0:00:00.550,0:00:02.250 - You don't know what you would do 0:00:02.250,0:00:05.240 unless you're in that situation. 0:00:05.240,0:00:07.270 That's not the conclusion[br]of Stanley Milgram 0:00:07.270,0:00:08.810 or Phil Zimbardo based on our research, 0:00:08.810,0:00:09.753 that's a conclusion 0:00:09.753,0:00:12.500 from an assistant manager[br]in McDonald's in Kentucky, 0:00:12.500,0:00:16.470 Donna Summers, who was trapped[br]in what has come to be known 0:00:16.470,0:00:18.450 as an authority hoax. 0:00:18.450,0:00:21.660 A stranger calls up, pretending[br]to be a police officer 0:00:21.660,0:00:25.950 saying that one of the[br]employees has stolen something, 0:00:25.950,0:00:28.950 has contraband and that what she has to do 0:00:28.950,0:00:31.943 is bring the woman to the[br]security room in the back, 0:00:31.943,0:00:34.910 strip her naked and search[br]for this contraband, 0:00:34.910,0:00:36.723 it sounds like it's drugs or something. 0:00:36.723,0:00:39.490 And then at that point, 0:00:39.490,0:00:42.770 the guy on the phone, who she[br]believes is a police officer 0:00:42.770,0:00:46.160 begins to tell her to do more[br]and more outrageous things. 0:00:46.160,0:00:49.390 Finally he asks her to bring in a male 0:00:49.390,0:00:50.760 to take care of the situation 0:00:50.760,0:00:52.981 'cause she's gotta go back to work, 0:00:52.981,0:00:55.610 and this authority hoax guy 0:00:55.610,0:00:58.490 this guy pretending to be a police chief, 0:00:58.490,0:01:00.150 tells this man to do something 0:01:00.150,0:01:02.113 which is horrendous. 0:01:03.120,0:01:06.350 We could say this is[br]what's wrong with this guy, 0:01:06.350,0:01:07.900 what's wrong with this woman, 0:01:07.900,0:01:09.980 if it didn't happen in over 60 other 0:01:09.980,0:01:13.150 fast food establishments[br]throughout the country. 0:01:13.150,0:01:15.420 So here is the power of authority 0:01:15.420,0:01:18.020 to get good people to do bad things. 0:01:18.020,0:01:20.640 Not an experiment but in everyday life 0:01:20.640,0:01:22.383 throughout the United States. 0:01:23.967,0:01:26.634 (ominous music) 0:01:29.200,0:01:30.620 - [Narrator] A series of strange events 0:01:30.620,0:01:33.763 recently confirmed Milgram's[br]theories about obedience. 0:01:35.770,0:01:38.430 Targeting fast food[br]restaurants across the country, 0:01:38.430,0:01:40.730 the con man telephoned restaurant managers 0:01:40.730,0:01:42.400 and convinced them to strip search 0:01:42.400,0:01:45.293 and sometimes sexually[br]abuse their employees. 0:01:47.050,0:01:50.650 The mystery is not in the[br]con man, but in the victims, 0:01:50.650,0:01:52.023 why would they obey? 0:01:54.170,0:01:55.500 - This person was so convincing 0:01:55.500,0:01:58.600 that people saw him as[br]a legitimate authority. 0:01:58.600,0:02:01.394 I think we have probably the closest thing 0:02:01.394,0:02:03.980 that we have to a Milgram experiment today 0:02:03.980,0:02:06.223 in these strip searches. 0:02:07.570,0:02:09.150 - [Narrator] The most[br]famous of these incidents 0:02:09.150,0:02:12.900 took place at a McDonald's in[br]Mount Washington, Kentucky. 0:02:12.900,0:02:16.373 - There was a videotape[br]security camera had found, 0:02:18.650,0:02:20.200 we didn't hear what the instructions were 0:02:20.200,0:02:23.160 but due to the actions[br]that had taken place, 0:02:23.160,0:02:25.200 what the victim was doing in the video 0:02:25.200,0:02:27.450 and stuff, it was pretty evident 0:02:27.450,0:02:28.853 what each instruction was. 0:02:31.040,0:02:32.050 - [Narrator] An anonymous caller 0:02:32.050,0:02:33.680 pretending to be a police officer 0:02:33.680,0:02:35.000 told the assistant manager 0:02:35.000,0:02:37.163 that an employee had stolen some money. 0:02:38.440,0:02:40.251 - He said "I'm Officer Scott," 0:02:40.251,0:02:43.557 and he said "I'm with[br]the police department 0:02:43.557,0:02:48.557 "I'm investigating a complaint." 0:02:49.620,0:02:52.840 It went directly from a[br]theft into a drug thing. 0:02:52.840,0:02:54.740 So I was asked to search her clothing. 0:02:57.150,0:02:59.340 You know he would tell me,[br]take her shoes, click them, 0:02:59.340,0:03:01.793 take her shirt, shake it out. 0:03:06.840,0:03:08.890 I know how it seems to people, 0:03:08.890,0:03:11.470 but you weren't on the phone with him. 0:03:11.470,0:03:14.370 The man has convinced[br]70 to 100 other places 0:03:14.370,0:03:15.990 the very same thing. 0:03:15.990,0:03:19.163 He's very good at what he does, very good. 0:03:20.591,0:03:23.424 (thunder rolling) 0:03:25.640,0:03:27.770 He sounded like a police officer, 0:03:27.770,0:03:31.393 and I'm thinking okay, I'm[br]doing what I'm supposed to do. 0:03:34.350,0:03:35.920 - He was getting some kind of satisfaction 0:03:35.920,0:03:37.530 about being an authority figure 0:03:37.530,0:03:39.890 and telling people what to do 0:03:39.890,0:03:41.870 and then realizing by[br]the phone conversation 0:03:41.870,0:03:44.815 that they were actually[br]doing what he said. 0:03:44.815,0:03:46.251 - He's telling me 0:03:46.251,0:03:47.662 that I needed to get[br]someone to sit with her 0:03:47.662,0:03:49.170 while he goes and gets somebody to come in 0:03:49.170,0:03:50.503 to pick her up. 0:03:51.890,0:03:53.517 - The caller then asked the manager 0:03:53.517,0:03:55.880 if she was married or had a boyfriend, 0:03:55.880,0:03:57.630 she said she had a fiance, 0:03:57.630,0:04:00.550 then the caller asked if[br]she could have her fiance 0:04:00.550,0:04:01.550 come to the restaurant 0:04:01.550,0:04:04.690 and assist her with the[br]strip search of the victim. 0:04:04.690,0:04:06.187 - He says, "Well, why[br]don't you have him come up 0:04:06.187,0:04:08.350 "and sit there, I mean you can trust him." 0:04:08.350,0:04:11.390 So I called Wes, my fiance, 0:04:11.390,0:04:12.370 we were gonna get married, 0:04:12.370,0:04:14.070 and asked him if he would come up. 0:04:17.300,0:04:18.320 - The manager goes about 0:04:18.320,0:04:21.140 doing her duties of running the restaurant 0:04:21.140,0:04:23.860 and leaves the fiance there in the office 0:04:23.860,0:04:26.131 and then the caller[br]starts giving instructions 0:04:26.131,0:04:28.020 over the phone of things 0:04:28.020,0:04:30.800 that he wants the victim to do 0:04:30.800,0:04:34.213 and what he wants the[br]fiance to tell her to do. 0:04:36.860,0:04:38.330 Have her remove her apron 0:04:38.330,0:04:42.120 and instructed to do jumping[br]jacks and jog in place 0:04:42.120,0:04:45.403 and several more things. 0:04:49.330,0:04:50.780 She was still in high school, 0:04:52.210,0:04:53.280 the kind of person she was, 0:04:53.280,0:04:56.350 she was actually graduating[br]the top 10 in her class 0:04:56.350,0:04:59.900 and she was scared of being[br]in trouble with the police 0:04:59.900,0:05:01.740 so she sort of just went along 0:05:01.740,0:05:06.590 and did whatever the fiance told her to do 0:05:06.590,0:05:11.060 because she didn't want to[br]be in trouble for anything. 0:05:11.060,0:05:13.420 - During all this time, I'm working. 0:05:13.420,0:05:16.050 I'm running the floor, I'm getting change, 0:05:16.050,0:05:18.580 and then when I would walk into the office 0:05:18.580,0:05:20.790 to get the change or[br]whatever I had to get, 0:05:20.790,0:05:22.554 Wes would be sitting[br]where he was when I left 0:05:22.554,0:05:26.370 and she was sitting where she was, 0:05:26.370,0:05:27.620 and no one said anything. 0:05:31.490,0:05:33.300 - [Narrator] After over[br]two and a half hours, 0:05:33.300,0:05:35.570 Summers' fiance Walter Nicks, 0:05:35.570,0:05:37.320 did something that was unthinkable. 0:05:38.640,0:05:40.970 Complying with the[br]instructions of the caller, 0:05:40.970,0:05:43.803 he ordered the employee[br]to perform a sexual act. 0:05:46.750,0:05:49.910 - And there was no way[br]that I could take away 0:05:49.910,0:05:51.840 from what happened to her. 0:05:51.840,0:05:54.190 A lot of people you know look at you 0:05:54.190,0:05:56.400 and go, "Well you're a nut,[br]you should be strung up." 0:05:56.400,0:05:57.833 I've had it even said to me, 0:05:59.180,0:06:01.603 God it's really hard[br]because you weren't there. 0:06:07.540,0:06:08.930 - The Milgram study showed us 0:06:08.930,0:06:10.350 that most people would do that. 0:06:10.350,0:06:11.610 If you structure the environment 0:06:11.610,0:06:14.870 such that you provide all the authority 0:06:14.870,0:06:18.620 and the commands, just[br]anybody might do this. 0:06:18.620,0:06:20.710 - But I do think this sounds worse. 0:06:20.710,0:06:23.013 - You think this is worse[br]than what Milgram did? 0:06:23.013,0:06:25.860 - With the Milgram there was[br]somebody sitting right there 0:06:25.860,0:06:28.650 and instructing them if they[br]hesitated they could turn 0:06:28.650,0:06:30.190 and then somebody could encourage them 0:06:30.190,0:06:33.190 and they could sort of[br]maybe psychologically 0:06:33.190,0:06:35.540 leave that responsibility[br]on that other person. 0:06:35.540,0:06:37.940 But in this case, the police[br]officer's on the phone, 0:06:37.940,0:06:39.030 he's not standing there. 0:06:39.030,0:06:40.630 - And that is a very good point. 0:06:42.828,0:06:43.661 - You know you look back on it, 0:06:43.661,0:06:44.650 you say I wouldn't have done it, 0:06:44.650,0:06:46.880 but unless you're put in that situation, 0:06:46.880,0:06:49.990 at that time, how do you[br]know what you would do? 0:06:49.990,0:06:51.843 You don't, you don't. 0:06:53.110,0:06:54.510 - [Narrator] Over 60 other people 0:06:54.510,0:06:57.170 did exactly as Donna Summers did. 0:06:57.170,0:06:59.810 Why is it so easy for us to obey orders, 0:06:59.810,0:07:01.460 even when we know they are wrong? 0:07:03.310,0:07:06.050 Why are we willing to[br]inflict pain on others, 0:07:06.050,0:07:08.710 if someone else takes responsibility? 0:07:08.710,0:07:09.990 - There's nothing more difficult 0:07:09.990,0:07:12.860 for people to violate a social structure, 0:07:12.860,0:07:15.610 which all participants[br]have initially accepted. 0:07:15.610,0:07:16.990 It reminds me of a situation 0:07:16.990,0:07:18.280 that once occurred in South America, 0:07:18.280,0:07:19.650 I was in an airplane, 0:07:19.650,0:07:21.520 the pilot came into the[br]plane, he was drunk, 0:07:21.520,0:07:23.360 he was reeling toward the cockpit. 0:07:23.360,0:07:24.700 Passengers looked at each other, 0:07:24.700,0:07:27.227 but no one got up, no[br]one said to the pilot, 0:07:27.227,0:07:28.890 "You're drunk, we can't[br]fly on this plane." 0:07:28.890,0:07:30.810 There is a set of pressures 0:07:30.810,0:07:33.763 that keep you in the role[br]you've initially accepted.