Burn Notice - Season 03 - Episode 10 Spy Tips & Tactics

Burn Notice Season 03 Episode 10 "A Dark Road" was first aired last January 21, 2010 and below are the spy tips and tactics:

* Doing your own field medicine has its advantages. No conversations with the police, the food's better, and the relationship between patient and caregiver is very close.


* Getting information out of hotels requires a delicate touch. One whiff that you're snooping and you'll just hear a lot of "We can't give out that information." You need to get them on your side, convince them that you're someone that needs customer service. Of course, when the hotel clerk turns out to be expecting you, that makes things a little easier.

* In the world of espionage, there are a lot of ways to introduce yourself. You can use official channels, you can use a cover ID. You can use encrypted communication. Whatever the method, that first contact tells you a lot about a person. Especially when someone introduces himself by firebombing a hotel room.

* The day that the cell phone call log was invented should be celebrated as a national holiday for spies. Even a cautious cell phone user who uses dial-back systems or switches phones often leaves behind a lot of information you can use.

* Human intelligence can often be collected with a cover identity. There are times, though, when a cover ID has more to do with who you are than how you act.

* Working an intelligence asset is part acting, part strategy. Some people don't have the talent and some people do.

* Precision driving is part of the standard training for an operative. It's mainly used when pursuing or being pursued. But on occasion, it's a great way to make an impression.

* Criminals deal with a shortage of skilled labor just like all businesses do. They can't give too much information to new hires, of course. But they also can't pass up real talent.

* Family businesses are tough. They're even tougher for criminals. Mix normal family issues with cash, violence and the danger of getting arrested and things get tense.

* Anybody who works around acetylene knows to be extra careful. It's one of the hottest burning, most explosive gases in existence.

* For a covert operative, there's often a fine line between hunter and hunted. Letting someone hunt you is just another way of finding out more about them. Of course, there's also a fine line between following up intelligence and walking into a trap.

* The best place for a bug is on something people keep with them. Many car remotes these days have enough space inside to hide a small bug- not to mention a battery to power the transmitter. It's a quick, efficient, low-risk operation that costs as much as you care to tip the valet.

* When you work under a cover, whether you're a cop, a DEA agent or a spy, you're getting into business with the bad guys. Your job is to stay in control of that business. The problem is criminals are unpredictable. Sometimes they take your ideas and resources and hurt innocent people. It's every undercover agent's worst nightmare.

* When you're blackmailing someone, you have to be cruel to be kind. Show any sympathy for your target and you only make it worse. You have to be the bad guy. Let them feel they have no choice. It's easier that way.

* A push bar is a hardened steel frame attached to the front of a car. It's usually used by cops. But it's useful for anyone who's planning on being in a high-speed collision.

* There's a tunnel vision that people develop in a fight. They focus on their enemy, oblivious to everything else. The angrier they get, the more intense their focus. There comes a point where the adrenaline is so intense you could land a jet behind them and they wouldn't notice.