How Long would Batman Last in the real World? *My response to this B.A article*

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Yesterday, Redditor xXEpicNealTimeXx asked, "If Batman were to operate in real life, how fast would it take for his identity to be revealed?"

A brilliant response from Redditor periphery72271 followed shortly. Gotta say, in today's ultra-paranoid world, I absolutely believe this.

"Exactly one month after being coming to the attention of the Federal authorities.

A crazed vigilante is riding around an American city using military grade weaponry and committing crimes against civilians on a record scale? It would not take long at all to deploy the necessary resources to the scene."

The question I have is, how long could Batman avoid Federal attention?
He lives, eats, breathes The Batman: How many automated factors are in place to constantly cover his tracks, w/e little ones he leaves behind? How many programs, servers, networks, companies, false identities, accounts (both foreign and domestic) and countless other factors—in operation 24/7—all with the goal of hiding him? 

Remember, this isn't Joe Dow the Road—member of the local nutty militia—stockpiling shotguns purchased at the local Walmart while bragging about it online to all his militia buddies on FB and all other kinds of social network sites constantly being flagged for keywords.

"Several Blackhawks and Little Birds from the BATF and FBI be orbiting on shifts doing surveillance, waiting for a signal that the unsub has begun activity."

When the time finally comes, what counter measures would Batman have in place?
Presumably, Gotham PD as well as a version of their Local FBI (GBI) would've tried similar things with state authority, state resources...without much luck since now it's gone to the Federal level. 

"He would leave to patrol in the Batmobile, and as soon as his distinctive black vehicle's turbine-driven heat signature was located, a Predator drone would be retasked to orbit and follow. That tango in question is very versatile, active, and potentially lethal when engaged so nothing would be done that night, however every illegal activity he performed would be caught on IR-enhnaced video, incliuding the multitude of assaults, breakings and enterings, trespasses, abuse of public property, use of prohibited weapons, substances and hazardous materials, perhaps even failure to register a motor vehicle and violating speed restrictions, and several counts of obstruction of justice.

His citizen's arrests would be logged and the suspects duly charged in any and all assaults against him, as well, however a few suspects will likely be audited for their willingness to testify both against their compatriots and the vigilante."

I contest this wouldn't happen and the reason why, once under such Federal attention, he would redirect his efforts to getting to the source, either to befriend or "warn" all parties—both an attempt to persuade them to forgo Gotham and leave it to him.

Secondly, as has been the case when drones have been used to find/follow high level priorities, they sometimes get "compromised"—at this point is where I feel Batman would really become the target of the Federal Gov.

"At some point his most recent crime spree will end and he will head for home. The Predator will follow, a barely visible line in the inky black Gotham sky, camera eye recording the Batmobile's every move.

Of course the Batmobile will disappear into some rocky outcropping or waterfall or some other land feature and it's destination will be unknown."

At some point, one way or another, enough pieces would slip through or enough cost would be injured upon the FedGov and a special Federal Task force would be assembled...*maybe people who might end up agreeing with The Batman; perhaps future Heroes*

"The very next day special operations elements of the DoJ will be at the location, planting temblor sensors and concealed cameras. This is Batman so it will be a few days before he uses the same entrance again, but he will, and when he does, the triggering of the sensors will activate the cameras, and FBI analysts will see the long stretch of tunnel inside the entrance and start doing calculations."

 Again, what counter-surveillance/measures would Batman have in place?

IF this point is reached, however long it took, once someone is this close to Batman's trail, priorities would shift again. Final options would be put into place to either avoid detection or End Game.

"The length of the entrance tunnel until loss of focus or a turn will be calculated, and the direction and distance of that stretch of the tunnel will be known. Immediate records will be pulled for every building in the area, and every microsecond of the next day will be spent sifting through the possible combinations of owners, buildings, knowledge wealth and access to technology.

This will continue with each of the Batman's movements, and piece by piece a picture of his activities will become known. Information, bits and pieces will be gleaned from his victims, the various residues from his smoke bombs, gases and shark repellents will be analyzed, the Batarangs and grappling hooks researched down to the atomic scale.

Once there is a database of products and substances, the FBI will start rifling through purchase orders and BATF registrations for shipments of the necessary fuel for his Batmobile, and the explosive charges for his bat-grapples, and the avionics for his missile's warheads, amongst the other detritus he leaves after his battles.

Eventually the source of gear will be deciphered: Wayne Industries, and at that point, the cat is out of the bag." 

 This is where it gets muddy again: How long? What Cost? How much will Batman/Bruce (Wayne Industries) interfere in the gathering, analysis of his identity?

"Wayne's home is within the perimeters of the Batmobile disappearances, and a thermal flyby will reveal he's using the same electricity as an small industrial plant does when only two or three people ever live in that mansion. Analysis of company records will reveal the massive levels of graft and embezzlement required to hijack all these prohibited and classified materials to the mansion, and the deliveries of the materials will tagged and traced."

How long will Wayne wrap up the Gov in Legal injunctions for Corporate Documents, if they even exists or show anything which in any way might lead to his true identity/capture? 

"The is enough evidence to present Bruce Wayne with a warrant for his arrest based on the very least on corporate malfeasance, embezzlement, falsification of tax records, Illegal trafficking of prohibited agents, weapons and substances falsified BATF filings, and aiding and abetting multiple criminal acts."

However the information ever gets out, either Batman's failure to completely hide himself or just the eventual success of those against him, once this information is out, the End Game will begin; but Gotham will become a War Zone: Anyone who wanted to know who Batman was, to due him harm, would now have the information to do so.

"Since he is an important personage in the city, they'll do him the favor of sending one very polite agent armed with a single piece of paper, to wait in his office"

Since later outside "non realistic" elements of the DC Universe are introduced, I suggest at this point, or perhaps somewhere earlier on, people like Lex Luthor would become aware of the Gov interest in The Batman. So, to gain the losses of Wayne Enterprises, Lex would filter this information to unknown affiliates in Gotham. Leading, in part, to the War Zone.

"What happens after that is up to him."

 Unlike in the movie, Batman wouldn't willing turn himself in; as much as he's awesome, he's also crazy.

"Conversely a team of agents and a ground-scanning radar van will arrive on the grounds of Wayne Manor and present Alfred with a warrant for his arrest and a search of the premises."

True. If plans within plans weren't set in motion: Alfred gone; the Manson burned to the ground or all the necessary elements removed...

"This will occur at the exact same time as Tim Drake, Jason Todd, and Dick Grayson are brought into custody, and James Gordon upon getting notification of a pending warrant against his daughter, will take the day off to go try and convince Barbara to turn State's witness."

 True. If plans within plans weren't set into motion: All members of the Wayne family going into hiding; James eventually arrested for his lack of cooperation and previous assistance of the known fugitives.

"All identified suspects that were encountered during the surveillance will be swept up as well on that day."

 True. All "available/willing to speak" suspects will make statements.

"Wayne's excellent lawyer will have him booked and released on bail, at which point mysteriously enough a limo from the Themiscyran embassy will pick him up and he will not be seen again until he submits his US passport and a letter revoking his citizenship, and announces himself a citizen of the city-state of Atlantis.

When asked, they will plainly refuse extradition."

True. Some version of this will happen. However, this is when we leave the "Real World" point of the question. Although, the author's final note suggesting Batman will in the end evade capture, sentencing speaks loudly of his underling belief that Batman would somehow, real or fantasy, find a away to continue to beat the odds.