# 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:** 190
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3787 "2024-06-11T02:47:10Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > So that everyone who’s coming in from out of town for the wedding can attend? Even that can be looked after. My BIL’s best man came in from overseas. Too early and it would be an extra hotel expense; too late (i.e. night before) and neither one of those guys would be in shape for a wedding the next day. As it turned out, the bachelor party was on a Wednesday night, both of them got sloshed, I was the designated driver, and they got to visit about four pubs on the pubcrawl they wanted to do. As the designated driver, I drank a lot of Coke that night, while the guys overdid it. Both of the guys were hurting the next day (were they ever), but both were just fine a few days later for the Saturday wedding. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3788 "2024-06-11T02:56:37Z")
I think this is more common in older movies: walking up to the front door of a private home, knocking or ringing with no response, discovering the door is unlocked, walking in, calling out, and if there is no response, wandering around the house looking for whoever is there. If someone did that in my house, I would assume home invasion or attempted burgling and act accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3789 "2024-06-11T03:08:47Z")
It was a more innocent time; on the other hand trespassing in an upcountry rural area was depicted as likely to get you a load of buckshot in the seat of your pants. ---
**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:** [June 11, 2024, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3790 "2024-06-11T03:39:31Z")
Similarly, scaring people away by shooting rock salt at them. Granny on “The Beverly Hillbillies” did it from time to time and I think I’ve seen it other places as well. And of course, it could be lethal so hopefully it doesn’t happen in real life. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3791 "2024-06-11T03:45:22Z")
Rock salt, lard and barn lime loaded into a shotgun shell. Lard and lime heated in a skillet and flung into someone’s face was called by Chicago police an Alabama pancake ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3792 "2024-06-11T05:55:06Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > No one got drunk- a couple dude were a bit tipsy. The one bachelor party I attended the bride’s father was in attendance which effectively killed any ribald ‘advice.’ ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3793 "2024-06-11T07:25:48Z")
True life example for me - the bachelor party was a few weeks before the wedding, but the groom broke his leg, Or rather - the best man broke the groom’s leg by tackling him. THAT must have been an interesting conversation with the bride… ---
**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:** [June 11, 2024, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3794 "2024-06-11T11:46:38Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Do the Mobsters whacked in _ **Goldfinger** _ count as minions? No – those were business associates who had the bad fortune to be around when Goldfinger wanted to brag about his plan to rob Fort Knox. Getting rid of them simultaneously tied of loose ends and let him get away with not paying out several million dollars in gold bullion. But these guys didn’t work for him. At worst they were someone _else’s_ minions. (Bond: I _did_ enjoy your presentation. Goldfiunger: (wiping eye) So did I) ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3795 "2024-06-11T21:00:48Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I think this is more common in older movies: walking up to the front door of a private home, knocking or ringing with no response, discovering the door is unlocked, walking in, calling out, and if there is no response, wandering around the house looking for whoever is there. > > If someone did that in my house, I would assume home invasion or attempted burgling and act accordingly. My father was born in 1922. He could remember when people in his hometown started putting locks on their doors. The old-timers were appalled at the idea. “What if we are out, and someone comes by, and needs food? They might starve!” In cultures with a low population density, hospitality is a sacred obligation. When you approached a farmhouse in the countryside, you would shout “Hello, the house!” to let people know that you were not a bandit. If there was no answer, you were free to cook yourself a meal. You were expected to clean up after yourself. As soon as you were able, you were expected to return and give back at least as much food as you had taken. In order for a thief to fence stolen goods, he needs anonymity. That is not possible in a rural area, where everyone knows everybody else, and everyone knows what everybody owns. So the old-timers were less afraid of theft, and more afraid of hunger. > [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Similarly, scaring people away by shooting rock salt at them. Granny on “The Beverly Hillbillies” did it from time to time and I think I’ve seen it other places as well. > > And of course, it could be lethal so hopefully it doesn’t happen in real life. The expectation was that the miscreants would be running away, so you would be shooting at them from the back, and unlikely to put an eye out. The salt-filled cartridge probably had a smaller-than-normal powder load, so the risk of lethality was significantly reduced. It was intended to be a form of corporal punishment for unruly teenagers. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3796 "2024-06-11T21:43:21Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > My father was born in 1922. He could remember when people in his hometown started putting locks on their doors. The old-timers were appalled at the idea. “What if we are out, and someone comes by, and needs food? They might starve!” In cultures with a low population density, hospitality is a sacred obligation. The cases I have seen in movies were urban areas, where locks on outside doors were generally expected. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3797 "2024-06-11T21:57:16Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Something I’ve seen in television shows and even movies is the bachelor party the night before the wedding. There is excessive drinking, of course, and various other forms of misbehavior. The groom may be missing the following morning, meaning the day of the wedding. So there’s resulting hijinks as the other men have to find him (perhaps bail him out of jail) and sober him up. The 2009 movie _[The Hangover](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hangover)_ or the 1984 Tom Hanks movie _[Bachelor Party](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor_Party_(1984_film))_ are examples. > > What I’m wondering is why have the bachelor party literally the night before the wedding? Why not a week or two before, so that everyone has time to recover? Having it that close to the wedding means that the groom is hungover or incapacitated for his wedding and reception. Not to mention that doesn’t give you enough time to dispose of the dead prostitute. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3798 "2024-06-11T23:20:03Z")
[Miramax Studios Security Guard Gordon](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0046033/?ref_=tt_ch): Sorry to interrupt sirs, but we’ve got a 10-07 on our hands. [Matt Damon](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000354/?ref_=tt_ch): [exasperated] Oh Jesus, again Ben? [Ben Affleck](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000255/?ref_=tt_ch): [cocky] No, bullshit, because I wasn’t WITH a hooker today, ha-HA! ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3799 "2024-06-12T05:26:56Z")
Threadjack: “Despicable Me 4” is coming out later this summer, and the minions have a commercial where they get together for a cookout, and outdo each other with their tricked-out grills until one of them finally brings one that fires a ray which bisects the moon. Afterwards, the cooked hamburgers rain down on their plates. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3800 "2024-06-12T17:18:03Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > My father was born in 1922. He could remember when people in his hometown started putting locks on their doors. I grew up in small town Minnesota (pop ~1000) in the 1960s and 70s. We didn’t have a key for the front door. Sometime after I moved out, the folks put in a new door with a lock and a key they could locate. ---
**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:** [June 15, 2024, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3801 "2024-06-15T20:08:31Z")
We live in a time warp neighborhood. And were discussing how often we lock our doors (with many people saying “Well, we’re careful. We lock up at night…”). One neighbor looked at her husband and said “If I locked the door, how would you get in?” And he said “Do you even know where a key is?” “No, I know we were given one when we bought the house…” “…Thirty years ago!” ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2024, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3802 "2024-06-17T22:53:40Z")
Playing Chutes and Ladders: Sesame Street edition brought one to mind: Has anyone, ever, slipped on a banana peel? ---
**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:** [June 17, 2024, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3803 "2024-06-17T22:56:17Z")
I’ve deliberately tried; they’re not _that_ slippery. Perhaps Gros Michel banana peels were more so? ---
**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:** [June 17, 2024, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3804 "2024-06-17T23:11:01Z")
I’m sure it was mentioned somewhere here. I was flipping through and I saw someone taking bets on a fight. Just one guy surrounded by many people yelling at him and throwing money at him. Then after the fight he somehow had to figure out who bet what without any betting slips and no apparent system of any kind. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2024, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3805 "2024-06-17T23:11:03Z")
In fact I have performed at least one industrial accident report that involved slipping on a banana peel. Even more unbelievable, I restrained myself from adding “a custard pie to the face was not a contributing factor.” ---
**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:** [June 17, 2024, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3806 "2024-06-17T23:30:54Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Has anyone, ever, slipped on a banana peel? Amazingly enough, yes Anjou vs. Boston Elevated Railway (1911) > [@](#): > > January 11, 1911. > > March 3, 1911. > > Present: KNOWLTON, C.J., LORING, BRALEY, SHELDON, RUGG, JJ. > > _Negligence,_ Elevated railway: care of station. > > At the trial of an action against an elevated railway company to recover for personal injuries received by the plaintiff and due to his slipping upon a banana peel on the upper platform of a station of the defendant as he was following an employee of the defendant who was directing him to another car, there was evidence tending to show that it was the duty of certain employees of the defendant, one of whom was at the station all the time, to observe and to remove whatever was upon the platform to interfere with the safety of travellers. The description of the banana peel by different witnesses was that it “felt dry and gritty as if there were dirt upon it,” as if “tramped over a good deal,” as “flattened down, and black in color,” “every bit of it was black, there wasn’t a particle of yellow,” that it was “black, flattened out and gritty.” _Held,_ that the question of the defendant’s liability was for the jury, who might have found that the banana peel had been upon the platform for a considerable period of time and had been left there negligently by employees of the defendant in violation of the defendant’s duty to keep its station reasonably safe for its passengers. > > _J.J. Cummings, (H.J. Dixon_ with him,) for the plaintiff. > > _J.E. Hannigan,_ for the defendant, submitted a brief. [Anjou v. Boston Elevated Railway, 208 Mass. 273 | Casetext Search + Citator](https://casetext.com/case/anjou-v-boston-elevated-railway#:~:text=F.W.%20Woolworth%20Co.-,In%20Anjou%20v.,deal%20permitted%20inference%20of%20negligence). I could’ve sword that The Learned Master wrote about this, but I can’t find it in a quick search. There are plenty of other references to the case if you look up the case name. I also find that lots of people felt that “banana peel” was sort of a visual euphemism for dog crap or horse droppings. [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=189) [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=191)