# 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:** 175
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3482 "2024-04-05T23:14:15Z")
the police has databases with the names, cars, postal adresses, past, present and future jobs and current photos of all citizen. And of course know when and where you did fly the last time and at what McD you just bought a burger _Can you tap into the security camera at McD?_ \*Sure \* _Wait … that’s HIM!!!_ ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3483 "2024-04-05T23:22:32Z")
“I need you to decrypt this for me.” ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3484 "2024-04-05T23:33:54Z")
“Hold my beer, that will be no more than a little random hacking on the keyboard.” (while green undecipherable characters scroll down the screen) ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2024, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3485 "2024-04-06T01:12:20Z")
I’ve never actually seen fingerprint matching software in use but I doubt that it’s really necessary to rapidly display all of the prints that don’t match on the screen. ---
**Author:** ![kwintenstraler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kwintenstraler/32/10698_2.png) [@kwintenstraler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kwintenstraler)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2024, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3486 "2024-04-06T08:31:37Z")
Also, hackers will be tapping fast and furious on the keyboard instead of, you know, using a program to do the work for you (and very much faster). No software person would type what can be scripted. ---
**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:** [April 6, 2024, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3487 "2024-04-06T12:23:31Z")
Is CCTV really everywhere in the UK? Every police show set in the UK makes it seem like CCTV is freaking everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2024, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3488 "2024-04-06T13:22:33Z")
> [@kwintenstraler](#): > > Also, hackers will be tapping fast and furious on the keyboard instead of, you know, using a program to do the work for you (and very much faster). No software person would type what can be scripted. Somewhere, sometime, perhaps on this board, someone pointed out this [ridiculous scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl6rsi7BEtk) from NCIS in which two of the characters are typing with both hands on one keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2024, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3489 "2024-04-06T21:09:45Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > the police has databases with the names, cars, postal adresses, past, present and future jobs and current photos of all citizen. And just by name. Names unless it is something very rare, are usually not enough- Dave Johnson is for example, pretty much useless. > [@kayaker](#): > > Is CCTV really everywhere in the UK? Every police show set in the UK makes it seem like CCTV is freaking everywhere. In the bigger cities, yes. [How Many CCTV Cameras in London? UK CCTV Numbers (Updated 2022)](https://clarionuk.com/resources/how-many-cctv-cameras-are-in-london/#:~:text=You%20are%20likely%20to%20be%20captured%20on%20UK%20CCTV%20up,million%20cameras%20in%20the%20UK). _Research by [Clarion Security Systems](https://clarionuk.com/) estimates that there are over 7,371,903 CCTV cameras in the UK, meaning there is 1 CCTV camera for every 11 people in the UK. You are likely to be captured on UK CCTV up to 70 times per day. (2022)_ I am reading the excellent DCI Evan Wardlow mysteries set in mostly rural Wales, and CCTV is hardly ever a help. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2024, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3490 "2024-04-06T22:18:58Z")
Every car always everywhere has the headrests removed. Impossible to shoot coverage from or towards the back seat. Who the hell has a car with no headrests ?!?! Also, yes: What I call " Hollywood Parking ": You zip up to a building and jump out directly in front. ---
**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:** [April 7, 2024, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3491 "2024-04-07T03:28:32Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Also, yes: What I call " Hollywood Parking ": You zip up to a building and jump out directly in front. Hehehe, we call the parking spot closest to the door of the establishment you want to visit “The Kojak spot”. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3492 "2024-04-07T03:42:49Z")
Thanks for this first-hand account. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3493 "2024-04-07T04:03:01Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > _Can you tap into the security camera at McD?_ > \*Sure \* > _Wait … that’s HIM!!!_ Now, _really…_ You forgot the “Zoom in and enhance!!” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3494 "2024-04-07T04:28:21Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > I’m going to guess that giving the Soviets’ fondness for documenting things, anyone who fired a weapon on duty was going to be subject to a lot of paperwork, and get home late. With of course the exceptions for KGB assassins. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3495 "2024-04-08T03:19:42Z")
Somebody drinking a lot of hot sauce and everybody thinking their drunk. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3496 "2024-04-08T07:01:13Z")
Drinking hot sauce, as in … like, a glass of it? I’m having trouble picturing the scene. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3497 "2024-04-08T07:14:13Z")
It’s mainly in comedies I’ve seen, somebody accidentally injests a bunch of hot sauce and people think they’re drunk. ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3498 "2024-04-08T13:00:50Z")
What show was that on? I’ve never seen that. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3499 "2024-04-08T15:02:08Z")
I saw one in a movie last night. Throwing pebbles at a young woman’s window to get her attention in the middle of the night. I’ve never done that. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3500 "2024-04-08T15:46:52Z")
Oh, that’s a good one. In my neighborhood that would have risked a dad bursting through the front door with a firearm. In the movies, it’s a go-to. ---
**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:** [April 8, 2024, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3501 "2024-04-08T16:22:18Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I saw one in a movie last night. Throwing pebbles at a young woman’s window to get her attention in the middle of the night. I’ve never done that. That would seem pretty weird in a time with cellphones [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=174) [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=176)