Chapter Four :: Surveillance Driving

"Surveillance is 99% boredom followed by 1% mayhem"
(Quote  from an ex-KGB operative) 

Surveillance Driving is not normally recognised as being a particular skill  when it is seen in the context  of Pl operations. This is because the Pl does not usually see his risk level as being on a par as that of an operative of one of the world's security forces. The truth is that the risk to the operative conducting the surveillance  is higher than normal due to the simple fact that he is having to drive in a reactive rather than pro-active format. This is obvious as unless he knows his target's intentions, he has to wait for each change of speed and direction to be able to respond with a decision as to what he needs to do next.

Sometimes the options to improve on this are limited, but in general, the more the operative tries to use his enhanced skills in prediction, the less re-active decision making he needs to make and so the smoother the whole operation. In most operations, the target is conducting either a regular journey or a trip to a relatively predictable destination. Often it is only when this routine is broken that the actual pur­pose of the surveillance is achieved and the operation successfully concluded. 

Before we get involved in the more complex aspects of multiple target operations, let us establish a few ground rules: