You’re on a busy Los Angeles street. You hail a cab. (Can you hail cabs in L.A.?) 
A diminutive man with an intense look appears out of nowhere and says he needs to share your cab. It’s okay, he says, he works for the government. Depending on how you feel about the government, serenity may descend upon you.
If in the course of conversation, or if you overhear him talking into his cell phone, you discover that the man’s name is Jack Bauer… leap from the moving cab immediately. Even if you are on the freeway, don’t hesitate. You have a far better chance of surviving than if you stay close to him.
As all fans of 24 know, you should never go on a mission with Jack Bauer. He will survive. You won’t.