I would probably advise against removal. However, if removal is a "done deal" in your mind here is what I'd recommend. The hair dryer method works well. You will want to have the paint as clean as possible when doing this. Don't worry too much about the heat. As Andras said, noon-day sun and heat soak from the engine/radiator are far worse. (anyone who has felt the hood of a 500E after a spirited drive knows what I mean by "hot hood")

You will have color shift from the areas under the striping, that is a given. The only thing I can recommend is to use something that does remove a bit of paint to try and "blend" the areas a bit. You will not want to remove too much paint, but a small amount will make it somewhat less noticeable. Say 3-4 apply/remove cycles of #9...

One other thing that has not come up yet is to have them professionally removed and the areas touched up by a professional/bodyshop. This may cost a bit, but the results should be better. Yet another undiscussed option would be to restripe with a more suitable color.

If you are removing then do heat the area until you notice the adhesive and striping becoming soft. DO NOT use anything sharp to try and scrape/remove either the strip or adhesive. When you can pinch the strip up and slowly pull by hand you have found a good temp.

Hope this helps...Lee