History Main / SurveillanceStationSlacker

* This started off the plot of one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow''. Daffy, working as a security guard, fell asleep on the job the one night a robber broke in. [[RealityEnsues This got him fired]], and the rest of the episode is about how his lack of work leads to him getting thrown out by Bugs.

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[[folder:Anime]]

[[folder:Fanfic]]

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' of Creator/AAPessimal, [[MurderInc Assassin]] Miss Alice Band is explaining to a pupil that the new {{Magitek}}-based security systems promise to make life interesting for an Assassin, especially when you are carrying metal weapons and Security around the client is based on the metal-that-loves-iron. However, as she points out, the weak point in such systems will invariably be the human attendant supervising them who is resonsible for raising the alarm. And such people are generally bored, inattentive, paid very little, and are therefore not drawn from the best human material available - "You get what you pay for. When you pay pennies, you get the labour you deserve."

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'', a CymbalBangingMonkey is checking the daycare security monitors at night, without ever going to sleep.

* Though averted earlier in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', once Syndrome leaves to carry out his EvilPlan his mooks are seen enjoying the havoc being inflicted by the giant robot on live television, instead of watching the security monitors showing that the Parr family have escaped their confinement.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/IndependenceDay''. The man on duty at the S.E.T.I. Institute is playing OfficeGolf. A red light starts blinking and he goes over and flips a switch, which causes a series of tones to come out a speaker. He excitedly calls his boss on the phone and asks him to listen to the tones, and when the boss hears them he sits up in bed, bumping his head, then hurries to the lab, where [[BrickJoke he trips over the golf balls]]. The signals turn out to be from an alien ship approaching the Earth.

* ''Film/WarGames''. Two U.S. Air Force officers are in a missile silo control room carrying out their standard routine - they're fairly bored and not expecting any problems. Suddenly there's an alert message from NORAD telling them to prepare to launch their missiles.
* ''Film/{{Sneakers}}''. A security guard who appears to be in his teens is sitting around in a bank late at night watching TV. All of a sudden the fire alarm goes off and he panics, scrambling around trying to find the instruction book and figure out who to call.
* In ''Film/{{Hackers}}'', The guard in charge of the Gibson computer at Ellingson Mineral is asleep on duty when someone breaks into the system. He only wakes up when the alarm goes off after the fact, and has to call [[BigBad The Plague]] to come help.

* In ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', Tony Stark calls out a SHIELD MissionControl op for playing ''VideoGame/{{Galaga}}'' while on duty. The guy goes right back to playing the game after Tony leaves.
* Played with in ''Film/TRONLegacy'': The security guard at the Encom building looks like your typical slacker, and when he notices a security camera glitching he taps the screen and it goes back to normal - when actually its being hacked by Sam Flynn. However, when Sam accidentally triggers a laser tripwire, the guard ''instantly'' responds, knowing exactly what to do, and goes so far as to call backup and police to the building.
* ''Film/{{The Art of War}}'' (2000). The security guard in the monitor room of UN Headquarters is actually asleep when he gets the call. To add insult to injury, TheDragon {{Neck Snap}}s him a few moments later. None of this is really his fault, as the villains worked in the building, so were already inside (they just want the freedom to kill a witness unobserved).
* There's one of these in ''Film/JurassicWorld'', and his behavior is especially egregious considering he is the supervisor of Paddock 11, the place where Jurassic World is keeping its genetically engineered nightmare beast, the ''Indominus rex''. He's seen eating a sandwich at his desk not paying even the slightest bit of attention to any of the dozens of computer screens around him. To his credit, when it appears as if [[spoiler:the ''I. rex'' has gotten free]], he does finally start paying attention, but continues eating his lunch ''despite'' being visibly concerned!
* The cheap 60s sci-fi horror movie ''Film/AttackOfTheTheEyeCreatures'' features a pair of Army guys who, while a flying saucer invasion is taking place, spend their time watching teenage couples in Lovers Lane on their monitor - yet somehow they're not the creepiest people in the movie.
* Averted in ''Film/TheKillerElite''. Although the guards are shown to be bored stiff guarding the duck farm that they're using as a safehouse, they're still on the ball, drawing their weapons when their relief arrives and demanding a password even though they already know them. One thing they're not prepared for however is the possibility that one of them has turned traitor.
* ''Film/TerminatorGenisys''. The security guard at the hospital is too busy playing with his smartphone to watch the CCTV screens, or turn to face Pops who's just walked in the door behind him. Pops bangs his head on the console.
* ''Film/{{Screamers}}''. The sentries in the Alliance bunker are playing cards and only just happen to notice the lone enemy soldier approaching on their monitors. We soon find out why they're slacking off -- there's been no enemy sighted for months as the base is defended by the titular {{Killer Robot}}s, who soon make short work of the approaching soldier.
* ''Film/ToLiveAndDieInLA''. The two detectives Chance and Vukovich fall asleep while on stakeout. They wake up to see police cars outside the place they're watching, because the BigBad has just walked in (''knowing'' the place is under surveillance) and [[RefugeInAudacity murdered someone]].

* ''Film/Alien40thAnniversaryShorts''. In "Ore", the human worker in the monitoring room is asleep while the [[ArtificialHuman synthetic]] is doing all the work. When he leaves the room for a toilet break, the synthetic simply locks the door to prevent him interfering in subsequent events.

* ''Film/ACureForWellness''. A male nurse is supposed to be monitoring the protagonist Lockhart while he's in a sensory deprivation tank. A female nurse enters and exposes herself to him, so he's too busy engaging in ADateWithRosiePalms [[DistractedByTheSexy to notice]] that Lockhart is on the point of drowning.

* In ''Film/{{Cruella}}'', Jasper and Horace have to break into the Baroness' workshop and get spotted by the guard before escaping as part of TheCaper. However, when they drop in from the skylight, the find the guard is fast asleep. Horace then topples a row of mannequins, which fails to wake the guard. He then walks up to the guard and [[FilchingFoodForFun takes his packet of Wotsits]]. The guard keeps snoring. He doesn't wake until Jasper yanks out one of his nose hairs, at which point Jasper and Horace scarper.

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]

* In the ''Literature/AToZMysteries'' book ''The Jaguar's Jewel'', Dink's uncle forgets that his office has a security system even when a thief steals the titular jewel from his office. Leaving it up to our three heroes to find the video and decipher the clues.
* In ''[[Literature/ArkadyRenko Wolves Eat Dogs]]'' by Martin Cruz Smith, the murderer notes that no-one is even manning the OminousMultipleScreens at the security company he works for. When he sees a Russian oligarch whom he has a grudge against on one of the screens, he uses the system to plan his revenge.

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]
* In ''Series/{{Lost}}'', Michael uses the Hatch computer to communicate with Walt, despite DHARMA's warning not to use the computer for any purpose other than entering the Numbers.
* "Homer," a one-shot character on ''Series/TheXFiles'', who was a shout-out to ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', down to working a boring job in Sector 7G of a nuclear power plant.
* This was essentially Martin's job, as a graveyard-shift security guard in an office building in ''Series/{{Frasier}}''.
* ''Series/TheDayToday'' spoof about the swimming pool features [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob1rYlCpOnM a night watchman who spends his time doing puzzles and trying on abandoned swimming costumes]], leading him to miss 40 people breaking into the pool and eventually one of them drowning. He defends himself saying, "I have been working here for 18 years. In 1975, no one died. In 1976, no one died. In 1977, no one died. In 1978, no one died. In 1979, no one died. In 1980, ''someone'' died."

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}''. Averted in "Blind Spot". While breaking into the city archive, Team Arrow get a nasty shock when it turns out the rent-a-cops working there [[DuelingHackers have computer skills to equal]] those of [[VoiceWithAnInternetConnection Felicity Smoak]]. They counteract her virus and get the cameras working again, see the Arrow and call in the SCPD Anti-Vigilante Taskforce. Our heroes barely make it out alive.
* ''Series/CrashLandingOnYou'': In the first episode, North Korean soldier Eun-bok is up in a guard tower, supposedly watching the DMZ—but he is actually watching a bootleg KoreanDrama from the south. Se-ri runs right past him. This incident, and the knowledge that Eun-bok could go to prison for a long time for watching South Korean TV, gives Se-ri some leverage over the squad when they finally catch her.

[[folder:TabletopGames]]
* InvokedTrope in ''TabletopGame/D20Modern'' Urban Arcana by the Tecno Mage: The techno mage can cast spells through electrical wiring. Cast a Sleep Spell on that security camera to affect the security guard at the security station, and the guard watching the cams falls asleep.

[[folder:VideoGames]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' shows us the security camera guy at Shinra Building only for a few seconds, but we get the message he's bored out of his mind and does absolutely nothing. AVALANCHE sneaks effortlessly past his cameras.

* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' has Jake Marshall, who is the security officer in charge of the police department's evidence room. He goes beyond simply being a slacker seeing as how he only checks in at his post once every few weeks. He justifies this with the fact that the room has 24 hour surveillance by security cameras, so there doesn't need to be someone there watching the screens. It's said in dialogue that the security footage is checked electronically by a machine every hour and if nothing suspicious is seen on it then that hour's footage is erased. So in some sense Jake's logic makes sense... although one has to wonder how he wasn't fired seeing as how he pretty much skips work more time than he actually GOES IN, and if anything were to happen in the evidence room there would be no one there to stop it. Which incidentally [[spoiler:ended up happening in the form of a murder. Although it's assumed that on this occasion, Jake was preparing to dress as Goodman and steal the SL-9 Evidence. Which in itself ended up resulting in what was first thought to be a "murder" in the evidence room but was actually a fight.]]
** Case 2 of ''Trials and Tribulations'' sees the return of Larry Butz, who is a slacker anyway. [[NewJobAsThePlotDemands He's got himself a job at a security firm]], watching the cameras, [[{{Subversion}} but he seems to be doing his job for once!]] [[spoiler: [[DoubleSubversion As it turns out, he'd left to see his girlfriend on the one night it mattered.]] A murder was committed at his security firm while he was being dumped. Ironically, this was him being the SpannerInTheWorks: the culprit deliberately triggered the alarm on the way out to ensure his patsy would get arrested, which would have worked if Larry Butz was at his post that night.]]

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[[folder:WebLiterature]]

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* The ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'' episode "Larry-Boy and the Fib from Outer Space!" has Jimmy and Jerry Gourd as two technicians whose entire job is to monitor the sky, and to turn on the [[BatSignal Larry-Signal]] if they see anything from space approaching the city. In their one scene, Jerry sees the eponymous Fib on his monitor and freezes in panic--while Jimmy, completely oblivious, complains about how boring this job is, and how nothing ever happens.
* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' episode "[[Recap/RugratsS2E1ToyPalaceSandHo Toy Palace]]": Tommy and Chuckie decide to stay at the titular toy store overnight and sneak out of their strollers replacing themselves with plush dolls. Though the store has an elaborate security system complete with dozens of cameras, the security guard doesn't pay attention at all as he eats doughnuts and watches his portable TV. When Stu and Chas finally notice their sons are missing, they rush back to the store and explain the situation, but the security guard doesn't believe them because the store is equip with a movement-sensitive security system that would've detected the babies (which it did, and the only reason the guard didn't notice is because he was too distracted by his portable TV). Eventually, Stu and Chas see their sons on one of the security screens and as they rush out, the security guard takes a look at the monitors, and spits out his coffee in shock, then follows the dads out the door.
-->'''Security Guard:''' Holy [=McGillicuddy=]! They penetrated the net!
* Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/StrokerAndHoop'', where Stroker is caught breaking into a high-security facility when he walks by the surveillance room and is held up by the guard manning it. He saw ''everything'' Stroker had done up to that point via the camera feeds. Stroker [[WrongGenreSavvy complains that the guard should have been watching a sports game or reading a skin mag]], but it turns out this guy happens to ''like'' his job.
* In one episode of the ''ComicStrip/NickKnatterton'' animated series the bank of security camera monitors had a softporn video playing in the middle to keep the guard watching the cameras awake. That failed to keep him awake through the graveyard shift.

* Invoked in ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'', when XR encourages Booster to do this when they're stuck on monitor duty while Buzz and Mira are away on a mission on Zurg's planet. They do spring into action when the monitor reports Buzz and Mira's vital signs have gone flat.

* ''WesternAnimation/SheepInTheBigCity'': Parodied in the trailer for ''Attack Of the 50-Foot Creature'', which starts at a "remote monster-viewing outpost" where the guards turn off the monster detection alarm ''out of boredom'' and then decide to throw away their guns next. Naturally, that's when the 50-Foot Creature shows up.

* In ''Film/{{Cruella}}'', Jasper and Horace have to break into the Baroness' workshop and get spotted by the guard before escaping as part of TheCaper. However, when they drop in from the skylight, the find the guard is fast asleep. Horace then topples a row of mannequins, which fails to wake the guard. He then walks up to the guard and [[FilchingFoodForFun takes his oacket of Wotsits]]. The guard keeps snoring. He doesn't wake until Jasper yanks out one of his nose hairs, at which point Jasper and Horace scarper.

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' episode "[[Recap/RugratsS2E1ToyPalaceSandHo Toy Palace]]": Tommy and Chuckie decide to stay at the titular toy store overnight and sneak out of their strollers replacing themselves with plush dolls. Though the store has an elaborate security system complete with dozens of cameras, the security guard doesn't pay attention at all as he eats doughnuts and watches his portable TV. When Stu and Chas finally notice their sons are missing, they rush back to the store and explain the situation, the guard doesn't believe because the store is equip with a security system that would've detected the babies (which it did, and the only reason the guard didn't notice is because he was too distracted by his portable TV). Eventually Stu and Chas see their sons on one of the security screens and as they rush out, the security guard takes a look at the monitors, and spits out his coffee in shock, then follows the dads out the door.

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' of Creator/AAPessimal, [[MurderInc Assassin]] Miss Alice Band is explaining to a pupil that the new {{Magitek}}-based security systems promise to make life interesting for an Assassin, especially when you are carrying metal weapons and Security around the client is based on the metal-that-loves-iron. however, as she points out, the weak point in such systems will invariably be the human attendent supervising them who is resonsible for raising the alarm. And such people are generally bored, inattentive, paid very little, and are therefore not drawn from the best human material available - "You get what you pay for. When you pay pennies, you get the labour you deserve."

* There's one of these in ''Film/JurassicWorld'', and his behavior is especially egregious considering he is the supervisor of Paddock 11, the place where Jurassic World is keeping its genetically engineered nightmare beast, the ''Indominus rex''. He's seen eating a sandwich at his desk not paying even the slightest bit of attention to any of the dozens of computer screens around him. To his credit, when it appears as if [[spoiler:the ''I. rex'' has gotten free]], he does finally start paying attention, but continues eating his lunch ''despite'' being visibly concerned! Jurassic World's employee of the month!

* In 2004, Guards at Caesar's Atlantic City Hotel Casino used their remote cameras to ogle women]]. The casino was fined $80,000 for the misuse of the system. Las Vegas has a ''lot'' of laws and rules governing the use of cameras in casinos, and anyone pulling this stunt is likely to be fired immediately, and is unlikely to be hired by another casino.

* In ''[[Literature/ArkadyRenko Wolves Eat Dogs]]'' by Martin Cruz Smith, one character notes that no-one is even manning the OminousMultipleScreens at the security company he works for. When he sees a Russian oligarch whom he has a grudge against on one of the screens, he uses the system to plan his revenge.

-->'''Toy Palace Security Guard''': Holy [=McGillicuddy=]! They penetrated the net!

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' episode "[[Recap/RugratsS2E1ToyPalaceSandHo Toy Palace]]": Tommy and Chuckie decide to stay at the titular toy store overnight and sneak out of their strollers replacing themselves with plush dolls. Though the store has an elaborate security system complete with dozens of cameras, the security guard doesn't pay attention at all as he eats doughnuts and watches his portable TV. When Stu and Chas finally notice their sons are missing, they rush back to the store and explain the situation, the guard doesn't believe because the store is equip with a security system that would've detected the babies (which it did, but he wasn't watching the screens). Eventually Stu and Chas see their sons on one of the security screens and as they rush out, the security guard takes a look at the monitors, and spits out his coffee in shock, then follows the dads out the door.

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' episode "[[Recap/RugratsS2E1ToyPalaceSandHo Toy Palace]]": Tommy and Chuckie decide to stay at the titular toy store overnight and sneak out of their strollers replacing themselves with plush dolls. Though the store has an elaborate security system complete with dozens of cameras, the security guard doesn't pay attention at all as he eats doughnuts and watches his portable TV. When Stu and Chas finally notice their sons are missing, they rush back to the store and explain the situation, the guard doesn't believe because the store is equip with a security system that would've detected the babies (which it did, but he wasn't watching the screens). Eventually Stu and Chas see their sons on one of the security screens and as they rush out, and when the security guard takes a look at the monitors, he spits out his coffee in shock.
-->'''Toy Palace Security Guard''': Holy Magilicotti! They penetrated the net! (''follows the dads out the door'')

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' episode "[[Recap/RugratsS2E1ToyPalaceSandHo Toy Palace]]": Tommy and Chuckie decide to stay at the titular toy store overnight and sneak out of their strollers replacing themselves with plush dolls. Though the store has an elaborate security system complete with dozens of cameras, the security guard doesn't pay attention at all as he eats doughnuts and watches his portable TV. When Stu and Chas finally notice their sons are missing, they rush back to the store and explain the situation, the guard doesn't believe because the store is equip with a security system that would've detected the babies (which it did, but he wasn't watching the screens). Eventually Stu and Chas see their sons on one of the security screens and as they rush out, the security guard finally notices and spits out his coffee in shock, then follows the dads out the door.
-->'''Toy Palace Security Guard''': Holy Magilicotti! They penetrated the net!

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' episode "[[Recap/RugratsS2E1ToyPalaceSandHo Toy Palace]]": Tommy and Chuckie decide to stay at the titular toy store overnight and sneak out of their strollers replacing themselves with plush dolls. Though the store has an elaborate security system complete with dozens of cameras, the security guard doesn't pay attention at all as he eats doughnuts and watches his portable TV. When Stu and Chas finally notice their sons are missing, they rush back to the store and explain the situation, the guard doesn't believe because the store is equip with a security system that would've detected the babies (which it did, but he wasn't watching the screens). Eventually Stu and Chaz see their sons on one of the security screens and as they rush out, the security guard finally notices spits out his coffee in shock then follows the dads out the door.

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' episode "[[RugratsS2E1ToyPalaceSandHo Toy Palace]]": Tommy and Chuckie decide to stay at the titular toy store overnight and sneak out of their strollers replacing themselves with plush dolls. Though the store has an elaborate security system complete with dozens of cameras, the security guard doesn't pay attention at all as he eats doughnuts and watches his portable TV. When Stu and Chas finally notice their sons are missing, they rush back to the store and explain the situation, the guard doesn't believe because the store is equip with a security system that would've detected the babies (which it did, but he wasn't watching the screens). Eventually Stu and Chaz see their sons on one of the security screens and as they rush out, the security guard finally notices spits out his coffee in shock then follows the dads out the door.

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' episode "Toy Palace. Tommy and Chuckie decide to stay at the titular toy store overnight. Though the store has an elaborate security system complete with dozens of cameras, the security guard doesn't pay attention at all as he eats doughnuts and watches his portable TV. When Stu and Chaz rush back to the store and explain the situation, the guard doesn't believe because the store is equip with a security system that would've detected the babies (which it did, but he wasn't watching the screens). Eventually Stu and Chaz see their sons on one of the security screens and as they rush out, the Security guard finally notices spits out his coffee in shock then follows the dads out the door.
-->'''Toy Palace Security Guard''': Holy Magilicotti! They penetrated the net!"

* This is how Tommy and Chuckie got lost in the Toy Palace in ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'', despite the security system being top-of-the-line.

* [[http://www.securityinfowatch.com/press_release/10608490/caesars-casino-hit-by-accusations-of-ogling-with-cctv-cameras In 2004, Guards at Caesar's Atlantic City Hotel Casino used their remote cameras to ogle women]]. The casino was fined $80,000 for the misuse of the system.
** On a related note, Las Vegas has a ''lot'' of laws and rules governing the use of cameras in casinos. Generally speaking, anyone caught slacking off is fired immediately, and won't likely be able to work for another casino.
* During a Nuclear Operational Readiness Inspection at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, a Security Forces airman was caught playing a video game on his cell phone while standing guard over some nuclear weapons. The fact that he was [[TooDumbToLive dumb enough]] to do this ''[[TheInspectorIsComing during a major wing inspection]]'' was the subject of quite a bit of humor and head-shaking in the US military community.
* During the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Fagan_incident infamous Michael Fagan Incident]], the man actually did trigger an alarm as he climbed through the window of Buckingham Palace. The policeman manning the guard station silenced it, [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy assuming it was nothing more than a malfunction]]. ''[[WhatAnIdiot Twice]]''. This policeman's pretty lucky they've long-since done away with the gallows.

* ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'' begins with two technicians at an isolated base in Antartica monitoring for extraterrestial activity. When they detect some, one of them freaks out because he took the job specifically because he wasn't expecting to ever do anything Interestingly, said "extraterrestrial activity" was just a meteor (full of [[spoiler:quantonium]], but still), so it shouldn't have even registered as a UFO. Those show up later.

* In ''Film/TheIsland1980'', a Coast Guard launch is sent to investigate an explosion on a supposedly uninhabited island. The guardsman left to guard the launch decides to tip his hat over his eyes and take a nap. Unsurprisingly, he is captured by the pirates.

* Averted in ''Sharky's Machine'', by William Diehl. A detective makes sure to bring the Literature/GuinnessWorldRecords to kill time on stakeout, because it's easy to put down if something happens.

* ''Film/IndependenceDay''. The man on duty at the S.E.T.I. Institute is playing OfficeGolf. A red light starts blinking and he goes over and flips a switch, which causes a series of tones to come out a speaker. He excitedly calls his boss on the phone and asks him to listen to the tones, and when the boss hears them he sits up in bed, bumping his head, then hurries to the lab. The signals turn out to be from an alien ship approaching the Earth.