton]] thinks he sees one outside his apartment window:
38	-->'''Hawkeye''': Is it just me, or does that van look like a ''van''.\
39	'''Mockingbird''': Even for you that makes no... Oh, wait yeah, that's definitely a ''van''.
40	[[/folder]]
41
42	[[folder:Fan Works]]
43	* In ''Fanfic/TheEndIsNear'', Matt and Mello make a bet whether there's one involved in Near's kidnapping. [[spoiler:There's not]].
44	* In ''ComicBook/ArchieComics'' story ''Fanfic/MaybeTheLastArchieStory'', Betty is sunbathing in a secluded, empty area of the beach, unaware that a window-tinted, black car has pulled over on a high cliff overlooking her position, and she is being watched by its owner, an old enemy of the gang.
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
48	* Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6''. While Hiro and Baymax explore a pier at night where Yokai kept the microbots. They are being tailed by a slow-moving SUV, with no clue who's driving. Turns out the driver of the SUV was Wasabi, with [=GoGo=], Honey and Fred riding along, all wanting to help Hiro.
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
52	* ''Film/BestSeller'' (1987) opens with a long sequence of the robbers driving through the streets of Los Angeles in a black van. However they're not trying to be inconspicuous at all, [[HiddenInPlainSight as the van is fitted with loudspeakers broadcasting political slogans]].
53	* In ''Film/TheGame1997'', Nicholas finds himself being terrorized by various cars marked "CRS." One's a cabbie ('''C'''rown '''R'''oyal '''S'''edans), another a maintenance van ('''C'''able '''R'''epair '''S'''ervices), etc.
54	* A scene in ''Film/OceansEleven'' involved the team attempting to ''purchase'' one of these. HilarityEnsues.
55	* In ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'', the government forces use a black van with surveillance equipment to find E.T.
56	* ''Film/{{Twister}}''. The opposing storm chasers drive black vans/trucks, fitting their role in the story as the "bad guy" corporate sell-outs.
57	* Karl Hallzemoff, the Hugos' transport van from ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars 2}}''.
58	* In ''Film/ThePresidentsAnalyst'', soon after a paranoid Dr. Schaefer flees his job by ingratiating himself to a family of tourists who take him to their home, there's a big service van with a 'TPC' logo on the side parked on their neighborhood street. It doesn't really merit any notice, but toward the movie's end we find out 'TPC' is [[spoiler: The Phone Company, which has been tailing and finally abducting him.]]
59	* ''Film/ShootEmUp''. After a CarChase Smith's car is suddenly hit by a black van at the crossroads. Any belief that this might be an accident is dispelled when {{mook}}s stick their guns out the side doors. Then three more gunmen pop up in the sun roof.
60	* In ''Film/VForVendetta'', Norsefire has vans with listening devices on their roofs, patrolling the streets and listening to everyones conversations.
61	* A Van of Undercover Cops appears in several scenes in ''Film/LuckyNumberSlevin''. They even (briefly) abduct the main character.
62	* In ''Film/{{Matilda}}'', the title character notices a car is always parked on the street outside their house. [[spoiler:The car turns out to belong to cops who are trying to arrest Matilda's father for selling cars with faulty car parts]].
63	* Combined with PaperThinDisguise & FunWithAcronyms in the British parody ''The Hooligan Factory'', involving a white van marked '''C'''opper '''I'''nstallation '''D'''elivery, with a huge 'satellite' dish pointing directly at the protagonists.
64	* ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice''. [[spoiler:Martha Clark]] is kidnapped by Lex Luthor's men in a black van. Shortly after, his men also kidnap [[spoiler:Lois Lane]] this time using a white van (though in that case they were posing as cleaners).
65	* ''Literature/{{Inferno\|2013}}''. The WHO team is driving one of these, giving them a villainous appearance that causes Langdon to flee. They turn out to be GoodAllAlong.
66	* In the finale of ''Film/AMostWantedMan'', German intelligence has successfully gained evidence that the head of a charity organisation is funneling money to terrorists. They do a NotMyDriver ploy to take him off somewhere quiet where he can be coerced into becoming an informant, only for several black SUV's to ram the car off the road and abduct their target for extraordinary rendition.
67	* A [[OlderThanTheyThink pre-automobile version]] opens ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009'' with horse-drawn black carriages (the original 'Black Maria') carrying Watson, Inspector Lestrade and his men, racing to the scene of an impending HumanSacrifice. Holmes [[TheCavalryArrivesLate gets there first on foot]] (then again, the reason they were nicknamed Black Marias was a sardonic pun on how long it took them to arrive at a crime scene -- Maria was a famous racehorse).
68	[[/folder]]
69
70	[[folder:Literature]]
71	* One ''{{Literature/Animorphs}}'' story has Tobias under surveillance by Controllers due to him being [[spoiler:Elfangor's son]], although they don't know he's human. He sees a rust-eaten van that's clearly been there for years... except the next day it's moved across the street.
72	* Also used in ''Literature/TheHandmaidsTale''; usually the [[SecretPolice Eyes]] drive in black vans only notable by the insignia they have on the side.
73	* One appeared in ''Literature/JohnnyAndTheBomb'', though it was more of a limousine.
74	* The short story "The Van on Atlantic Street" by Creator/DesmondWarzel. Though the van is white, it is in other respects an example of this trope.
75	* In Anne Fine's ''Old Bones'' the main character is followed around by a van, and is receiving numerous hate calls. As his secretary is very bad at writing messages and as he is quite distracted, he doesn't really connect the dots until after his house is burnt down.
76	* Parodied by Creator/DaveBarry in "The Columnist's Caper":
77	-->Some 2,347 miles away in East Berlin, a man and a woman, walked briskly eastward on [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign Volkswagenkindergarten-pumpernikelstrasse]]. Talking intently, they did not notice the sleek black Mercedes sedan, its windows tinted almost black, as it turned off [[Film/TheGreatDictator Hamburgerfrankfurterwienerschnitzelstrasse]] and came toward them from behind, picking up speed until, traveling at [[UnitConfusion 130 kilometers per microgram]], it roared into a parked garbage truck.\
78	"Too much window tint," the woman said.
79	* In ''[[Literature/NurseryCrime The Fourth Bear]]'', the [[TheMenInBlack Men in Green]], a mysterious, government affiliated organization, are always seen shortly after the mysterious, explosion-related deaths of famous cucumber growers.
80
81	[[/folder]]
82
83	[[folder:Live Action TV]]
84	* The van driven by ''Series/TheATeam''.
85	* This is how [[BadassNormal Sandra Bennet]] reveals her [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Hidden Badass]] in ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' volume 4, by noticing that TheMenInBlack have been staking out their house long before her daughter does, and gives us the above page quote.
86	* In the third season finale of ''Series/BurnNotice'', Michael tells Simon that he's seen a certain van circling the block and that it's probably an FBI vehicle watching them. When he goes to it [[spoiler: it's actually just a regular van transporting alcohol. Michael just needed to get out of Simon's line of sight to use the delivery boy's phone to call Sam and Fiona.]]
87	* Lampshaded with a vengeance in an early ''Series/{{Castle\|2009}}'' episode:
88	-->'''Castle, to an FBI Agent:''' [[DeadpanSnarker I like your van]]. [[SarcasmMode Very nondescript]].
89	* Frank's "Rape Van" from ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia''.
90	* The private investigator in ''Series/{{House}}'' also used an "ice cream truck" for spying purposes.
91	* The conspiracy in ''Series/{{Jekyll}}'' use a black van full of surveillance equipment to keep track of the protagonist -- who makes a point of mentioning how inconspicuous it ''isn't''. (Which may be the point, since -- although the van isn't just a decoy -- he turns out to also be under surveillance by several more genuinely inconspicuous methods.)
92	* The Three Nemeseses in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' have a black van, which is rather less stealthy after one has the idea of painting a ''Franchise/StarWars'' mural on the side.
93	* Lampshaded in ''Series/{{Leverage}}'', where the heroic team of con-men are amused and astounded to find the FBI performing surveillance on a prominent mobster's home in a black van marked "Plumber." This is only the first sign of said FBI agents' affable incompetence.
94	* Reddington and Keen frequently have backup in the form of the unmarked FBI van in ''Series/TheBlacklist'' but on one occasion Raymond points out the van to a bad guy in order to put him on the spot for not noticing it himself.
95	* In ''Series/LittleMosqueOnThePrairie'', when an agent of the Canadian Secret Service came to Mercy on holiday, the Muslim community got paranoid, and Baber noticed a delivery truck outside the Mosque. He claims it's a stakeout, and there are three agents there, one of them called "Sarge", and they're drinking coffee out of paper cups. At the end of the episode, the Secret Service really start surveillance on the Mosque [[StrangeMindsThinkAlike there really are three agents there, drinking coffee out of paper cups, and one of them is called "Sarge"]]
96	* Series/{{Chuck}} has these on occasion.
97	-->'''Casey''': What is it with bad guys and vans?
98	* Used in some Earth-centric episodes of ''Series/StargateSG1'', though it's an unusual example because it's Our Heroes in the black vans, as they work for TheGovernment.
99	* ''Series/TheXFiles''. Inverted in "Dreamland" where TheMenInBlack travel in white 4WD's.
100	* The SUV in ''Series/{{Torchwood}}''. In "Children of Earth" the bad guys have these; lampshaded when Ianto thinks a mysterious dark van is tailing him -- it turns out to be delivering newspapers.
101	* The Actives from ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'' were ferried to and from their engagements in black vans. In keeping with the [[SpiesInAVan surveillance van motif]], the vans would remain nearby during the engagement so that handlers could monitor their assigned Active. And the sinister connotations of black vans are repeatedly [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] or [[DiscussedTrope discussed]] by characters, or even [[InvokedTrope invoked]] as a motive for their actions.
102	** In "Echoes" a team of Actives programmed into believing they're NSA investigators are sent to a college campus. They pull up in a line of three black vans, no doubt to play into this trope for anyone watching.
103	** Backfires in "Instinct" when Echo (programmed to believe she is a [[MamaBear mother with child]]) notices the black van parked outside her house for the past week and assumes something sinister -- her handler is unable to bring her in because Echo flees whenever she sees one.
104	* ''Series/{{Community}}'' - in ''Intro To Political Science'', a female Secret Service agent investigates Abed as a potential threat during an upcoming vice-presidential visit, and the two hit it off. Duty prevents her from getting involved, but the end tag shows them on a date of sorts, as he watches a movie on tv, and she monitors and talks with him from a surveillance van outside his window.
105	* The rumored "TV Detector" vans supposedly used by the RealLife [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] [[note]]to detect televisions where the property owners had not paid the TV license required in the UK[[/note]] were invoked and parodied in ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus',' by the man applying for a pet fish license, describing his experience with the "cat detector van from the Ministry of 'Owzinje'[[note]]Housing[[/note]]".
106	** The "TV Detector" vans were PlayedWith in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' story "Remembrance of the Daleks, in which they ''actually'' held alien-detecting equipment (specifically, its occupants were looking for [=UFOs=]. They ended up finding the Imperial Dalek mothership flying above Earth's atmosphere).
107	* In ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'', surveillance vans have "Blendin" commercial markings; Blendin Moving and Storage, Blendin Catering, Blendin Electric, and Blendin Pet Grooming are all seen (the latter two apparently on left and right sides of the same van).
108	* In ''Series/StrangerThings'', TheMenInBlack operate out of white vans, while pretending to be checking the power lines and street lights. However, the effect is ruined when four of them show up at once in convoy and speed around chasing children on bikes.
109	* ''Series/TheHandmaidsTale'': These are everywhere, and anyone is liable to be suddenly pulled off the street and taken away.
110	* ''Series/PersonOfInterest''. [[DeadlyEuphemism Trigger teams]] working for [[TheComputerIsYourFriend Samaritan]] drive black SUV's.
111	* In ''Series/TwinPeaks: The Return'', Hutch and Chantal are professional hitmen and drive around in an unmarked, white van on their way to kill Dougie. They use the van to store guns and dead bodies.
112	* In the Australian mini-series ''Day of the Roses'', a woman widowed by the 1977 Granville train disaster comments bitterly on the white Fords that keep parking outside her house. They're investigators sent by the government to find out if she's taken a lover after her husband's death, whereupon her (already miniscule) compensation can be legally cut in half.
113	* ''Series/TheBoys2019''. In "Get Some", Billy Butcher hires a cheap Pack-N-Go truck for their surveillance, commenting that a black van with 'Flowers' on the side would be far more conspicuous. This becomes a BrickJoke in the season final when Butcher sees a black florists van parked outside the hotel they're staying at, and drives past without stopping because he realises the rest of the Boys have been captured.
114	* ''Series/TheProfessionals''. In "Look after Annie", a black van pulls up at the rear of the building where a female politician is due to speak, and a [[EvilWearsBlack gang of thugs in black leather]] jump out. They've been hired to kill the politician, [[ColourCodedForYourConvenience who of course is dressed in white]].
115	* ''Series/{{Obliterated}}''. Maya Lerner, TheSquad's [[VoiceWithAnInternetConnection "Tech Chick"]] is introduced sitting in one of these, but as they're in Las Vegas the entire side of the black van is covered in an advertisement for magician Mat Franco.
116	[[/folder]]
117
118	[[folder:Podcasts]]
119	* One of these shows up on Jess and JT's street the morning after they find Mooney in the ''Podcast/CoolKidsTable'' game ''Bloody Mooney'' episode two.
120	[[/folder]]
121
122	[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
123	* A ''white'' van with tented windows was the vehicle the ninjas who abducted Wrestling/SamoaJoe on February 8th of 2010 disappeared in.
124	* During 2010 former Wrestling/{{AAA}} luchadors Cuije, El Alebrije, Psicosis II, Histeria and Maniaco began trailing Wrestling/{{CMLL}} luchadors on the road in a black SUV and attacked Wrestling/LaSombra, El Hijo del Fantasma and La Máscara during the April 12th 2010 Puebla show to send the message that even though they had ended up on the independent circuit they were still better than CMLL's roster.
125	[[/folder]]
126
127	[[folder:Video Games]]
128	* The Cleaners' vans in ''VideoGame/MaxPayne2''.
129	* There are some Vans In Black in ''VideoGame/MirrorsEdge'' but seeing how you more often take the roofs, they are much less prominent than {{Black Helicopter}}s.
130	* In ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsHitAndRun'', Homer gets paranoid about strange black vans around Springfield. While expecting them to be under the control of Mr. Burns, they later turn out to be [[SubvertedTrope pizza delivery vans]]. The mission where you follow them is called "Flowers By Irene", in reference to a similar van named as such that pop up in ''[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E4BartTheMurderer Bart the Murderer]]''.
131	* An absurdly oversized van in ''VideoGame/SilentHillOrigins'' (it's just a prop, but somebody forgot to scale it correctly) is treated as this in a LetsPlay.
132	* The famous MilkmanConspiracy level in ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' doesn't have the classical black vans, but it has the next best thing: huge black limos... with radar dishes on top.
133	* Black Vans appear occasionally in ''VideoGame/DeusEx'', along with Black Helicopters.
134	* Get a 5-star wanted level in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity'' and ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' and the FBI will come after you in black tinted SUV's. Probably the best time to retreat to a safehouse before [[TankGoodness the army]] shows up.
135	** At a couple points in the ''San Andreas'' mission "Wear Flowers in Your Hair", [[NewAgeRetroHippie The Truth]] will tell CJ to drive to an out-of-the-way location, then order him to think about some random object until a strange van passes by. When asked for an explanation, The Truth will only mention that "[[MindProbe sub-dermal neurophones]]" are involved.
136	* Agency vans in ''VideoGame/SyphonFilter 2''.
137	* After Max becomes president in ''VideoGame/SamAndMaxSaveTheWorld'', a truck with the label, "Secret Serv-ice Cream" remains parked outside the duo's apartment.
138	[[/folder]]
139
140	[[folder:Webcomics]]
141	* Lampshaded in [[http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=090519 this strip]] of ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance''.
142	* Although the van is not black, the concept is spoofed in [[http://scarygoround.com/sgr/ar.php?date=20080801 this]] ''Webcomic/ScaryGoRound'' strip, where the van has ''[[PaperThinDisguise Unmarked Van Hire]]'' plainly written on its side.
143	* In ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob,'' Agent Ben And Agent Jerry, the local TheMenInBlack, have a big black van [[OvertOperative plainly labeled "F.B.I. Undercover."]] It has been referred to as "the MIB-Mobile" and "the Paranormal Paddy-Wagon."
144	* In ''Webcomic/{{Godslave}}'', the black car the two Blacksmiths use to tail Edith just screams "we're spying on you!" She fails to notice, though.
145	[[/folder]]
146
147	[[folder:Web Original]]
148	* In ''WebVideo/KateModern'', a black van is the preferred mode of transport of the sinister Watcher.
149	* In ''WebVideo/LG15TheResistance'', black vans are used by villain groups [=LifesBlood Labs=] and [[spoiler:the Order]], mainly for the purpose of kidnapping.
150	* Website/FourChan calls it a party van. Sounds fun!
151	* In the second episode of ''WebAnimation/XRayAndVav'', Rusty Bonjour gives the main characters instructions from an unmarked van. Except the van isn't really unmarked: the words "Unmarked Van" are painted on it.
152	[[/folder]]
153
154	[[folder:Western Animation]]
155	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'': In the Season 13 finale, the business Slater uses as a front in the Central American country of Manatina is named The Confectionary Institute of Americas. When everyone else [[LampshadeHanging points out]] how unsubtle this is, Slater proclaims that he [[OvertOperative "doesn't do subtle."]]
156	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' love this one:
157	** In the episode ''[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E4BartTheMurderer Bart the Murderer]]'', Marge had noticed a pizza van that had been parked outside the Simpsons's house for days, which a government agency surveillance team was hiding out in. After Marge asks 'How long does it take to deliver a Pizza?' it zooms off to be replaced immediately with a "florist" van. The florist's name: [[FunWithAcronyms Flowers By Irene]].
158	** Parodied again with similar vans labeled CIA, FBI, and ATF, which here stand for "Chinese Intelligence Agency", "French Bureau of Investigation", and "[[Series/TheATeam A-Team]] of Finland".
159	** In one episode Homer is sent into the Kwik-E-Mart with a hidden camera by the Channel 6 news team, which is monitoring him from a van parked out front, with "Ordinary Van" painted on the outside.
160	** In episode "The Trouble With Trillions", the 'Two Guys from Quantico Pizza' van comes into play when Homer is press-ganged into helping an investigation of Mr Burns.
161	** Another episode has an otherwise nondescript van, with [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial "ORDINARY VAN"]] on the side.
162	* ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest'' TOS episode "The Quetong Missile Mystery". When the Quests drive away from their ship, we see a van with surveillance equipment inside that was keeping an eye on them. It drives off after them when they leave. It was sent by General Fong to keep watch on them.
163	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}''. In the 1973-74 episode "The Balloon People", Dr. Noah Tall and Twisty use a van called the "Snoop Wagon" to spy on the title characters. Bonus points for having an exterior radar dish and extendable telescope.
164	* In ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'', this is invoked and subverted in "Dale to the Chief". Dale falsely accuses Hank of terrorist conspiracy and reports him to the [=FBI=]. Dale expected the agent to arrive in a Black Suburban but he instead had a green Ford Taurus.
165	-->'''Dale''': Wow, a black Suburban... the newer models are much smaller and greener.
166	* In an early episode of ''WesternAnimation/SuperJail'', the Warden sends Jared undercover among the prison inmates, and monitors Jared's activities from inside the back of a van parked in the middle of the Warden's office.
167	* The animated series of ''Literature/TheLittles'' has CanonForeigner AgentMulder Dr. Hunter's van. It is black, high-tech, and it's the only one of its kind in the entire area of Grand Valley, it seems. MetallicarSyndrome is fully averted -- every time the heroes see it, they ''know'' it's Dr. Hunter looking for them.
168	* G.H.O.S.T. employs these in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersEarthSpark''. Hashtag accidentally scans one for her alt mode, and the built-in surveillance tech that was installed in it gives her HollywoodHacking abilities.
169	[[/folder]]
170
171	[[folder:Real Life]]
172	* The "[[http://www.thenevskywall.com/wp-content/themes/pdawn-10/images/black-ravens.jpg Black Ravens]]" ([[http://www.autogallery.org.ru/gaz-m1.jpg GAZ M vans]]) in which Stalin's NKVD agents moved around.
173	* The legendary black Volga of Polish urban legends (not a van but a sedan) serve the same purpose.
174	** A 1990s article in a British magazine tested a metallic-tan GAZ-21 Volga; it was remarked that the car had originally been black and had to be repainted due to black Volgas' association with the KGB.
175	* The [[http://www.englishrussia.com/images/oldtimers1/chaik1.jpg Chaika]] was a car that looked like a sinister black Checker cab and was reserved for important operations. However, the Chaika was more often used as a limousine for the Party top brass, which is something you don't mess with but not immediately dangerous.
176	** Not vans, but black cars (latest model, mostly Mercedes and BMW) with tinted windows were the hallmarks of TheMafiya in TheNineties.
177	* More often than not, RealLife surveillance vans are ''white'' since that's by far the most common color for commercial vans (being the easiest color for non-surveillance fleet users to put their logo in vinyl tape on dozens/hundreds of). Oddly, a different meme has spawned where white vans are used by child abductors/pedophiles to kidnap children (especially if "Free Candy" is scrawled on the side).
178	* There are persistent rumours that Creator/TheBBC once operated -and perhaps still does operate- a fleet of these equipped with sophisticated electronic equipment that could detect an active cathode ray tube in order to catch people who hadn't paid their television license. Evidence gathered by this technology has never been produced in court, and nobody seems to know how these devices could actually work, so the whole story is widely believed to be a complete fabrication to encourage compliance. Magical telly-detectors or not, TV license vans parked outside houses are a common scare tactic.
179	* The United States Secret Service uses black Chevrolet Suburbans (or similar vehicles) with tinted windows in the Presidential motorcade, as do many other U.S. government agencies like the FBI.
180	** Lampshaded by Stephen Colbert during a White House Correspondent's Dinner.
181	---> "Would the owner of the 10 black unmarked [=SUV=]s please move them? You're blocking the other 10 unmarked [=SUV=]s in the driveway."
182	* There is a real-life company called the "[[https://www.VanInBlack.com Van in Black]]" that provides passenger van service. It is located in Western North Carolina and uses a black Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van.
183	* When you're joining your home wi-fi on your device, it will often display the names of all available wi-fi networks in the vicinity. In other words, your neighbors. In the spirit of this trope, some people will often name their home wi-fi something like "FBI Surveillance Van" to have fun with their neighbors.
184	[[/folder]]

Context Main / VanInBlack