# 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:** 274
**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 27, 2026, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5489 "2026-06-27T23:09:44Z")
Someone gets into their car and then sees someone in the rear view mirror sitting in the backseat. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5490 "2026-07-09T00:55:49Z")
In Star Trek, the “standard orbit” is constantly decaying in a matter of just were days or even hours. But why? Explorer !, for instance, stayed up from 1958 until 1970. While Vanguard 1 (launched in 1958) is still in orbit. ---
**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:** [July 9, 2026, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5491 "2026-07-09T01:29:45Z")
And they’re not consistent with that. In “I, Mudd”, Norman threatens to destroy their engines and that they’ll remain in orbit forever. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5492 "2026-07-09T07:54:37Z")
Apparently the Federation’s “standard orbit” plows through the atmosphere. Probably due to a misplaced decimal point in a Star Fleet textbook. ---
**Author:** ![abcdefghij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/43a26b/32.png) [@abcdefghij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abcdefghij)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5493 "2026-07-09T12:32:13Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Apparently the Federation’s “standard orbit” plows through the atmosphere. Pretty much: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/IxDAOE5pTv4/maxresdefault.jpg "Star Trek: The Original Series S1E19: Tomorrow Is Yesterday - Review") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxDAOE5pTv4&t=113s) ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5494 "2026-07-09T16:58:21Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > If only because the filmed pie fights are actually pans of whipped cream, I’ve read that’s usually shaving cream, as it cleans up easier than whipped cream, and won’t spoil under studio lights. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5495 "2026-07-09T17:11:38Z")
When bad guys make deals with people its always with the most vague terms possible that nobody questions. “So after I give you the info on the bank heist, you’ll give me what’s coming to me? Great!” Apparently even in fiction bad guys can’t just break deals so they have to be some weirdly ironic contract! ---
**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 9, 2026, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5496 "2026-07-09T17:16:50Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > In Star Trek, the “standard orbit” is constantly decaying in a matter of just were days or even hours. But why? Allowing for: > [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > they’re not consistent My take is, a “standard orbit” is a powered hover over where they want to visit. Notably, the transporter has a range of (IIRC) 40K miles, so in some orbital altitudes you could be in line of sight to the people on the ground and still be “out of transporter range”. And it definitely won’t go very far into solid rock. And then if you factor danger: when Kirk calls on the communicator “Scotty! Save my ass!”, and the Enterprise is on the other side of the planet, well, if the ship is actually orbiting, that ain’t gonna happen for another hour. So (most episodes) the Big E is right over head all the time, using the engines to push back against gravity. Easy-peasy for a starship. Good for transporters, communicators, as well as phasers and sensors. (“We could locate a match!” Well, probably not from the other side of the planet.) (or for using a long rope to lower some rice wine, Mr Sulu.) But when someone cuts the power, it starts falling immediately, because it’s still in about 1 gee. From an “orbit” of even 6000 miles, which I think I heard mentioned in some episode, it’ll take a while for things to get warm. From a 20K mile hover, even longer. (As long as the plot requires!) In Tomorrow is Yesterday, the Enterprise wasn’t supposed to be in the atmosphere. They lost control. Exceptions: Mirror, Mirror, it was noted that the targets were rotating out of phaser range, implying the E was actually in an orbit. Wrath of Khan. The tactical display showed the Enterprise orbiting around Regula One’s asteroid, but it may have just been “flying” and not in orbit. The rock probably wasn’t big enough to orbit. So a powered hover makes the most sense. Which means, you could actually bring the Enterprise right down to the surface and “float” three feet off the ground, if you wanted. Like a star destroyer in _Rogue One_, wasn’t it? ---
**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:** [July 9, 2026, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5497 "2026-07-09T17:39:36Z")
People walking into bars with a picture of someone and ask “Have you seen this person?” I’m sure it’s happened but not nearly as much as shown on TV. And the the follow-ups, “When was the last time that you saw them” and “Do you know where they are now?” ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5498 "2026-07-09T18:46:38Z")
Speaking about pictures, how often do you scan the FBI Most Wanted posters at the post office? Do they still have them there? ---
**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:** [July 9, 2026, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5499 "2026-07-09T19:08:38Z")
Explorer One not withstanding, the majority of satellites launched in the early days of space exploration were typically in circular orbits less than 150 miles high, low enough that residual drag brought them back down fairly quickly. I think that this somehow entered the public consciousness as the misconception that orbits inherently decay. (Heck, some people still think that objects in orbit are “flying” above the Earth). ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5500 "2026-07-13T05:34:56Z")
Frightened woman or dweebish guy, “If you take one more step, I’ll shoot.” Two things: Do they ever shoot when the menacing villain continues to advance and eventually snares the weapon? Does this happen in real life cases? Me? I’d shoot if the villain didn’t back up. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5501 "2026-07-13T10:37:46Z")
Woman has to talk to a guy taking a shower since its an emergency, he tells her to hand him a towel as he exits and she gives it to him. Guy proceeds to walk out of the shower completely naked but with the towel around his hair and then tries to talk to the woman. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5502 "2026-07-13T11:30:23Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Me? I’d shoot if the villain didn’t back up. I wouldn’t even give him a chance to back up. What’s he going to do, sit there docilely while I call the cops, who probably won’t show up for another 45 minutes or so? ---
**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:** [July 13, 2026, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5503 "2026-07-13T13:42:24Z")
Talk of the show _Emergency!_ in the Randolph Mantooth RIP thread made me think of another one. I mentioned in that other thread that Emergency! employed several real firefighters and paramedics as technical consultants, so it was a pretty accurate portrayal of first responders, as opposed to most ‘first responder’ type shows, especially newer ones, where ever more ridiculous and inaccurate things happen. The characters in those shows are always breaking rules and protocol. Cops go into dark warehouses full of armed bad guys without waiting for backup. A firefighter / paramedic who is a med school student performs highly unauthorized makeshift surgery on a victim at the scene. Responders on these shows are always taking extraordinary risks that they’re not supposed to take. And when they are called out on it by their superiors, they always say “if I followed the rules, more people would have _ **died!!** _”. Uhh, rules and protocols are there for a reason, and the reason is that, in the vast majority of cases, they ensure the best possible outcome for all concerned. There may be the occasional exception, but I imagine it’s exceedingly rare. ---
**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 13, 2026, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5504 "2026-07-13T14:19:31Z")
A clip from _Parks and Recreation_ came up on my feed. It was when Lesley finds out she is having triplets. Henry Winkler is the doctor. He is personally doing the ultrasound. No ultrasound tech in sight. He points out the three babies then turns off the machine. No measuring. No saving data. No printing images. Nothing that makes an ultrasound longer than 30 seconds in real life. ---
**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:** [July 13, 2026, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5505 "2026-07-13T17:12:22Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Me? I’d shoot if the villain didn’t back up. Anyone who’d advance on you when you’re pointing a gun at them is an imminent threat to your life and safety. The only thing that could make it worse is if they said “you’re not going to shoot me”. Incidentally, this is why bluffing with an unloaded gun is a terrible idea. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5506 "2026-07-13T18:06:19Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Two things: Do they ever shoot when the menacing villain continues to advance and eventually snares the weapon? Once in a great while. IIRC in True Grit. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5507 "2026-07-13T19:05:32Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Once in a great while. IIRC in True Grit. And in _ **Gone with the Wind** _. It’s my favorite scene. 👍 ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2026, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/5508 "2026-07-14T18:06:58Z")
I have no experience, but I think jail cells would have toilets. I’m not sure what they do with holding cells. On a lot of shows I watch they don’t have them. [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=273) [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=275)