Where I live there is less and less natural areas and hunting grounds and more and more urbanization and sprawl. Camo during hunting season does not get a second look though, probably because we are a gun owning state and other parts of our state are very rural.

The one thing that gets me is that it is quite fashionable for youth to be in camo (just go to any mall and check out what the teenagers are wearing) and other urbanized military-style clothing, but it gets eyes and uneasy feelings from the public if you are an adult and wear this stuff.

Case in point:
I was leaving the hospital from a doctor appointment and I went to the wrong level looking for my truck (huger lot - that mistake won't happen again). I was walking around looking for my truck and there was this youger (read yuppie) attractive gal walking to her car and I saw great fear in her eyes and she froze up, apparently thinking I was going to do something bad to her. Made me frustrated because what I wear to work are simply green cargo pants and a khaki double pocketed shirt that apparently looks "paramilitary". Sacraficing utility in the name of fashion is something that Iimagine will be short lived. People in other countries keep things even if they get stained, faded, don't match, the like. We are so stuck up with clothes here that If you wear what yo like and works for you, you risk unwanted attention. When not at work I wear brown or kahki colored cargo pants and double pocketed shirts, and they don't draw as much attention as my work clothes, but I like to separate work from pleasure so I am willing to receive a few second glances here and there.

As for the roadblocks, they are mainly state troopers launching some shortlived program like seatbelt checks, drunk driving, etc. I did however live in a farily crappy neighborhood in Apex for some time and a few times a week the police set up roadblocks looking for guns and drugs. I guess it works but criminals can easily readjust their tactics (send one car through the area to make certain there are none, etc)

I guess the best recommendation overall is to blend in. That means more urban and less jungle for those of us who live in cities. However, if more people dressed in what they truly want and were a little bit individualistic in their decisions, we would have more creativity and thus less attention drawend and we would have a more diversly dressed society.

In the meantime your best bet might be a pair of ripped and paint stained $60 jeans from the Gap or Abercrombie. At least no one will look at you twice if you go for a nice hot meal at a soup kitchen...