History Main / TryAndFollow

* ''Film/MissionImpossibleIII''. Ethan's team in a Huey helicopter try to evade a Cobra gunship by flying through a wind turbine farm. [[AcrophobicBird For some reason the Cobra doesn't fly above the farm]] and fire its missiles (which are heat-seaking) down at them..

* ''Film/MissionImpossibleIII''. Ethan's team in a Huey helicopter try to evade a Cobra gunship by flying through a wind turbine farm. [[AcrophobicBird For some reason the Cobra doesn't fly above the farm]] and fire its missiles (which are heat-seaking) down at them -- but then if it did that we wouldn't have a cool scene of the Huey flying ''through'' the spinning turbine blade and the Cobra being smashed when it decides to TryAndFollow.

* In ''Roleplay/TheBalladOfEdgardo'', when fleeing from a mob of angry players who are [[TravelingAtTheSpeedOfPlot ignoring the travelling rules]], the title character and his sidekick A Guy Called Squid briefly manage to escape their pursuers by deliberately following a RidiculouslyDifficultRoute through snowy mountains strewn with especially dangerous random events and monsters, correctly guessing that the other players are [[DirtyCoward too scared to enter]] is an area through which no one would ever [[CrazyEnoughToWork follow him and Squid]].

* In ''Roleplay/TheBalladOfEdgardo'', the title character and his sidekick A Guy Called Squid briefly manage to escape their pursuers by deliberately following a RidiculouslyDifficultRoute through snowy mountains strewn with especially dangerous random events and monsters, correctly guessing that the other players are [[DirtyCoward too scared to enter]] is an area through which no one would ever [[CrazyEnoughToWork follow him and Squid]].

* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf''. Ranma and JerkJock Kunō are staring down in a school corridor, and Ranma declares that "this is no place for a fight" and proceeds out the nearest (third floor) window and Kunō, idiot that he is, jumps right after. While everyone in school gasps in shock (and Kunō himself is horrified when he realizes it,) this is not a problem for Ranma, who's used to this kind of leap. The problem is that Ranma ''didn't'' know about the swimming pool right below, and even though he can withstand the impact, it will also trigger his GenderBender curse in full view of everyone.

* In ''Webcomic/RustyAndCo'', [[http://rustyandco.com/comic/level-5-23/ Prestige jumps out the window onto a cloud.]] The pursuing illithid is obviously thinking of this trope. Then he assumes she's got something that makes it solid.

* Parodied in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'': Hank is caught in a car chase with a pimp, and so he waits at an intersection for a yellow light and then guns it. When the pimp runs through the subsequent red light, Hank is shocked.

* The entire "[[IAmSong I Stand Alone]]" number in ''WesternAnimation/QuestForCamelot'' is essentially one extended TryAndFollow sequence, as our forest-dwelling male lead attempts to ditch the heroine.

** And earlier, when Vizzini's gang climb the Cliffs of Insanity.

* A common defensive strategy used by aircraft hoping to avoid a fight is to fly Nap-of-the-Earth. This makes them difficult to spot on some types of radar (especially older, less precise systems), gives AntiAir batteries less opportunity to engage them, and makes it riskier for enemy aircraft to chase them. Less effective against more modern opponents [[TechnologyMarchesOn with advances in radar, missiles, and terrain avoidance auto-pilots]] negating many of the advantages and simply leaving the pilot with limited room to maneuver if they get attacked.
* Similarly, smaller ships and boats attempting to evade pursuit will occasionally race into shallower waters, given that their smaller craft need less clearance to avoid the seabed or other obstacles. During UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, the US Navy fielded shallow-draft wooden sub-hunter boats that could race through shallow waters or even minefields which the heavier German subs had to sail around, allowing them to use hit-and-run tactics against the bigger German ships.

* ''Film/Cube2Hypercube''. One of the people imprisoned in the Hypercube turns out to be a superhacker fleeing the MegaCorp who built it, as it was the one place they wouldn't follow. [[spoiler:Turns out she's wrong, as the person she's talking to is revealed to be an operative sent after her.]]

* Find yourself a victim of an IncrediblyObviousTail? Experts suggest the best way to shake your stalker is to jump into traffic. The confusion ensures everyone is paying attention to you, and your stalker won't act with witnesses abound. Plus, if you really cause enough trouble, police might take you into (protective) custody. Of course, [[ShaggyDogStory you might just get mowed over by a car.]]

* Similarly, smaller ships and boats attempting to evade pursuit will occasionally race into shallower waters, given that their smaller craft need less clearance to avoid the seabed or other obstacles. During WorldWarOne, the US Navy fielded shallow-draft wooden sub-hunter boats that could race through shallow waters or even minefields which the heavier German subs had to sail around, allowing them to use hit-and-run tactics against the bigger German ships.

* Similarly, smaller ships and boats attempting to evade pursuit will occasionally race into shallower waters, given that their smaller craft need less clearance to avoid the seabed or other obstacles. During WorldWarOne, the US Navy fielded shallow-draft wooden sub-hunter boats that could race through narrow waters or even minefields which the heavier German subs had to sail around, allowing them to use hit-and-run tactics against the bigger German ships.

** In "Witness", John Reese and the witness flee TheMafiya into an apartment block controlled by Bulgarian gangsters. The Russian gangsters chasing them have to call their boss to negotiate entry, giving Reese time to treat the witness' injury and find a phone to call Finch.

** In "No Good Dead", the VictimOfTheWeek is being chased by government assassins, so he [[GetIntoJailFree throws a bottle at a passing police car]] so he'll get arrested. Unfortunately his pursuers have no problem with [[ImpersonatingAnOfficer sending an assassin into the police station]] after him.

** One method used by the VictimOfTheWeek to escape pursuers is to [[GetIntoJailFree throw something at a passing police car]], so they'll get arrested.

* ''Series/PersonOfInterest''. In "Witness", John Reese and the witness flee TheMafiya into an apartment block controlled by Bulgarian gangsters. The Russian gangsters chasing them have to call their boss to negotiate entry, giving Reese time to treat the witness' injury and find a phone to call Finch.

If you are feeling particularly ballsy, you can give your hunters the raspberry and issue the challenge of "[[TitleDrop Go ahead, try and follow me!]]"