History Main / OvertRendezvous

* In ''Film/ChildrenOfMen'' the upper deck of a London double-decker bus is used. Thanks to widespread apathy due to the slow demise of humanity no-one else bothers to walk up the stairs, so they are both able to talk in private while also being able to detect anyone else who followed them up there.

* ''Series/Scandal'' loves to do this, and nearly every one of these is presumed to be orchestrated by Olivia. Olivia and Cyrus tend to meet on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial. Olivia and her father meet in parks or in restaurants. The most treacherous of conversations tend to occur between Olivia and some other person in the middle night, when no bystanders are present.

** This backfires on Finch in "No Good Deed" when he reveals himself as the creator of the Machine, while sitting in an outdoor table in a coffee shop. At the end of the episode [[OnceMoreWithClarity we revisit the scene]] to see that former NSA employee Alicia Corwin at a nearby table sitting with her back to them, but with a small rifle microphone sitting on the table pointed in Finch's direction.

Of course, while this kind of meeting decreases the odds of being noticed by the specific people you're trying to avoid, it substantially increases the odds that your conversation will be overheard by random passers-by. This is generally [[PoseOfSilence glossed over]], though sometimes it's nodded at by selecting an [[CoverCacophony exceptionally loud meeting place]], or by having the characters speak in some way that appears innocuous: TroubleEntendre, TalkingThroughTechnique, SpySpeak, or the like. Or it's assumed that those random passers-by simply won't give a damn.

Of course, while this kind of meeting decreases the odds of being noticed by the specific people you're trying to avoid, it substantially increases the odds that your conversation will be overheard by random passers-by. This is generally [[PoseOfSilence glossed over]], though sometimes it's nodded at by selecting an exceptionally loud meeting place, or by having the characters speak in some way that appears innocuous: TroubleEntendre, TalkingThroughTechnique, SpySpeak, or the like. Or it's assumed that those random passers-by simply won't give a damn.

->''"They were in St James's Park, watching ducks on the lake. Defectors, spies, tramps and shady-dealers congregated in twos on the benches. Wardens who picked up litter with spiked sticks here had a higher security clearance than the Secretary of State for Defence. Old government secrets, obsolete weapons plans and two-way mirror compromising filmstrips were always found in the grass."''

->''They were in St James's Park, watching ducks on the lake. Defectors, spies, tramps and shady-dealers congregated in twos on the benches. Wardens who picked up litter with spiked sticks here had a higher security clearance than the Secretary of State for Defence. Old government secrets, obsolete weapons plans and two-way mirror compromising filmstrips were always found in the grass.''

* Discussed in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix''. Harry, Hermione and Ron have a secret meeting in a public location, but choose the less-frequented Hog's Head over the Three Broomsticks. Both the Order and Umbridge learn what they're doing, making things that much harder. Sirius tells them should have chosen the Three Broomsticks, because while they could never know if someone was ''watching'' them, in a noisy crowded place any spies would have trouble ''hearing'' them.

* In episode 7 of ''Anime?LupinIIIPart5'', Lupin meets up with the head of the {{DGSE}} in the middle of a café. [[spoiler: However, the head is aware of this trope and makes sure to fill said café with DGSE agents, in an effort to double cross Lupin]].

** In [[Recap/BurnNoticeS2E10DoNoHarm "Do No Harm"]] Michael and Fiona meet with a particularly GenreSavvy Mark of the Week in a hot tub at a public pool, which has the added benefit of making it more difficult for someone to wear a wire.

* ''Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows''. Believing Professor Moriarty [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness might have her killed]], Irene Adler arranges to meet him in a crowded restaurant. [[spoiler:Subverted when in a chilling display of Moriarty's wealth and power, everyone else gets up and leaves at his signal. Then she dies.]]

Of course, while this kind of meeting decreases the odds of being noticed by the specific people you're trying to avoid, it substantially increases the odds that your conversation will be overheard by random passers-by. This is generally [[PoseOfSilence glossed over]], though sometimes it's nodded at by selecting an exceptionally loud meeting place, or by having the characters speak in some way that appears innocuous: TroubleEntendre, TalkingThroughTechnique, SpySpeak, or the like.

* ''Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows''. Believing Professor Moriarty [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness might have her killed]], Irene Adler arranges to meet him in a crowded restaurant. Subverted when in a chilling display of Moriarty's wealth and power, everyone else gets up and leaves at his signal.

** Drug deals in this show tend to take place in public places, but for another reason in addition to secrecy: if negotiations go badly, people are less likely to shoot each other in public in broad daylight. Walt, in the first drug deal he participates in, sets it in an abandoned junkyard because [[TelevisionIsTryingToKillUs that's where drug deals take place in the movies]].

* ''Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows''. Believing Professor Moriarty [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness might have her killed]], Irene Adler arranges to meet him in a crowded restaurant. Averted when in a chilling display of Moriarty's wealth and power, everyone else gets up and leaves at his signal.

* In ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' the conspirators discuss their EvilPlan via radio communication while sitting in the audience of an opera house. Bond exposes them by breaking into their comms and taunting them, then photographing anyone who gets up to leave. Mr White is smart enough to discreetly pocket his earpiece and continue watching the opera.

* In ''Film/TheRussiaHouse'' SeanConnery's character is given some basic spy training.

* In ''Film/TheDeparted'', whenever state police [[MartinSheen Queenan]] and [[MarkWahlberg Dignam]] need to chat with [[Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio Costigan]], their mole in the mob, they meet him in some park/riverbank area. This worries Costigan, because if anyone sees him with them, he's pretty much dead.

** Inverted when Control is interrogating a soccer mum, accusing her of being TheHandler for TheMole inside her organization. Control produces two photographs showing her sitting next to TheMole in a park and a coffee shop. The woman protests that it's a coincidence as they're both public places. So Control produces a third photograph, showing this innocuous housewife walking down a restricted corridor in the White House.

** In the pilot episode, Harold Finch does a WalkAndTalk through Central Park while revealing the existence of the Machine to John Reese. We then see them from the Machine's POV, showing the all-seeing A.I. [[ParanoiaFuel can still hear their conversation]].

** In the pilot episode, Harold Finch does a WalkAndTalk through Central Park while revealing the existence of the Machine to John Reese. We then see them from the Machine's POV, showing the all-seeing A.I.[[ParanoiaFuel can still hear their conversation]].

** In the pilot episode, Harold Finch does a WalkAndTalk through Central Park while revealing the existence of the Machine to John Reese. We then see them from the Machine's POV, showing the Machine [[ParanoiaFuel can still hear their conversation]].