History BavarianFireDrill / RealLife

* Creator/StevenSpielberg must like this trope, as he used to spread "[[BasedOnAGreatBigLie highly embellished]]" stories about how he'd gotten his start in Hollywood by walking onto the Universal Studios lot wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase and acting like he was supposed to be there. In some versions, he set up shop in an empty office, put his name on the building directory, told the switchboard operator to give out his extension to people, and wasn't discovered for two years.

* Australian comedy show ''Series/TheChasersWarOnEverything'' did this to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chaser_APEC_pranks get to within meters of the hotel]] where UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush was staying in Sydney for the 2007 APEC meeting. They did it by renting a limousine, sticking miniature Canadian flags on it, and [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy driving straight through an AU $4,000,000 security perimeter]]. Their security passes were obviously fake (with things like "JOKE" written on them), but nobody checked them. They (and apparently Creator/TheABC and [[OurLawyersAdvisedThisTrope the ABC's lawyers]]) were convinced that someone would stop them at some point. They only got caught right at the entrance of the hotel, when out of amazement at how far they got, Chas stepped out of the limousine -- in full costume as UsefulNotes/OsamaBinLaden. The Chasers [[http://youtu.be/NvH3YQGQwLM recount the incident here]], and were particularly amused by the fact that even after "Bin Laden" had been apprehended, the police seemed more interested in the ''other'' guys in the motorcade.

* Creator/ImprovEverywhere staged a prank by having a large group of people wearing blue polo shirts and khaki pants hang around inside a Best Buy and allow customers to mistake them for employees. The rules stated that they would never claim to be employees, but would answer all questions to the the best of their ability.

* In his first book, ''Up Front'', Bill Mauldin tells the story of an expatriate Austrian nobleman serving in the US Army who would sneak into blacked-out German command bunkers at night, and, in his well-educated accent, in his most arrogant tone of voice, demand to know the situation and plans.

*** This variant was also used in ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga''; Miles planned this operation based on the legend. He intended to personally lead this operation, but [[CloningBlues other events]] meant that he had to hand this off to a subordinate. We never find out if Jezek succeeded.

* In Russia, if one is dressed in a military-looking greatcoat and a serviceman's ushanka, it is wholly possible to get out of being arrested by looking angrily at the police, demanding to know what ''they'' are doing, and saying you're going to their commander with it. On rare and lucky occasions, you might even get given vodka to buy your silence. But if you're unlucky, you're in a big trouble. (The exploit is fixed by introducing the Military Police.)

* While researching for his film ''Film/InTheLoop'', director Armando Iannucci crashed the U.S. State Department offices by showing the guard a fake BBC press pass and saying "I'm here for the 12:30."[[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/5295148/Comedian-sneaks-into-US-State-department.html He then walked around taking photos]] for the set designers. He remarked (in the linked article) "Part of me thought it was fun, another part thought it was probably international espionage."

* Many of Joey Skaggs' greatest pranks are predicated on these. The best of these was the Solomon Project, where Skaggs (as Dr. Joseph Bonuso) got on Creator/{{CNN}} to shill a computer that could replace judges. Even better, though, was the fact that ''this was the fifth time'' Skaggs had snowed CNN this way.

* The Game Awards 2022 was infamously crashed by an audience member that followed the ''Videogame/EldenRing'' developers onto the stage as they went up to accept their Game of the Year award. The individual in question just blended in, helping the devs onto the stage patting their backs like he was part of the team, and even patiently waited at the back as Creator/HidetakaMiyazaki gave his speech, with absolutely ''nobody'' realizing that he wasn't supposed to be there until Miyazaki finished speaking and he finally stepped up to the mic to drop his prank payload: Dedicating the award to "[[WordSaladHumor my reformed orthodox rabbi Bill Clinton]]".

* There's an internet video of someone waking up an apparently-drunk guy, putting a banana in his mouth, and handing him a pillow and bedding while telling him to go in an urgent voice and gently pushing him into a closet. The guy goes into the closet willingly. When he hears people laughing, he comes out and immediately goes back to sleep.

* Put on a black t-shirt that says "Event Staff". Wear dark cargo pants (or khakis, depending on preference). Proceed to get into far more private events and off-limits areas than you should be able to.

* A common expression/tactic among the various revolutionary groups of the 60s and 70s: "A black man with a smile and a mop can walk into any building in America!"
* Youtube prankster WebVideo/RemiGaillard managed to enter the Final of the French Cup by simply [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TaecFvNiqo using a fake jersey of the winning team]], with no one ever questioning him, even using simple sneakers instead of professional shoes. He touched the cup, gave interviews, shook hands with then-president Chirac, and even signed autographs.

* The Game Awards 2022 was infamously crashed by an audience member that fell in line right off the crowd as the ''Videogame/EldenRing'' developers headed to the stage to accept their GOTY award. The individual in question just blended in, helping the devs onto the stage patting their backs like he was part of the team, and even patiently waited at the back like he was holding for his turn as the developers gave their speeches, with security (and almost everyone else) only catching on that he wasn't a part of this team when he was given the mic at the end and dropped his prank payload: Dedicating the award to "[[WordSaladHumor my reformed orthodox rabbi Bill Clinton]]".

* The Game Awards 2022 were infamously crashed by an audience member that fell in line right off the crowd as the ''Videogame/EldenRing'' developers headed to the stage to accept their GOTY award. The individual in question just blended in, helping the devs onto the stage patting their backs like he was part of the team, and even patiently waited at the back like he was holding for his turn as the developers gave their speeches, with security (and almost everyone else) only catching on that he wasn't a part of this team when he was given the mic at the end and dropped his prank payload: Dedicating the award to "[[WordSaladHumor my reformed orthodox rabbi Bill Clinton]]".

* The 2022 Game Of The Year Awards were infamously crashed by an audience member that fell in line right off the crowd as the ''Videogame/EldenRing'' developers headed to the stage to accept their GOTY award. The individual in question just blended in, helping the devs onto the stage patting their backs like he was part of the team, and even patiently waited at the back like he was holding for his turn as the developers gave their speeches, with security (and almost everyone else) only catching on that he wasn't a part of this team when he was given the mic at the end and dropped his prank payload: Dedicating the award to "[[WordSaladHumor my reformed orthodox rabbi Bill Clinton]]".

* The 2022 Game Of The Year Awards were infamously crashed by an audience member that fell in line right off the crowd as the ''Videogame/EldenRing'' developers headed to the stage to accept their GOTY award. The individual in question just blended in, helpe the devs onto the stage patting their backs like he was part of the team, and even patiently waited at the back like he was holding for his turn as the developers gave their speeches, with security (and almost everyone else) only catching on that he wasn't a part of this team when he was given the mic at the end and dropped his prank payload: Dedicating the award to "[[WordSaladHumor my reformed orthodox rabbi Bill Clinton]]".

** This even pops up in a ''Franchise/StarWars'' ExpandedUniverse with one bit on Han Solo in his smuggling days. He keeps taking ships past Imperial customs inspectors sure he's up to no good who are unable to find any contraband. Finally, it dawns on them that he's smuggling the ''ships'', but, by then, it's too late.

*** This is apparently something the singer Music/{{Kesha}} made a habit of: simply walking into classrooms, listening (and participating) in lectures, and no one was the wiser.

** An entire mall parking garage in the Danish town Hillerød was "shut down" for several hours because a bunch of drunken teens had "blocked" every single entrance with that kind of cones during the night. The story goes that it took several hours with pissed-off drivers in a queue before someone cleared up the mess.
* It is possible for common people to pose as certain companies to supply a DMCA takedown for certain videos. This has happened with Nyan Cat (After which the real Prguitarman stated he was not responsible for the takedown) and several videos from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' from [[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/08/youtube-fully-confirmed-for-trolls.html Habsro Inc.]] This, and other cases, have been used as examples of Website/YouTube being too "cowardly" or some other adjective to check the claims for legitimacy. Checking the claims one by one would cost a good deal of time and money.

* As mentioned in the ''Eroica'' entry above, Claude François de Malet [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malet_coup_of_1812 nearly took over the First French Empire]] this way: while Napoleon was in Russia Malet, a former general discharged and placed in a sanitarium for sedition walked to the commander of a National Guard cohort in Paris, told him that Napoleon had died in battle on October 7, and, using forged documents, took command of the cohort and started arresting the government. Of all the people he arrested (which included the Minister of Police himself), [[OnlySaneMan only general Pierre Hulin thought about checking his orders]] (he got shot in the jaw), and the coup was stopped only after colonel Doucet, who knew for a fact that Napoleon was still alive after October 7 and recognized Malet, managed to get alone with him, kick his ass, and tie him up before ordering his troops back to their barracks. When informed of the attempted coup, Napoleon had only one question: why did nobody think of shouting "The emperor is dead, long live the emperor!" (i.e., his son Napoleon II)?

* This often happens with unscrupulous customers trying to get preferential treatment, or even free merchandise, by posing as the owner or a close friend or relative. As Website/NotAlwaysRight shows us, this can easily fail if the employee is on his/her toes or [[ConfrontingYourImposter just happens to be the person they're claiming to be]] (or a close relative). This trope is one reason why the owners of establishments especially prone to this (such as hotels, hostels and restaurants) often set rules such as that the employee should always call them in such instances or even that no friend/family of them will ''ever'' be given special treatment unless the employer themselves is with them.

* ''Magazine/PrivateEye'''s owner and longtime editor Peter Cook was a master of this trope. His finest hour was leading a raid on the ''Mirror'' offices at a time when its editor, Robert Maxwell had tried to force the magazine off the newsstands (and succeeded with WH Smith, a large British newsagents chain) and was now printing an unfunny smear-job called ''Not Private Eye''. First Cook, correctly guessing that the people working on ''Not Private Eye'' would rather not be doing it, arranged for a crate of whisky to be sent to the ''Mirror'' offices. Then he and some cohorts, including current editor Ian Hislop, convinced the doorman and security at the ''Mirror'' offices that they were there to see Robert Maxwell. They discovered the team who had been working on ''Not Private Eye'' so drunk they were all on the floor, and destroyed the master copy. They then vandalised Maxwell's office, ordered a champagne lunch to be delivered at Maxwell's expense, and, finally, very drunk, [[AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs made a reverse-charge call to Maxwell personally in New York and simply said "guess where we are"]].

* In Russia, if one is dressed in a military-looking greatcoat and a serviceman's ushanka, it is wholly possible to get out of being arrested by looking angrily at the police, demanding to know what ''they'' are doing, and they saying you're going to their commander with it. On rare and lucky occasions, you might even get given vodka to buy your silence. But if you're unlucky, you're in a big trouble. (The exploit is fixed by introducing the Military Police)
* April 10, 1940 was the day after [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII the German invasion of Norway]]. This particular day was nicknamed "panic day" in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. For decades, Norwegians believed rumors that British bombers were about to attack that morning, and people panicked, packed their belongings and rushed out of town. That would be something like most of the population in that city. Only recently it was revealed that the whole incident was one gigantic example, a diversion to get a known German anti-fascist, Ernst Wollweber, out of town. The Norwegian communist faction actually hired a truck, drove it through town and yelled "The British are about to bomb!" In the imminent confusion, everybody believed this, and panicked. The communists succeeded in getting Wollweber to Sweden, and also in stirring up some 200.000 Oslo inhabitants. One of the greatest fire drills in the twentieth century.

* A thief in walked into a Detroit area Target store dressed in the black collared shirt and khaki pants of a Target Mobile employee, strolled into the back room and checked out the cell phone locker, walked back to the front of the store (exchanging greetings with an employee as he exited the backroom) and retrieved a pair of bolt cutters and a jacket from a vehicle parked outside, took a cart (bolt cutters under the jacket) back to the cell phone locker, cut the latch that secured it shut, and absconded with thousands of dollars worth of Android and iOS smartphones. No one noticed anything was amiss, not even the employee who saw him mid-scheme, until long after he was gone.

* Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was the victim of an attempted assassination attempt in August 2020. The Russian government, of course, denied everything, but after he recovered from the poisoning, Alexei Navalny released an audio recording in which one of the men involved admits everything. How did he get it? Alexei called him on the telephone, said he was an aide to a senior Russian official, and asked the assassin why the operation failed. However, this recording must be taken with a pitch of salt, because it cannot be proven whether it was faked or not.

* In Russia, if one is dressed in a military-looking greatcoat and a serviceman's ushanka, it is wholly possible to get out of being arrested by looking angrily at the police, demanding to know what ''they'' are doing, and they saying you're going to their commander with it. On rare and lucky occasions, you might even get given vodka to buy your silence. But if you're unlucky, you're in a big trouble.

* Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was the victim of an attempted assassination attempt in August 2020. The Russian government, of course, denied everything, but after he recovered from the poisoning, Alexei Navalny released an audio recording in which one of the men involved admits everything. How did he get it? Alexei called him on the telephone, said he was an aide to a senior Russian official, and asked the assassin why the operation failed.