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Let's Say You Wanted to DISAPPEAR...

Hawkeye10

Buttermilk Man
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This has been running through my brain for years but I can never arrive at an answer that I am confident in. It is here again because I was just reading about a 50 YO teacher and a 15 YO student who have managed to be gone for 2 weeks. Let's say we can assume that there are a lot of people looking for us and that our photos have been published far and wide, where do we have the best chance of avoiding detection? Why? Since we need to assume resources lets also say we have a month to plan and can lay our hands on $50,000 cash to finance the venture.

My current best idea is that you change your name and looks, getting forged documents, then go to Detroit and rent a dump on a month to month cash basis. Bonus points if you can pull off looking and sounding like a new to America immigrant. Lay low for about 5 years living as cheaply as possible, then relocate to somewhere with more income opportunities after folks have mostly given up trying to find you. I want to be somewhere where the society has broken down and most people dont give a damn about others, with lots of new people running around, and where they are desperate enough for money that they will take mine with few questions. Plus a place that is very cheap because I assume that I cant have a non black market job or use banks.

Ideas?
 
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I just heard about them today and don't plan on keeping an eye out for them.

I'm I bad?
 
I just heard about them today and don't plan on keeping an eye out for them.

I'm I bad?

I wonder if they are passing for Muslim someplace, so that she can keep her face covered. I think that might work in Detroit.

And yes I believe most people would tell you.
 
I wonder if they are passing for Muslim someplace, so that she can keep her face covered. I think that might work in Detroit.

And yes I believe most people would tell you.

I heard she's one of ten children and her mother was recently arrested for child abuse. Supposedly shopping her daughters around to older men. If true, she might be in a better place.
 
I heard she's one of ten children and her mother was recently arrested for child abuse. Supposedly shopping her daughters around to older men. If true, she might be in a better place.

IDK about all that, but what I am interested in here is how would one vanish? I am particularly interested in the question of is it best to try to melt into a crowd, or is it better to try to get as far away from people as one can. I currently am thinking the city is better, but it has to be the right city, probably a rust belt city.
 
This has been running through my brain for years but I can never arrive at an answer that I am confident in. It is here again because I was just reading about a 50 YO teacher and a 15 YO student who have managed to be gone for 2 weeks. Let's say we can assume that there are a lot of people looking for us and that our photos have been published far and wide, where do we have the best chance of avoiding detection? Why? Since we need to assume resources lets also say we have a month to plan and can lay our hands on $50,000 cash to finance the venture.

My current best idea is that you change your name and looks, getting forged documents, then go to Detroit and rent a dump on a month to month cash basis. Bonus points if you can pull off looking and sounding like a new to America immigrant. Lay low for about 5 years living as cheaply as possible, then relocate to somewhere with more income opportunities after folks have mostly given up trying to find you. I want to be somewhere where the society has broken down and most people dont give a damn about others, with lots of new people running around, and where they are desperate enough for money that they will take mine with few questions. Plus a place that is very cheap because I assume that I cant have a non black market job or use banks.

Ideas?

The problem with laying low for 5 years is by then the girl would be 20 years old and too old for you. ;)
 
The problem with laying low for 5 years is by then the girl would be 20 years old and too old for you. ;)

Damn, I was so hoping you had some insights here...

America is breaking down, there has to be some good cracks to crawl into, me being the curious sort plus a socialist I am pretty interested in where they might be located.
 
This has been running through my brain for years but I can never arrive at an answer that I am confident in. It is here again because I was just reading about a 50 YO teacher and a 15 YO student who have managed to be gone for 2 weeks. Let's say we can assume that there are a lot of people looking for us and that our photos have been published far and wide, where do we have the best chance of avoiding detection? Why? Since we need to assume resources lets also say we have a month to plan and can lay our hands on $50,000 cash to finance the venture.

My current best idea is that you change your name and looks, getting forged documents, then go to Detroit and rent a dump on a month to month cash basis. Bonus points if you can pull off looking and sounding like a new to America immigrant. Lay low for about 5 years living as cheaply as possible, then relocate to somewhere with more income opportunities after folks have mostly given up trying to find you. I want to be somewhere where the society has broken down and most people dont give a damn about others, with lots of new people running around, and where they are desperate enough for money that they will take mine with few questions. Plus a place that is very cheap because I assume that I cant have a non black market job or use banks.

Ideas?

You white?

Detroit would be a bad choice. 50 year old white dude with 15 year old chick would stick out like a sore thumb.

I'm guessing he yanked her up into the hills somewhere. Someone will find them soon. No one just disappears anymore. Besides, from what I read the old guy is a diabetic. He'll need new meds sooner or later.

This case has too much news coverage. It's not like a trucker snatching a hitchhiker no one cares about and holding her in his sleeper. This girl had family. Everyone is looking for her.
 
You white?

Detroit would be a bad choice. 50 year old white dude with 15 year old chick would stick out like a sore thumb.

I'm guessing he yanked her up into the hills somewhere. Someone will find them soon. No one just disappears anymore. Besides, from what I read the old guy is a diabetic. He'll need new meds sooner or later.

This case has too much news coverage. It's not like a trucker snatching a hitchhiker no one cares about and holding her in his sleeper. This girl had family. Everyone is looking for her.

That seems to be what people do but I am not sure that is the best choice. I wonder if people assume that hiding in the woods is going to work the best, but maybe it does not.
 
This has been running through my brain for years but I can never arrive at an answer that I am confident in. It is here again because I was just reading about a 50 YO teacher and a 15 YO student who have managed to be gone for 2 weeks. Let's say we can assume that there are a lot of people looking for us and that our photos have been published far and wide, where do we have the best chance of avoiding detection? Why? Since we need to assume resources lets also say we have a month to plan and can lay our hands on $50,000 cash to finance the venture.

My current best idea is that you change your name and looks, getting forged documents, then go to Detroit and rent a dump on a month to month cash basis. Bonus points if you can pull off looking and sounding like a new to America immigrant. Lay low for about 5 years living as cheaply as possible, then relocate to somewhere with more income opportunities after folks have mostly given up trying to find you. I want to be somewhere where the society has broken down and most people dont give a damn about others, with lots of new people running around, and where they are desperate enough for money that they will take mine with few questions. Plus a place that is very cheap because I assume that I cant have a non black market job or use banks.

Ideas?

I'll miss you, Hawk!
 
IDK about all that, but what I am interested in here is how would one vanish? I am particularly interested in the question of is it best to try to melt into a crowd, or is it better to try to get as far away from people as one can. I currently am thinking the city is better, but it has to be the right city, probably a rust belt city.

FBI thinks maybe they're in Mexico posing as missionaries.
 
You white?

Detroit would be a bad choice. 50 year old white dude with 15 year old chick would stick out like a sore thumb.

I'm guessing he yanked her up into the hills somewhere. Someone will find them soon. No one just disappears anymore. Besides, from what I read the old guy is a diabetic. He'll need new meds sooner or later.

This case has too much news coverage. It's not like a trucker snatching a hitchhiker no one cares about and holding her in his sleeper. This girl had family. Everyone is looking for her.

Her family....

https://www.facebook.com/WCNOW/phot...9678252858981/786559388170863/?type=3&theater

Doesn't look good for her Mom.
 
This has been running through my brain for years but I can never arrive at an answer that I am confident in. It is here again because I was just reading about a 50 YO teacher and a 15 YO student who have managed to be gone for 2 weeks. Let's say we can assume that there are a lot of people looking for us and that our photos have been published far and wide, where do we have the best chance of avoiding detection? Why? Since we need to assume resources lets also say we have a month to plan and can lay our hands on $50,000 cash to finance the venture.

My current best idea is that you change your name and looks, getting forged documents, then go to Detroit and rent a dump on a month to month cash basis. Bonus points if you can pull off looking and sounding like a new to America immigrant. Lay low for about 5 years living as cheaply as possible, then relocate to somewhere with more income opportunities after folks have mostly given up trying to find you. I want to be somewhere where the society has broken down and most people dont give a damn about others, with lots of new people running around, and where they are desperate enough for money that they will take mine with few questions. Plus a place that is very cheap because I assume that I cant have a non black market job or use banks.

Ideas?

Buy a sailboat.

Nobody gives a damn who you are at a marina as long as you pay your slip fees. I have a friend some wheres in the Caribbean right now on a 40' sailboat getting by very nicely on occasional day jobs and a military pension. He barely spends a 3rd of his E-6 Navy pension each month. He traded his manual labor last year in St. Martin for new rigging and mainsail, and he emailed me pictures shortly after. Two years ago he put his boat on "the hard" for 3 months in exchange for labor while repairing blisters on the bottom, rebuilding his rudder system, and overhauling the diesel.

There are many thousands of sailing tramps out there living off the grid.
 
That seems to be what people do but I am not sure that is the best choice. I wonder if people assume that hiding in the woods is going to work the best, but maybe it does not.

I read where one guy who snatched a teenager tried that a few years ago but he was found within a week or two. I think that was the case where he killed the mom and snatched the daughter, something about him being the husband's best friend. Weird story.

Anyway, I just read that cops suspect the teacher and girl are in Mexico. But, it's just specualtiono.

Missing teen, ex-teacher may be in Mexico: Officials - ABC News
 
Buy a sailboat.

Nobody gives a damn who you are at a marina as long as you pay your slip fees. I have a friend some wheres in the Caribbean right now on a 40' sailboat getting by very nicely on occasional day jobs and a military pension. He barely spends a 3rd of his E-6 Navy pension each month. He traded his manual labor last year in St. Martin for new rigging and mainsail, and he emailed me pictures shortly after. Two years ago he put his boat on "the hard" for 3 months in exchange for labor while repairing blisters on the bottom, rebuilding his rudder system, and overhauling the diesel.

There are many thousands of sailing tramps out there living off the grid.

Seems like there are three problems with that...buying the boat undetected (because once the authorities figure out that you(F) are on the water I think they find you eventually), we only have $50,000 and boats tend to cost, and somebody eventually is going to demand to see a Passport.
 
Seems like there are three problems with that...buying the boat undetected (because once the authorities figure out that you(F) are on the water I think they find you eventually), we only have $50,000 and boats tend to cost, and somebody eventually is going to demand to see a Passport.

You can get IDs and such at the flea market.
 
I would go to a sanctuary city. Breaking our laws is acceptable behavior there. If I was a criminal on the run I couldn't think of a better place. Every one is a lawless person so it would be very unlikely they would turn you in. Learn Spanish and you could blend right in. No one would be suspicious if you used an alias and or had no ID.
 
For starters, you don't post "Let's say you wanted to DISAPPEAR" on an Internet forum.
 
For starters, you don't post "Let's say you wanted to DISAPPEAR" on an Internet forum.

Why? We have entire very popular TV shows about this sort of thing, not to mention knowing where our vulnerabilities are as a collective is critical.
 
Seems like there are three problems with that...buying the boat undetected (because once the authorities figure out that you(F) are on the water I think they find you eventually), we only have $50,000 and boats tend to cost, and somebody eventually is going to demand to see a Passport.

You can pick up a "fixer upper" for a couple of grand, and as far as titles go, I can't imagine it would be impossible to buy one without a title or title it under a fictitious name, people do it with cars all the time

So many boats get abandoned on shorelines and marinas because they're hard to sell, you could probably show up at a marina, look for a boat with a notice to pay marina fees parked there, pay the back fees and sail off, no ones coming looking for it. Just make sure you're willing to put in a lot of labor for such a craft
 
You can get IDs and such at the flea market.


Your flew market sells phony US passports good enough to pass customs control?

What flea markets you hanging out at?
 
Why? We have entire very popular TV shows about this sort of thing, not to mention knowing where our vulnerabilities are as a collective is critical.

Because if you want to disappear, letting other people know that you are doing so is probably not the best way to stay disappeared
 
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