People Who Went On The Run From The Law Are Sharing What It Was Like, And It's Nothing Like The Movies

There have been a lot of movies about people on the run from the authorities, and generally they make it seem pretty exciting. But is it really like that in real life?

Well, over on Quora , former fugitives are shedding light on it all by answering the question, " What is it like on the run from the law? " Here's what they had to say, and as you might imagine, it's not exactly like it is in the movies:

1. "I went on the run for a few weeks back in the '90s. I was in a stolen car, constantly moving from one state to another with no real destination. Short on money for food and gas. I could not get a room for the night anywhere that didn’t require a credit card and a valid identification. All of my belongings that I needed access to were in that car. I had to wash up at rest stops, filthy public restrooms, or lakes. I slept outside in the elements. The only entertainment I had was the car radio. You cannot do that forever, and they don’t eventually stop looking for you. You cannot get a job without popping up on the radar."

"After only the first week, the car started breaking down from all the constant driving. The water reservoir was the first thing to go, causing the engine to overheat. Patching it wasn’t working, so I had to stop to cool down the radiator regularly. Eventually, I had to abandon the car with all my property inside. All I had were the clothes on my back at that point and what was in my pockets. I did have a gun and several rounds of ammunition, but every time I resorted to that for a temporary solution, it immediately put me on the radar and forced me to vacate the area before the police closed in on me. I did, however, use it to obtain another car. I was cold, tired, hungry, and in desperate need of a shower by the time the police finally caught up with me.

As much as I wanted to evade capture, jail was sort of a blessing by that point. A shower, a fresh change of clean clothes, a meal, sleeping inside a climate-controlled environment on a mattress with a blanket — jail was a paradise compared to being on the run."

— Stephen M. , Quora

2. "It's exhausting, nerve-racking, and dangerous. You have to look over your shoulder for the police every minute of the day, and if you are caught, you could be considered dangerous or armed, which can get you hurt or worse. Quite frankly, I felt relief when I was apprehended and happy to get it taken care of."

3. "I was on the run from the police over the span of 13 months. I was running from an initial crime in New Hampshire for grand theft auto, made it to Vermont, where I ditched the car for a friend's car and committed grand theft charge and check fraud (using a fraudulent check exceeding $950). I then eluded the police and ended up in New York; I committed a robbery and assault and was on the run. Everything went fine until I fled to Maryland, where I attempted a home invasion. I was caught shortly after and charged with kidnapping, armed robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon."

"Eventually, the kidnapping charge was dropped. It is a rush when you're on the run but also scary. You always feel like you are being watched. I admitted to all the crimes upon arrest and was sentenced to 25–30 years in prison. Being on the run was the most thrilling and stupid part of my life. My goal was to get to Mexico or steal a boat in Florida, but I never got there."

— Frances A. , Quora

4. "I've done this once or a lot. There are many variables. When you are on the run, the third-worst place to be is in a car. The second-worst place to be is driving a car. And the worst place you can be is driving a car in the city. Anything that will put you in close proximity to the cops is bad (duh). The last time I was on the run, I was in a stolen ride in various cities regularly. If I wasn't robbing a bank, I was looking for one to rob. I put it all together. I would swoop up my partner the morning of. And we always got away...until said partner shot me with a sawed-off in a stolen truck in the parking lot of the bank we just hit. I really thought I had a plan for any eventuality. I never made a contingency plan for being shot by my dude."

— James J. , Quora

5. "The time spent before getting caught is pretty much all paranoia but pushed to the back of your mind so that whatever you are doing just becomes life. You live your day-to-day life, but knowing someone will betray you eventually, probably the one who professes loyalty constantly. (They always bear watching closely.) So, to answer your question of what it felt like, it didn't feel like much to me. I just spent my days until they ended exactly how I knew they would — from a betrayal."

— Rene L. , Quora

6. "As a child, I was incarcerated for five and a half years between the ages of 10 and 17. Finding incarceration disagreeable, to say the least, I spent every waking moment, even my dreams, planning my next escape."

"My times as a fugitive were sometimes exciting, most often frightening and danger-filled. My mission was to survive. I was a 10, 11, 12, and 13-year-old kid alone on the streets. The only protection available is your own wits. Mom is not there to read bedtime stories, nourish, or nurture you. You are absolutely alone. Whatever you need, you are the sole provider of. No one comforts or protects you; you are lonely and absolutely alone. I managed to survive by becoming resourceful and extremely selfish. I certainly regret a lot of things I did to survive. But I managed to survive. Every minute of not being incarcerated was worth all the hardships endured. This included spending my 13th winter in a cold cave. I basically raised myself and developed my own sense of values. Nobody was around to guide or steer me in the right direction. Survive another day, live through another night, I will survive. Unfortunately, someone might not. That was my only way to survive. Survive, I did. Scarred and beaten up, shot, stabbed.Today, I suffer from PTSD. I have an honorable trade, a damn fine woman who loves me, and a wonderfully supportive family. I regret the great harm I caused others in my struggle to survive. Every day is still difficult, but life is difficult for all. I can only thank my survival to people who never lost faith in me because they saw good in me. God bless you. I wouldn't wish anyone a fugitive life. Still beats incarceration."

— Anonymous , Quora

7. "It's very sad. It's never luxurious like the TV shows present. When someone is on the run, they usually have to hide out in dingy places. It's very, very lonely. You can barely talk to anyone or trust anyone. If you have family or friends, you can't see them because you can guarantee that the police are there. Say goodbye to Wi-Fi. Honestly, most of the time, it's better in jail."

8. "Its more of a mind game you play on yourself than anything else. Unless you are on the top 10 most wanted list, the cops are not losing sleep because you got a warrant. You can actually run for a long time if you want to. It just gets old, always thinking that at any moment, you could be in jail for being a dumb ass. I ran for almost two years and could have just not run and been done in five months. So here I sit, finishing up that five months on house arrest, and honestly, the running cost me a lot more than it would have if I had just done my time back then. If you plan on running, make sure you weigh it out and ask yourself if it's worth the end results. There isn't any other outcome; you'll end up in jail."

9. "It's hard, bruh. You can't get a decent 9–5 job because the man can come in and arrest you. You better not go home to your family or friends because they are being watched. You have to run all the time and start over somewhere far away. I prefer Mexico, but then they can always get the federales to arrest you here and take you to the border and hand you over like a sack of potatoes. You are always afraid of being caught by somebody or snitched out by an MF wanting to get the reward. That's the worst part — that you probably won't be able to find out who did it so you can beat their ass. Stitches for snitches!"

— Tao L ., Quora

10. "It's torture. Mental torture. Especially if it's your first offense and you've never been to prison or something like that. You're scared of prison, but you're also extremely afraid to be on the run. Living on the run sucks so hard; you lose everything, friends, family, and normal life is gone. It only appears to be fun in movies; it's not in real life. Who wouldn't want to be a Jason Bourne-style guy? But in reality, fugitives live pretty pathetic lives knowing that one day they will end up arrested."

And lastly this person — who claims to know from experience — explains just how hard it is for a fugitive to start a new life and remain free for any extended amount of time:

11. "My answer comes from experience not assumption. First, it IS NOT EASIER now to make fake IDs with Photoshop. It is easier to FIND them but not to make them. Good luck making an ID that will get you through customs in Grenada. A hundred-dollar bill will get you through, but a fake ID and passport will get you put in prison, and you don't want that."

"There are no longer kids making fake IDs. By looks alone, yeah, you can fake it. I can get you all the templates easily. But unless you have the compliance keys and access to the appropriate databases, they won't get you a bottle of gin at the liquor store. The hologram system is easy to fake. The ID is easy to make. The chip inside and the required federal compliance to the new system are what is hard. The state database that used to exist has almost disappeared. It has been merged into a massive federal encrypted database. No more using dead men's identification. All IDs in the US have to be under compliance now, as January 2023 is the last of the old IDs' expiration date.

So, that being said, you can still get them. Of course, even the federal government is corrupt. And it is staffed by people who, as you know, are always corrupt. The ID market has skyrocketed in price. You are looking at 8 to 10 grand for a great set of papers — birth certificate, ID, passport. This will be legit. This will be you. To have the federal logistics crime tracking and databases of your fingerprints wiped is a different story. The US Department of Homeland Security no longer uses the old system. The Feds and Interpol use a worldwide database. I can't remember its name offhand, but it was billed as unbeatable.

You need a system of identification, and the fact that you need so many documents makes it hard. As I said, the current market is about 10 grand. You will also need utility service bills. These you can fake, but you want the right ones.

Where do you get them? I can't go into that on here."

— Ken K. , Quora

Entries have been edited for length and/or clarity.