History Main / BeneathNotice

* In the [[Literature/JackRyan Ryanverse]] story ''Without Remorse'', where the reader discovers the origin of legendary CIA agent John Clark, he takes revenge against drug syndicate that killed his lover. He manages to successfully elude the police and the syndicate, despite very publicly murdering a total of 8 people,[[note]]there were more, but he dropped the disguise for those[/note]] by disguising himself as a street wino. His internal monologue even makes a comparison to the camouflage he used in Vietnam.

** The Collectors exploit this by having the Vorcha release their plague on Omega, a species considered vermin by the rest of the Galaxy. This also yields the side-benefit of causing civil unrest when it's discovered it's an engineered virus, as the two species who are immune are Humans and Vorcha... and guess where the finger falls on?!

* On ''Series/Babylon5'', the pak'ma'ra were frequently reviled by other races due to their bizarre cultural and dietary habits. They also tended to be everywhere, often working menial jobs where their presence was ignored as much as possible. Delenn reasoned that this characteristic made them ideal couriers and even infiltrators.

* In the [[Literature/JackRyan Ryanverse]] story ''Without Remorse'', where the reader discovers the origin of legendary CIA agent John Clark, he takes revenge against drug syndicate that killed his lover. He manages to successfully elude the police and the syndicate, despite very publicly murdering a total of 8 people,[[hottip:*:there were more, but he dropped the disguise for those]] by disguising himself as a street wino. His internal monologue even makes a comparison to the camouflage he used in Vietnam.

** In the story "The Invisible Man", a man is murdered and witnesses say they saw nobody. Literature/FatherBrown figures out that the murderer [[spoiler: was dressed as a postman,]] and the witnesses didn't think he was important.

* In the [[Creator/GKChesterton G. K. Chesterton]] story "The Invisible Man", a man is murdered and witnesses say they saw nobody. FatherBrown figures out that the murderer [[spoiler: was dressed as a postman,]] and the witnesses didn't think he was important.
** Similarly, in another FatherBrown story, "The Queer Feet", a clever thief disguises himself as a waiter.

* Then dictator of Mexico General Santa Anna de Antonio Lopez attempted this trope after the Mexican Army lost the Battle of San Jacinto during the Texas Revolution. He hoped that the Anglo-Texans and Tejanos would be so busy looking for an [[BlingOfWar officer in a flashy uniform]] that they would overlook a simple peasant farmer. It didn't work.

* Chilean lawyer and guerrilla leader Manuel Rodríguez used this often to fight the Spanish out of Chile. He went as far as opening the carriage door for the current Spanish governor Casimiro Marcó del Pont, who didn't recognize him and gave him a coin for the favor.

* A variant occurs in the ''Literature/EnolaHolmes'' series: in order to hide in plain sight from her brother Franchise/SherlockHolmes, Enola disguises herself as the one thing Sherlock will never look twice at--[[HeManWomanHater a beautiful woman]]!

* This is how Bruce Banner, aka, TheIncredibleHulk gets into labs generally speaking. He needs the equipment or access to machinery, he dresses up as a janitor. Plus it's the added bonus of being there after hours.

* In ''{{Sneakers}}'', Carl disguises himself as a gardener in order to sneak into Playtronics' corporate headquarters.

* In FistOfFury BruceLee disguises himself as an AsianAndNerdy telephone repairman in order to infiltrate the home of the man who arranged his teacher's death.
* In ''{{Perfume}}'', it's explained that the main character has no scent, making people subconsciously treat him as beneath their notice. At one point he steps right over a guard dog, which ignores him.

* In ''ForeverAmber'', one Duke is highly renowned for being a master of disguise, such that when it comes to light that he was involved in a treasonous plot, he disappears easily. We see the effect social class has on his abilities- the only time we see him disguised is when he dresses up as a musketeer and successfully [[BatmanGambit manipulates]] his cousin Barbara Villiers into coming onto him.

* In the JamesBond short story "From a View to a Kill", either Bond or M thinks that perhaps the enemy has disguised himself as a gardener or garbage man or such. Someone hidden in plain sight. Then, [[spoiler:they are told that it isn't possible as those jobs on the base are done by enlisted military personnel]].
* Mack Bolan, TheExecutioner, once spent a day crouched in a rice paddy wearing a black poncho and a straw hat pretending to be a peasant farmer while enemy soldiers searched the area all around looking for him.

* Frequently used in ''TheWheelOfTime''. Servants, beggars and other people who go unnoticed are an important source of information, and are frequently secretly employed as spies. GenreSavvy characters make sure each member of their household is vetted for, and ensure potential outside observers are identified.
** Also in TheWheelOfTime are men who, having sold their souls to the Dark One, are soulless and therefore people are unable to notice them. They are effectively invisible and as such great hitmen.
* Sherlock Holmes occasionally makes use of the "Baker Street Irregulars", a gang of young street urchins, who because they are typically ignored by ''everyone'', can serve as his eyes and ears on the streets of London.
** The tv series {{Sherlock}} includes an homage to this, except he uses the homeless people of London instead of young street urchins. They prove invaluable when he needs to find a specific piece of graffiti that could be almost anywhere in the city. He gives them burner phones to contact him and pays generously with cash for whoever can find what he's looking for.

* On {{Hustle}} Ash uses this fairly often in terms of setting up their cons.
* In ''{{Fringe}}'', Walter explains that a side-effect they noticed amongst the children treated with Cortexiphan was that it instilled a subconscious desire to blend into their surroundings; as such, they had a tendency to be dress in drab colors which don't attract much attention, such as black, white and grey.

* In ''SeventhSea'', the Servant skill has a Knack (sub-skill) called Unobtrusive, which relies on this trope.

* Although he ''is'' a [[AlmightyJanitor janitor]], Roger Wilco from SpaceQuest fame dresses up ''as'' a janitor of an EvilInc in SpaceQuest 3.

* In ''MassEffect2'', Thane's loyalty mission has his backstory exposition include the [[StreetUrchin tunnel vent rats]], a group of orphans who live in the Citadel and acted as his spy network because nobody ever took notice of them.

** [[spoiler: The Keepers who operate the Citadel are another example of this. Even the ''player'' will have likely forgetten about them by the time their ''true'' purpose is revealed; silently maintaining the Citadel until the time is right to open the Relay and allow the Reapers to return from Dark Space.]]

* In ''TheMaskOfZorro'', this is how the old Zorro is able to masquerade literally right in front of Montero. Because he is masquerading as a servant, it would not even occur to Montero to take more than a passing glance at him.

* In ''{{Fringe}}'', Walter explains that a side-effect they noticed amongst the children treated with Cortexiphan, was their tendency to be drawn towards monochromatic colours such as black, white and grey; instilling a subconscious desire to blend into their surroundings.

* A variant occurs in the ''Literature/EnolaHolmes'' series: in order to hide in plain sight from her brother Franchise/SherlockHolmes, Enola disguises herself as the one thing Sherlock will never look twice at--[[HeManWomanHater a beautiful woman]]!

-->''Film/TheMaskOfZorro''

* A variant occurs in the ''EnolaHolmes'' series: in order to hide in plain sight from her brother SherlockHolmes, Enola disguises herself as the one thing Sherlock will never look twice at--[[HeManWomanHater a beautiful woman]]!
* In ''{{Foundation}}'', when the ambassador to Anacreon and High Priest of the Church needs to return to the titular Foundation to report to the mayor, he changes into civilian clothing, buys a ticket on a passenger liner and spends the trip pleasantly talking with fellow travelers. Once on the Foundation he buys a newspaper, does some reading in the park, and calls city hall from a public phone booth. Since, in all this time, he does absolutely nothing to avoid suspicion or hide his activities nobody gives him a second look.

* A common tactic for TheATeam
* A common tactic on BurnNotice, Michael will sometimes don the uniform of a maintenance worker or such, since nobody thinks to question why a guy from the phone company is fiddling with phone connections.

* TheShadow used to disguise himself as the janitor at police headquarters to gain access to information and no one paid him the slightest attention.

** [[spoiler: The Keepers who operate the Citadel are another example of this. Even the ''player'' will have likely forgetten about them by the time their ''true'' purpose is revealed; silently maintaining the Citadel until the time is right to open the Relay and allow the Reapers return from Dark Space.]]