# What is extremely common in TV or movies but almost never happens in real life? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2021, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311 "2021-02-06T04:16:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 146
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2902 "2023-10-15T20:38:07Z")
Not sure if this has been mentioned. Long thread. I don’t shut my bedroom door at night. My parents never shut my bedroom doors. As far as I know, my siblings never shut the doors on their kids’ bedroom doors. I don’t understand why they do that in movies/tv. The few times we shut our door is if we have guests. The guest bedroom is on the same floor and guests generally shut the door. I at least understand that. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2903 "2023-10-15T20:53:11Z")
I’ve seen quite a few, though they’ve died down as the neighborhood gentrified. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2904 "2023-10-15T20:57:59Z")
> [@vislor](#): > > I don’t shut my bedroom door at night. My parents never shut my bedroom doors. As far as I know, my siblings never shut the doors on their kids’ bedroom doors. I don’t understand why they do that in movies/tv. One might shut the bedroom door at night to keep out noise, or light from the hallway, or pets. Or, of course, to afford privacy for bedroom activities. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2905 "2023-10-15T21:39:03Z")
I never did either, although my brother found himself on the wrong end of a bar stool, and the ER doctor called in a plastic surgeon to sew him up. He still has a scar, although it’s only visible if you know it’s there. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2906 "2023-10-15T21:52:00Z")
I shut my door at night from middle school on. The guy who put in the central heat and air told Dad that having the door closed made the AC work harder. Since Dad couldn’t get me to stop, he drilled holes in all the bedroom doors. Now we know it’s safer to have doors closed during a fire ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2907 "2023-10-15T22:27:02Z")
> [@vislor](#): > > I don’t shut my bedroom door at night. My parents never shut my bedroom doors. As far as I know, my siblings never shut the doors on their kids’ bedroom doors. I don’t understand why they do that in movies/tv They do in movies and tv _because_ most people do that in real life. That’s bizarre that you always keep them open. Every person in my family closed our bedroom doors at night, every roommate I have ever had closed our doors at night. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2908 "2023-10-15T22:30:50Z")
There are many reasons to shut bedroom doors. For privacy , to keep pets out , reduce noise ( in either direction) , because my window ACs work better with the bedroom doors closed, it’s safer in case of fire. I think most people shut their bedroom doors , unless they live alone or maybe if they have very young children. ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2909 "2023-10-15T22:42:18Z")
Huh. Okay. Thanks for the answers, everyone! It doesn’t help that my wife and I don’t have kids, so have no reason to shut the door. If we do shut the door, air circulation is worse, so it’s better for us to have it open for that. It’s above the garage so it gets hotter or colder based on weather if the door is shut. Well, now I’m going to have to ask my family and possibly get the crow ready. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2910 "2023-10-15T23:37:44Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > One might shut the bedroom door at night to keep out noise, or light from the hallway, or pets. I like my cats to come in to sleep with me. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2911 "2023-10-15T23:57:51Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > It’s a very long thread, so apologies if this was mentioned. But I’ve seen people in movies or TV shows hit an elevator button that stops the cab where it is, even if that’s between floors. Presumably this is some sort of emergency stop button, but I haven’t seen one. Yeah, they’re real. Mentioned earlier in the thread. Here’s my comment on them. > [@scabpicker](#): > > Heheh, I used to work overnight all alone in a data center with an elevator. Nothing too terrible happened when you pulled the emergency stop in that elevator, but the alarm was going to preclude you having a conversation at normal volumes. It was a _very_ loud bell. ---
**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:** [October 16, 2023, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2912 "2023-10-16T02:13:04Z")
Our bedroom door is closed to keep the fucking cat out. I compromised a lot when my now wife moved in but I’m not compromising on thinking animal hair in the bed is disgusting. Otherwise the bedroom door would be open or closed depending on the temperature and need for airflow. ---
**Author:** ![pirviii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pirviii/32/3233_2.png) [@pirviii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pirviii)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2023, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2913 "2023-10-16T02:29:47Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Though I have seen it happen frequently in movies and TV, I have never in real life been in a bar and had someone show up and buy drinks for everyone in the place. There was a keno bar I would frequent for their 80cent beer and sometimes a winner would buy a round for the bar. They may have just won hundreds and the drinks may have set them back $20. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2023, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2914 "2023-10-16T11:49:55Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I like my cats to come in to sleep with me. If we close the bedroom door, the cat will sit outside and MEOW very LOUD. Over and over, until we open the door. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2023, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2915 "2023-10-16T14:09:03Z")
The cat we used to have would put her paw under the door and keep jiggling the door back and forth. 😖 ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2023, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2916 "2023-10-16T14:10:14Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Our bedroom door is closed to keep the fucking cat out. I compromised a lot when my now wife moved in but I’m not compromising on thinking animal hair in the bed is disgusting. I have no issues at all with cat hair in (well, mostly on) the bed, but I do have issues with being awoken at three in the morning, especially after I’ve gone to bed at one. My current surviving cat will not sleep through the night and never has. So cat stays outside. > [@CalMeacham](#): > > If we close the bedroom door, the cat will sit outside and MEOW very LOUD. Over and over, until we open the door I can ignore just about any noise and the cat has learned complaining avails him nought. He will go on periodically in the morning until I get up, but that’s perfectly tolerable. At night he either doesn’t complain or gives up quickly. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2023, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2917 "2023-10-16T14:22:47Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > I have never in real life been in a bar and had someone show up and buy drinks for everyone in the place. I’ve bought a round for the house a few times, but only when there were just a few of us there, and usually around xmas. > [@terentii](#): > > Anybody ever thrown a punch in a bar and started a brawl? Never _started_ a brawl, but was in a bar where some kid shoved the owner (who was telling him to leave). The owner was a friend and 10 or 12 of us grabbed the guy and _literally_ threw him out. He hit the pavement hard and for a minute I was afraid we’d seriously hurt him. > [@Loach](#): > > Our bedroom door is closed to keep the fucking cat out. When my kids were little, I wanted to keep the cat out of their rooms, without having to shut the door. My solution was to put screen doors on their rooms. It worked great. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2023, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2918 "2023-10-16T14:42:23Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > I can ignore just about any noise and the cat has learned complaining avails him nought. He will go on periodically in the morning until I get up, but that’s perfectly tolerable. At night he either doesn’t complain or gives up quickly. Your cats just aren’t sufficiently annoying and persistent. ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2023, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2919 "2023-10-16T15:06:53Z")
> [@vislor](#): > > Well, now I’m going to have to ask my family and possibly get the crow ready. Whew! I don’t need to eat crow. My mom said she never shut our bedroom doors. Better air circulation that way. While we kids may have closed it from time to time, I don’t remember doing it myself being the youngest by five years, mom said that she told us it was best to leave it open. I don’t go to bars much in the past twenty five years. When I did, I never saw someone pay for the bar. One time, maybe ten years ago, I went to a bar with a friend and when we were leaving, we saw a fight, or some kind of confrontation, happening in an alley. We didn’t get close to find out more but it wasn’t in a bar. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2023, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2920 "2023-10-16T15:11:27Z")
> [@vislor](#): > > I don’t shut my bedroom door at night. My parents never shut my bedroom doors. As far as I know, my siblings never shut the doors on their kids’ bedroom doors. I don’t understand why they do that in movies/tv. > [@Zyada](#): > > I shut my door at night from middle school on. Yeah, I was going to say, as a teenager, I not only kept my door shut, I would have installed a deadbolt lock on my door if I had been allowed to. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2023, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2921 "2023-10-16T15:13:49Z")
The closest I’ve see to the Round For The Bar is chatting with some of the regulars at the bar, and someone says “I’m having a shot of Tully’s\*, y’want one? How 'bout you?” That time the bartender lined up a half-dozen shot glasses and filling them with one pass of the bottle. We all toasted the guy’s mother. \*Tullamore DEW, a very smooth Irish whisky. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311.md?page=145) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311.md?page=147)