History Main / HassleFreeHotwire

* {{Averted}} in the second ''TheMatrix''. [[ActionGirl Trinity]] has to ask their (literal) VoiceWithAnInternetConnection to make her able to do so via a (again, literal) PowersAsPrograms system. Of course [[spoiler:this proves unnecessary, as she's escorting a rogue computer program who literally [[PlotTailoredToTheParty has the ability to open any lock]]]].

* Averted in most of the ''GrandTheftAuto'' games because the protagonist never actually hotwires anything. Except for the fourth installment, where the trope is played straight, as the player can see the protagonist duck under the dashboard to start the engine.

* In ''{{WALL-E}}'', Captain [=McCrea=], someone who's never done anything in their entire life, including standing, is able to hotwire the ship's public address system in a second with no thinking. One can argue that, since he's the captain, he should know a thing or two about the ship, but, then again, he needs help turning the pages of a book, so... yeah.

[[AC: Literature]]

[[AC: LiveActionTelevision]]

[[AC: Tabletop Games]]

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* Chev Chelio hotwires a car in ''Film/{{Crank}} 2'' with the usual movie method of ripping out wires in the car and connecting them. The fact he knows how to hotwire a car can possibly be justified, since he ''is'' a hitman, but not entirely since what hitman ''really'' needs to know how to do that?

* [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in [[Film/DieHard Die Hard: With A Vengeange]].

* [[AvertedTrope Averted]] again in Die Hard 4.0 with VoiceWithAnInternetConnection

* Used in ''{{Battle Los Angeles}}''. Played with in that it takes several minutes to perform and the character is shown having difficulty with it.

* [[TheBourneSeries Bourne]] hotwires a car really really fast in the trilogy. He's hurt, people are chasing him, and he still does it in less than ten seconds.

* Bizarre DoubleSubversion in ''{{A Sound of Thunder}}'': the protagonists encounter an SUV-like vehicle (this is the future, mind you). One of the scientists mentions it has a special lock, and starts listing all the equipment they will need to break it. However, before she can finish, the team's ''doctor'' breaks the window with his gun and hotwires it in a flash. When everyone stares at him dumbfounded, he just says "How do you think I put myself through medical school, hmm?" So... yeah.

--> '''Zeus:''' It takes too fuckin' long.

* Nearly every episode of ''TwentyFour''

* Averted in most of the ''GrandTheftAuto'' games because the protagonist never actually hotwires anything. Except for the fourth installment, where the trope is played straight, as the player can see the protagonist duck under the dashboard to start the engine.
** The DS Chinatown Wars game requires work on the touch screen to hotwire a car. Still, the trope is played straight.

<<|ActionAdventureTropes|>>

* In the 2003 movie ''TheTexasChainsawMassacre'', [[FinalGirl Erin]] hotwires the van.

* Used in ''{{Battle: Los Angeles}}''. Played with in that it takes several minutes to perform and the character is shown having difficulty with it.

* [[TheAdventuresOfFoxTayle Fox Tayle]] attempts this once or twice when the FBI is chasing him.

->''"Red?s the juice. White?s the ground. Strike ?em together and we blow this town..."''

* {{Averted}} in the second ''TheMatrix''. [[ActionGirl Trinity]] has to ask their (literal) VoiceWithAnInternetConnection to make her able to do so via a (again, literal) PowersAsPrograms system. Of course [[spoiler:this proves unnecessary, as she's escorting a rogue computer program who literally [[EigenPlot has the ability to open any lock]]]].

* Three words: ''GrandTheftAuto''.
** Although, in fourth, and more realistic, installment, it takes a bit longer to hotwire a parked car. Still fast enough to qualify for this trope, but it does take a few seconds compared to the other games where it's instantaneous.
*** It could be assumed that Liberty City residents simply leave their keys in their cars, seeing as they already leave the doors open.

* Bourne hotwires a car really really fast in the trilogy. He's hurt, people are chasing him, and he still does it in less than ten seconds.

* Used in "{{Battle: Los Angeles}}". Played with in that it takes several minutes to perform and the character is shown having difficulty with it.

* Chev Chelio hotwires a car in ''{{Crank}} 2'' with the usual movie method of ripping out wires in the car and connecting them. The fact he knows how to hotwire a car can possibly be justified, since he ''is'' a hitman, but not entirely since what hitman ''really'' needs to know how to do that?

** Although, in fourth, and more realistic, installment, it takes a bit longer to hotwire a parked car. Still fast enough to qualify for this trope, but it does take a few seconds compared to the other games where it's instaneous.
*** I just thought Liberty City residents simply left their keys in their cars seeing as they already leave the doors open and all.

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http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/800px-CarWires.jpg
[[caption-width:800:This was supposed to be easy!!!]]

--> '''Stewie:''' Quick! Hotwire the car!
--> '''Brian:'''"Hotwire"? I don't even pump my own gas!
-->- ''FamilyGuy''

--> '''Sucre:''' Red?s the juice. White?s the ground. Strike ?em together and we blow this town...
-->- ''PrisonBreak'' episode ''Flight''.

** IIRC, he did go on a massive archive binge earlier, looking up all sorts of things out of sheer childlike curiosity. It's easy to believe some technical information took root, especially since being massively ignorant does not necessitate him being stupid.

* A bit averted in ''National Security'' when Martin Lawrence has to hotwire a car carried inside a semi trailer with a bit of struggle having to know the design and the model year.

* [[AvertedTrope Averted]]again in Die Hard 4.0 with VoiceWithAnInternetConnection