History Main / SlowerThanASpeedingBullet

[[folder:Film]]

->''"If they've got a bazooka, don't run away, 'cause it's easier to hit someone from a distance. Run towards them! And grab hold of them. (trying to shoot the bazooka) 'Back off! Oh, we're both going together!' (explosion)"''
-->-- '''Creator/EddieIzzard''', ''Glorious''

* Subverted in ''Film/InglouriousBasterds'': in the first scene, Shoshanna runs away from Hans Landa, who readies his gun... and doesn't shoot at the last second, bidding the target "AU REVOIR!" as they disappear behind a small hill.

* Averted on the TV show ''Series/TheMaster'', starring Creator/LeeVanCleef as a ninja. In the pilot, he his shown running away from gunfire in a zigzag pattern.
* Those two chicks [[spoiler:Mikhail]] shot in The Looking Glass at the end of ''{{Series/LOST}}'' season 3 did this.

* Human sized or larger enemies that fight at melee range in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' can spoil a player's VATS shot by running directly [[InvertedTrope towards]] him/her. The weapon's barrel will be pushed aside by the enemy's body, usually ending up pointed over the target's shoulder when it fires. This happens most often with fast enemies and large weapons. [[MadeOfIron Deathclaws]], for example, or [[TheDragon Legate Lanius]] and the [[{{BFG}} Anti-Materiel Rifle]].

** In the episode "Unconfirmed Reports", a group of [[BigBad Marlo Stanfield's]] enforcers decide at the last second to try to kill their targets in a rival gang via a [[GanglandDriveBy Drive-By Shooting]]. Being armed only with pistols, [[RealityEnsues the result is that their aim becomes horribly inaccurate]] and they don't have the [[MoreDakka required Dakka]] to fill the air with enough bullets to make it effective. In short, they fail to hit anybody they set out to kill until Snoop jumps out of the car, takes aim, and kills one of their enemies as he tries to run directly away from her.

->''"You know, the movie ''The In-laws?'' Peter Falk tells Alan Arkin, 'Always run in a serpentine fashion.' I was running evasively!"''\\

* In ''Literature/JonathanStrangeAndMrNorrell'' [[spoiler: Drawlight attempts to flee from Lascelles in this manner, who simply shoots him with both pistols. The first hits him in the leg, the second in the head.]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* Averted on the tv show ''Series/TheMaster'', starring Creator/LeeVanCleef as a ninja. In the pilot, he his shown running away from gunfire in a zigzag pattern.

Not to be confused with DoNotRunWithAGun.

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** In the episode "Unconfirmed Reports", a group of [[BigBad Marlo Stanfield's]] enforcers decide at the last second to try to kill their targets in a rival gang via a DriveByShooting. Being armed only with pistols, [[RealityEnsues the result is that their aim becomes horribly inaccurate]] and they don't have the [[MoreDakka required Dakka]] to fill the air with enough bullets to make it effective. In short, they fail to hit anybody they set out to kill until Snoop jumps out of the car, takes aim, and kills one of their enemies as he tries to run directly away from her.

While this seems insane, running [[RealityIsUnrealistic isn't always a bad idea]] (although taking an unpredictable zigzag path is better than a straight line). The effective range of a handgun, in the hands of a poorly trained fighter, is less than ten yards. A lot of urban criminals have never been to a firing range, and [[GangstaStyle barely know how to fire their weapons]]. Competent shooters may simply choose not to shoot someone who's running away (EvenEvilHasStandards, plus it's hard to plead self-defense for shooting someone InTheBack). In fact most survival guides recommend that if someone attempts to force you into a car with a gun, ''run away''. If they're willing to shoot at you when you run away, they were probably going to kill you anyway.

* In ''Series/TheWire'' episode "Unconfirmed Reports", after a last-second decision to try a DriveByShooting fails to hit anybody they set out to kill, Snoop jumps out of the car, takes aim, and kills one of the thugs as he runs away.

* Played straight ''and'' subverted (via player action) in both the ''{{Tsukihime}}'' and ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' visual novels. Protagonists Shiki and Shirou are both at some point faced with a choice of where to dodge [[spoiler:Ciel's pilebunker]] or [[spoiler:Rin's gandr shots]], respectively. Taking the obvious route (away) is a one-way stop to a BadEnding, while choosing to dodge ''forward'' actually buys time.

-->-- '''EddieIzzard''', ''Glorious''

->''"If they've got a bazooka, don't run away, 'cause it's easier to hit someone from a distance. Run towards them! And [[GunStruggle grab hold of them]]. (trying to [[ShortRangeLongRangeWeapon shoot the bazooka]]) 'Back off! Oh, we're both going together!' (explosion)"''

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* In ''TheWire'' episode "Unconfirmed Reports", after a last-second decision to try a DriveByShooting fails to hit anybody they set out to kill, Snoop jumps out of the car, takes aim, and kills one of the thugs as he runs away.

* If there's no cover to get behind this actually works somewhat in ''{{GURPS}}'' - you give the shooter a movement penalty to hit. In fact you can even get it when charging at someone.

* {{AMMO}} gives a penalty for ranged attacks against a moving target (or if the shooter is on a moving vehicle). The penalty is halved if the target is moving in a straight line that include the shooter, making the rule slightly realistic. Some "Director" (GM) likes to apply more maths to odd running paths, but it's optional.

* In ''JonathanStrangeAndMrNorrell'' [[spoiler: Drawlight attempts to flee from Lascelles in this manner, who simply shoots him with both pistols. The first hits him in the leg, the second in the head.]]

* In CityOfHeroes, once you've fired your attack, you either hit or miss, regardless of where your enemy is when it strikes. The main trouble is that this deduction starts as soon as your attack animation starts - which may involve crouching, spinning and other acrobatics.

* Averted on the tv show ''[[MasterNinja The Master]]'', starring Creator/LeeVanCleef as a ninja. In the pilot, he his shown running away from gunfire in a zigzag pattern.

* Played straight ''and'' subverted (via player action) in both the ''{{Tsukihime}}'' and ''FateStayNight'' visual novels. Protagonists Shiki and Shirou are both at some point faced with a choice of where to dodge [[spoiler:Ciel's pilebunker]] or [[spoiler:Rin's gandr shots]], respectively. Taking the obvious route (away) is a one-way stop to a BadEnding, while choosing to dodge ''forward'' actually buys time.

* Similarly, BattleTech gives an accuracy penalty for firing at a moving target, no matter what direction they're moving. A [[FragileSpeedster Fire Moth]] running full sprint is hard to hit, even if it's running in a straight line away from you. [[RammingAlwaysWorks Or straight down your throat.]]