Top Five Myths about Private Investigators
Ever since I became a private investigator, I’ve been debunking myths about private investigators propagated by popular TV shows and books. These are the top incorrect assumptions about private investigators that I hear:
Myth #1: I wear a trench coat and fedora.
While on a surveillance case, a private investigator should dress to blend in with the location. So if I’m tailing a Wall Street type during the work week, I may wear a suit. Or if I’m tailing someone on a weekend, I may wear jeans and a baseball cap. Although I do own a trench coat, it is has yet to be part of my “disguise”. Since I’ve never had a case to follow someone to a costume party, I can’t imagine a scenario where dressing like Dick Tracy would help me blend in with a crowd.
Myth #2: My days are full of car chases, shootouts and other suspenseful activities.
I wish my days were as exciting as Magnum’s, although I’m pretty happy to skip the shootouts. The reality is that most of my time is spent running background reports and doing computer surveillance and forensics, which doesn’t exactly put me in the line of fire. But when I am doing surveillance, a typical case involves sitting in a car for at least 3-4 hours waiting for the suspect to emerge from a building door. This can get immensely boring. And unlike cop shows on TV, I don’t have a partner keeping me company, which brings me to the next assumption…
Myth #3: I have a sidekick.
Unlike Sherlock Holmes, I don’t have a loyal sidekick who goes with me everywhere, ready to help me get out of trouble or crack a case. Wouldn’t that be nice! I usually work alone, but on rare occasions may work with another private investigator for a particularly tricky moving surveillance case.
Myth #4: It’s easy to follow someone.
If you’ve ever followed a friend’s car to a restaurant or their house, you know how easily you can lose someone in a car. Maybe they blaze through a yellow light, and you get stuck as it turns red. Or maybe a minivan sneaks in between your cars so you miss seeing a turn your friend makes. So if it’s hard enough to follow someone who wants you to follow them, imagine how difficult it can be to follow someone when you don’t want them to notice you.
Myth #5: I have a tricked out car.
The last thing a private investigator wants is to get made, so driving a flashy, recognizable car like Kit from Knightrider would be an incredibly bad idea. For my moving surveillance cases, I drive a basic, nondescript sedan. If I conduct moving surveillance on the same subject multiple times, then I will use different cars on each day.
