Off the grid

From Terminator Wiki

Off the grid pertains to a lifestyle characterized by the lack of a paper trail (ie. no Social Security number, driver's license, etc.), or a fake identity. People living off the grid may take jobs that pay under the table, move from place to place, and take on numerous identities.

In the Terminator franchise, living off the grid is a way to avoid attack by terminators sent from the future by Skynet.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

In Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, John Connor was living off the grid in order to avoid detection by agents of Skynet. The fact that he inadvertently ran into Kate Brewster was the only reason that the T-X and T-850 found him.

Before her death (in the T3 timeline), Sarah Connor was probably living off the grid as well.

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