Questions for people who watch Bond movies...

[Beorning]

I'm considering running an espionage RP for a colleague, modelled somewhat after Bond movies and similar stuff. I've been thinking about possible stories and I've run into a conundrum.

James Bond relies on equipment: cars, gadgets and... guns. At the same time, he travels a lot. So, the question is: how does he travel, if he's always packing a firearm? I mean, you can't really bring guns to a plane. Also, guns would get the customs officers interested... So, how does it work in these movies? Does Bond smuggle his guns through the borders?

Also, another question: the iconic "Bond, James Bond" phrase. It's cool, but the phrase means that Bond operates as himself, even when on a mission. So, how come that nobody seems to recognize him? You'd think that others spies would have heard of a James Bond that works for the UK intelligence...

[Nico]

Uh.. all I can tell you is that it's movies. Things that happen and work in movies often do not work in real life. Just keep in mind that it's all fiction and thus, there is a whole world of liberty with certain things, like the travelling with weapons you mentioned.

Actually - James Bond is recognized a lot if you watch the movies. Most villains have at least heard of him and several enemy spies as well. And - just because it is not explicitely stated that they know him, doesn't mean that they don't know him. Again, it's fiction.

[Beguile's Mistress]

I'm considering running an espionage RP for a colleague, modelled somewhat after Bond movies and similar stuff. I've been thinking about possible stories and I've run into a conundrum.

James Bond relies on equipment: cars, gadgets and... guns. At the same time, he travels a lot. So, the question is: how does he travel, if he's always packing a firearm? I mean, you can't really bring guns to a plane. Also, guns would get the customs officers interested... So, how does it work in these movies? Does Bond smuggle his guns through the borders?

Since he travels under the auspice of MI6 he'd have clearance to carry a weapon on board if he flew commercial.  More than likely, however, he would travel on military transport where his clearance is part of the package.

Also, another question: the iconic "Bond, James Bond" phrase. It's cool, but the phrase means that Bond operates as himself, even when on a mission. So, how come that nobody seems to recognize him? You'd think that others spies would have heard of a James Bond that works for the UK intelligence...

It is a logical question, but not everyone he meets would be in the loop so an introduction would be necessary.  Should he connect with someone who would have a dossier that included photographs he'd still do the polite thing and introduce himself.  He wouldn't want to give away his assumptions.

[Beorning]

Uh.. all I can tell you is that it's movies. Things that happen and work in movies often do not work in real life. Just keep in mind that it's all fiction and thus, there is a whole world of liberty with certain things, like the travelling with weapons you mentioned.

Hmm... But how to work it into an RP?

Actually - James Bond is recognized a lot if you watch the movies. Most villains have at least heard of him and several enemy spies as well. And - just because it is not explicitely stated that they know him, doesn't mean that they don't know him. Again, it's fiction.

If so, how does he do his job? How can he be a spy, if everyone knows he's a spy? How does it work in the movies? I haven't seen that many of them, so I don't know...

Since he travels under the auspice of MI6 he'd have clearance to carry a weapon on board if he flew commercial.  More than likely, however, he would travel on military transport where his clearance is part of the package.

Do you happen to know if it's allowed to travel with firearms inside your luggage? Meaning, not on your person, but safely in the luggage storage?

It is a logical question, but not everyone he meets would be in the loop so an introduction would be necessary.  Should he connect with someone who would have a dossier that included photographs he'd still do the polite thing and introduce himself.  He wouldn't want to give away his assumptions.

Ha! My point is, a spy would *not* want to be recognized...

[Gadifriald]

Also, another question: the iconic "Bond, James Bond" phrase. It's cool, but the phrase means that Bond operates as himself, even when on a mission. So, how come that nobody seems to recognize him? You'd think that others spies would have heard of a James Bond that works for the UK intelligence...

Bond always running around calling himself James Bond openly while on missions is something from the movies and in the original Fleming books Bond had a primary alias/cover identity as an employee of the cover company Universal Exports that he did most of his missions under. Can't remember that alias off the top of my head, but he also used other aliases/cover identities as well!

[Nico]

Hmm... But how to work it into an RP?

If so, how does he do his job? How can he be a spy, if everyone knows he's a spy? How does it work in the movies? I haven't seen that many of them, so I don't know...

I can't tell you how you can work it into an RP because I'm not the one running it. But I guess.. the sky is the limit? Maybe you are overthinking it a bit? I mean, I don't think that everything has to be 100% accurate in a RP. Believable, yes, but you also can work a lot with "Suspension of disbelief". All that matters is that you and whoever you want to run a story for have fun with it.

To be honest, I never really thought about that much because it's just movies for me. Fun. Entertainment. Not more and not less. And I guess.. it works in the movies because the people who write such things make it work.

[Dys Astyr]

Well, back when the bond movie franchise started you could take a lot more stuff onto planes and across borders than you can nowadays. Also a lot of the classic gadgets were disguised as pens, umbrellas and such (and since they didn't have to get x-rayed...). Occasionally Q meets Bond on location and gives him the weapons there. (How Q gets them there... Well, that's probably a trade secret.)

But I would say that a Bond style story would need to be treated more like a superhero story than a realistic espionage story. Especially if it's movie Bond.

[RedRose]

That's an interesting question.

I remember the pre-WTC times when it was soooo easy to bring many items on a plane (granted never saw a gun there) except maybe on some companies/to some countries.

I suppose he has some kind of authorization. Or he knows how to hide it. Indeed hidden devices are a real thing. Bear in mind security was so much laxer too.

[greenknight]

Do you happen to know if it's allowed to travel with firearms inside your luggage? Meaning, not on your person, but safely in the luggage storage?

On commercial carriers on US domestic flights, it's extremely easy. Declare the gun, declare or demonstrate it's unloaded (carriers vary on certify vs demonstrate), and have it in a locked hardcase (generally a pistol case in other luggage or a rifle case by itself.) It also ensures the airline doesn't lose your checked baggage; the last thing they want is FBI/BATFE in their business because of a lost gun.

Commercial carrier security didn't really pick up until the advent of the hijacking as a terrorist tactic. And like RedRose said, I routinely carry a pocketknife or multitool and, before 9/11, I never had any problems with tossing it in the change tray and going through security with it. Penkives, scissors, knitting needles, box cutters...

Smuggling whatever through customs? Yeah, Bond does that. And routinely gets away with it. That's why he's a good spy.

[Oniya]

Many times, Bond arrives on site via private transport.  There's no TSA when you're flying Little Nellie.

[Hunter]

Assuming that they simply don't have a stockpile on site, I'd say easiest way is going to be via diplomatic pouch.    But then again, his cover usually was "import/export"....which could be translated into smuggler.

[SapphireStar]

Usually in the Bond movies, Bond has a cover. Usually as a businessman, banker (Tomorrow Never Dies), etc. There were times his equipment was provided on site when he arrives by a fellow agent (Paula Knight, etc), or by an ally like Felix Leiter. If he needed more there were times Q would travel with the extra equipment like in You Only Live Twice. He did travel by train in Casino Royale when he was to meet with Vesper Lynd. He was also referred to as Commander Bond on occasion and traveled by British Naval ship at least twice in You Only Live Twice when they faked his death, and Tomorrow Never Dies when he went to steal a weapon from an arms deal. The ship was his support.

[Mathim]

Often what I've seen is he'll be given lifts escorted by people he works with who know full well he's an agent and even supply him with weapons if he doesn't have them (like when they gave him a plane ride to go skydiving to a sunken submarine in Tomorrow Never Dies). Or in Casino Royale, he boarded a train and if the ones in Europe are anything like the Amtrak ones here in the States, they don't check for that kind of thing. So it's not the kind of thing that would present a problem that often.

[clonkertink]

Typically, Bond isn't packing on the plane. Q usually has a safehouse on-site in the country where Bond's mission takes place. He doesn't carry the same firearm everywhere with him. He picks it up inside the country he visits. Similarly, MI6 could set up an equipment stash for bond, like taping a gun under his bed or the like.