# How would you avoid being captured in this scenario? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 20, 2024, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482 "2024-07-20T01:18:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/21 "2024-07-20T06:37:03Z")
I would sit in my home and shoot anyone that broke in. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/22 "2024-07-20T07:16:03Z")
Well, I wouldn’t drive my Jeep. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/23 "2024-07-20T08:51:39Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > I can’t quite put my finger on the name, but I remember watching a TV series in the last 5 years or so with basically this same scenario. There has been, I think, 2 series of an Australian show [Hunted](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUmtx7w-ZeyWjLMiUTU1fZeBh9cTeBmP_) where avoiding capture by professional trackers earns prizemoney. I think it is a ripoff of a British show, ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/24 "2024-07-20T09:32:31Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I think it is a ripoff of a British show, There is certainly a show of that name here. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/25 "2024-07-20T15:38:56Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > > [@blondebear](#): > > > > I can’t quite put my finger on the name, but I remember watching a TV series in the last 5 years or so with basically this same scenario. > > There has been, I think, 2 series of an Australian show [Hunted](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUmtx7w-ZeyWjLMiUTU1fZeBh9cTeBmP_) where avoiding capture by professional trackers earns prizemoney. I think it is a ripoff of a British show, Yes I’ve seen clips of the British show. But they had access to databases and electronic surveillance. At least that’s what the show wanted you to think. I know from personal experience how hard it is to find someone when they have a 30 second head start. I’m confident I could evade them even if I had to stay in a 5 mile radius. It would be blind luck for anyone to find me. If I wasn’t held by a boundary I would drive to a train station and take a train into New York and have fun. Unless they are law enforcement with a warrant they can’t track my phone or get my credit card information. I would take in a couple of shows. Hopefully the Yankees are in town. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/26 "2024-07-20T15:49:13Z")
I would just lock my doors and stay in the house. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/27 "2024-07-20T18:38:35Z")
[Approaching this from the other side.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-capture-somebody-in-this-scenario/1004503) ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/28 "2024-07-20T19:16:23Z")
I could walk right out my front door, dressed appropriatly, and in 3 minutes disappear into hundreds of square miles of forest. I wouldn’t be found, even if I died out in that forest they may never my body. Had a freind who was having some trouble, walked out in the woods and ate a bottle of aspirin or something. A hunter finally found his remains about 15 years later and he was identified by the ball cap that I left in his car years ago. Unless the pursuers had a helicopter with infrared cameras, no one would find me for 24 hours, maybe never. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/29 "2024-07-20T20:07:31Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > I would just lock my doors and stay in the house. That was my first thought, but I guess for $100 million, most people would be willing to engage in a little breaking and entering. I think I would lock myself in my office, instead. It’s on the second floor, and I think anyone who attempted to break into the building would attract the attention of the campus police before they actually managed to break into the office itself. I have half a bag of York Peppermint Patties in there, and some plastic cups to pee in. It wouldn’t be especially pleasant, but 24 hours there seems doable. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/30 "2024-07-20T20:24:39Z")
If I was one of the 25 hunters I’d consider calling 911 and reporting the car as having an abducted child in it, and providing the license plate #. That would complicate the “just jump in the car and drive” strategy. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/31 "2024-07-20T20:48:27Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > If I was one of the 25 hunters I’d consider calling 911 and reporting the car as having an abducted child in it, and providing the license plate # Unfortunately, you don’t have that information to start. And, if you found it, it seems unlikely that the police would let you have contact with the suspect after they were apprehended. In fact, it would be in the person’s best interest to let the police keep them in custody for the remaining time. ---
**Author:** ![Apodder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apodder/32/17727_2.png) [@Apodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apodder)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/32 "2024-07-20T22:20:51Z")
I mean, can’t you just put it in airplane mode and make it untrackable that way? Or does that not work and you’d have to turn it off? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/33 "2024-07-20T22:53:06Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > Don’t get on the airport shuttle, don’t go into the terminal, just curl up and sleep. In Phoenix in July, change that to “curl up and die.” ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/34 "2024-07-21T00:22:41Z")
Okay, but you left your wife and kids $100 million! ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/35 "2024-07-21T00:32:08Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Unfortunately, you don’t have that information to start. And, if you found it, it seems unlikely that the police would let you have contact with the suspect after they were apprehended. In fact, it would be in the person’s best interest to let the police keep them in custody for the remaining time. 100 million can cut a lot of corners. I’m not in that lifestyle, but possibly there are websites that supply personal info, like car ownership and license. If there’s advance notice that I’d be facing this challenge (of catching a runaway – but not knowing the specific person) I’d look into bribing a police office staff member. Having some police scanners to maybe get an early sighting could give a headstart over the other 24 hunters, unless they were employing similar strategies. Then I’d try to swoop in ahead of the cops. The rules are that I have to “capture” them; 30 seconds of capture would qualify. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/36 "2024-07-21T00:43:46Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > 100 million can cut a lot of corners. But you don’t have $100 mil yet. You’re one guy out of twenty-five who maybe might get $100 mil if you win a contest. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/37 "2024-07-21T07:35:38Z")
As I said in the other thread, presuming the US, @Snarky_Kong’s comments seem brutally fair and realistic. Put up signs staying trespassers aren’t welcome and that the owner is armed, and start a few cell phones / Ring devices / Webcams up recording all the asshats blatantly breaking and entering. IF you don’t want shoot them (depending on the jurisdiction in the US, this can have different consequences), you could just have the cops drag all the offenders away for you with plenty of evidence to get them in jail for quite a while. And since you and they know the rules of the crazed billionaire (or whatever) contract, and no mention of an NDA, you can then sue the _bleeeep_ out of the contractor and those who attempt the crime, and secure the money for trauma, and hope the local DA sends them all to jail for soliciting (or committing) criminal actions. Rant over. Okay, not fighting the hypothetical, we’ll assume you Volunteered for the experiment, everything was ironed out _legally_ and the use of force was banned, and/or it’s all arranged by a dystopian Corpo-Government state a la Running man or the like, but otherwise is like modern America, getting into a car and driving (especially with a spouse or other trusted friend as mentioned upthread) is going to be hard to beat. This is 25 _randomly chosen_ adults, your odds are very good that none of them are in government or law enforcement with any sort of resources to track you, especially in round 1 where they aren’t allowed to work together. Round 2 things might be a bit more difficult, if all parties know when things are about to start, then can position themselves to try to block off major roads and allow them to converge, again assuming the hypo where for some reason, the local authorities aren’t stopping this sudden new militia stopping vehicles trying to leave the area and doing house to house B&E or other searches. Seriously though, using my town of Colorado Springs CO as an example, there are a dozen towns within a two hour drive (which includes all of greater Denver) where you could get too, park your car, and walk to a cash accepting no tell motel and just go to ground for 24 hours. Even if the other contestants are allowed to subcontract it out and hire help (and they’re rich enough to pull it off, they aren’t paid yet either) that searching ALL the options in even that short a range would be nigh impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/38 "2024-07-21T12:51:51Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Realistically, the odds are minuscule that someone out of 25 random people has the ability to track your phone so all you’re doing by flinging your phone into the ocean is making the next 23 hours that much more boring. If you don’t think turning off the phone is sufficient, grab some aluminum foil on the way out of the house and Faraday-cage it. That saves you the trouble of setting up a new phone after you get the money (which is a pain in the ass but is something you really have to do yourself to get it done right). > [@ParallelLines](#): > > in round 1 where they aren’t allowed to work together In the round where they theoretically are allowed to work together, it the rule still that the individual chaser who catches you gets the money? That makes the “work together” quite “theoretical”… ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/39 "2024-07-21T13:08:23Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > In the round where they theoretically are allowed to work together, it the rule still that the individual chaser who catches you gets the money? That makes the “work together” quite “theoretical”… I’m assuming they’d split the $100 million equally so each gets $4 million. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482/40 "2024-07-22T16:46:35Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Unless the pursuers had a helicopter with infrared cameras, no one would find me for 24 hours, maybe never. What about a dog tracking you by scent? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-avoid-being-captured-in-this-scenario/1004482.md?page=3)