private detectives
 

was eating lunch with my parents in a restaurant today, had just gone to a movie so things seemed a little unreal when the guy sitting behind them started talking into his cell phone to the person that hired him. We just listened to him describe the house he's been staking out for a couple of days and describing her and her kids...etc.

i've never come in contact with a real one before. At least i'm hoping that was what he was, he did ask the guy on the other line if he wanted to hire him for another day to watch the house.

ever met one before?

A guy in my old apartment building was a private detective.
It was interesting to see him come in and out of the building sometimes dressed in different ways to blend in...and of course, to make his camera blend in as best as he could ;)
It seems kind of unprofessional though, to talk loudly about it in a resturant. Talk about easy ways to get found out. Couldn't he do it somewhere else? Like an office, or his home or something?

i thought so too, it was pretty shocking hearing all that.

From experience in cell phone retail, i can tell you that most people with cellular phones will call people at any time and assume they get immediate attention. I'd imagine this guy was just keeping the customer happy, and his wallet full. Did he actually say anything about names or addresses?

I don't see why it would be a big deal to talk about it in a restaurant. Unless the person he was watching was there (in which case I'd argue he's not a very good PI anyway), as long as he doesn't get specific with names and locations there's not really any negative consequences. Sure, the people around him know his profession, but it's not like that's going to have anybearing on his current investigation.

it's really not as cloak and dagger as most people think.

It has a lot more to do with taking statements than it does stakeouts.

I did some photography work for a private eye for awhile. It was mostly law suit kind of stuff. Taking pictures of dangerous work sites, accident victims or their vehicles etc.
Not really very exciting, but kind of interesting. By the way the guy I was working for later became sheriff.

no he didn't mention names or addresses. my mom wanted us to follow him to see where he was going. lol.