Common Criminals Have Something To Be Happy About [Archive]

JeffreyWKramer

12-01-2006, 05:31 AM

In recent years, crooked politicians, corporate crooks, war profiteers and other white-collar criminals have had much to be happy about, but the common criminal hasn't had much to be happy about. That's changed now.

It turns out most tumbler locks in the world are now virtually useless.

http://tech.wizbangblog.com/2006/11/30/nearly-every-lock-you-have-is-now-worthless.php

CBR alum ChuckG (much missed by yours truly) forwarded me this link. Pretty damned depressing.

Typo Lad

12-01-2006, 05:45 AM

This is why I want steel shutters.

Naldo

12-01-2006, 05:49 AM

My house has keyless entry :)

Tages

12-01-2006, 05:49 AM

Sucks to be you non-vicious-155-lb.-dog-owners.

Seriously speaking, this really worries me.

Gilda Dent

12-01-2006, 05:54 AM

Huh. I wonder if we're going to start seeing more key cards for home use, or perhaps numerical locks?

thehod

12-01-2006, 05:54 AM

Time to locking our from door with the Chubb lock (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chubb_detector_lock) rather than the Yale lock then.

Winslow

12-01-2006, 06:02 AM

Time to let the dog sleep upstairs and barricade the door.

The real problems is how to lock the home while going away on vacation.

Maybe a cardboard policeman in the living room . . . .

BlairH

12-01-2006, 06:14 AM

"A good lock and an alarm system is ALL you need to protect your so-called 'property' citizen! Where are your PAPERS?"

Sanagi

12-01-2006, 06:23 AM

This just verifies something I already suspected - locks are mostly a reassurance. Still, it's surprising just how easily they can be defeated.

Naldo

12-01-2006, 07:56 AM

oh yeah, keyless entry, big dog AND firearms! :D

Grazzt

12-01-2006, 08:16 AM

I'm too poor to be worth robbing.

Huzzah!

Mac Danny

12-01-2006, 08:17 AM

dingo

12-01-2006, 08:36 AM

See, all you need to do is get 5 Locks on your door. Every day lock a different three. When the burgler comes to bump key your place he will actually be locking 2 of the locks in his attempt to unlock all 5.

I did this to a guy once. It works pretty well.

I'd like to thank an Episode of MacGuyver for this minor revelation.

That shouldn't work.

Most locks turn one way to lock, the other to unlock.

If he turns them all the same way (even unlocked doors will turn that way) then they all unlock.

Mac Danny

12-01-2006, 08:59 AM

That shouldn't work.

Most locks turn one way to lock, the other to unlock.

If he turns them all the same way (even unlocked doors will turn that way) then they all unlock.

I know.. It's supposed to be funny. When I did it I was on the other side closing the locks as soon as he opened them.

Still there might be something too it. unless they come up to your door with a strip of tape, some metal filings and a powerful magnet. Then you are screwed.

to Quote Tom Robbins from Half Asleep In Frog Pajamas "All a locked door gets you is a broken window"

Sean Walsh

12-01-2006, 09:49 AM

So you're saying I should continue my practice of shooting unwanted intruders into my home? Only now, there will be more of them?

Okay! :p

Spackling Compound

12-01-2006, 09:53 AM

So you're saying I should continue my practice of shooting unwanted intruders into my home? Only now, there will be more of them?

Okay! :p
Mississippi has "Castle laws" newly instituted thanks to a group of elderly folks being beaten and robbed in their homes. An old man finally had it after 3 robberies and shot dead an intruder. The State finally said, "Hey, this seemed to work. Old, grumpy man and a gun seems to stop crime". Funny how this Halloween saw less tp'ing and egg throwing than before....
Talk about, "You crazy kids stay outta my yard" actually meaning something!

Chris Nowlin

12-01-2006, 10:34 AM

Vaguely reminds me of a recent time I was locked out of my car and called a locksmith to open it. I was really hoping he'd have a fancy looking tool. He had an inflatable ball and a wire (I think a bent hanger). he stuck the uninflated ball into the above the door, blew air into it, opening the door a half inch, and then reaced in with the wire. It took him 30 seconds. He used tools it looked like the average kid could have. It cost me $50. It was depressing. I feel my security comes not from locks but by how shitty my car looks compared to others in the lot. And the inside light goes on automatically when you touch it, so a burglar can look inside and see dozens of empty Coke cans and McDonalds wrappers and realize the average recycling bin is worth more than the contents of my car.

Chris Nowlin

12-01-2006, 10:36 AM

So you're saying I should continue my practice of shooting unwanted intruders into my home? Only now, there will be more of them?

Okay! :p

"Er, it doesn't work if you invite him."

SOGG

12-01-2006, 12:23 PM

I'm too poor to be worth robbing.

Huzzah!

We share a similar strategy. The most expensive thing I own is an espada ropera, damasquinado -- and it looks like a rusty cutlass. The next most expensive thing I own is a harp which isn't very steal-able.

The computers are housed in full xt-style cases -- both heavy and unattractive.

No TV, other electronics, etc.

Whoever tries to rob me is probably going to try and leave some change.

Ontir

12-01-2006, 12:51 PM

Little dogs with big mouths can be of great assistance, too!

Alarm systems to a good job, as well.

Calybos

12-02-2006, 03:11 PM

Geez, people, it's only property. It has no particular value. And the odds of defeating a skilled intruder remain roughly the same (zero) with or without this type of lock.

The main benefit of having a lock--defeating nervous loons, drug-addled idiots, and violent teens--remains as effective as ever.

StoneGold

12-02-2006, 03:34 PM

I'm not sure this is news. Locks can be picked?

BlairH

12-02-2006, 04:33 PM

Geez, people, it's only property.
Well, so much for "life liberty and property". I guess we don't REALLY need one, so we can just abandon the other 2. The ownership of property is what makes us free men, not serfs.

K'Nort

12-02-2006, 04:39 PM

Well, so much for "life liberty and property". I guess we don't REALLY need one, so we can just abandon the other 2. The ownership of property is what makes us free men, not serfs.

What are you, Jack Benny?

Iangould

12-02-2006, 04:55 PM

oh yeah, keyless entry, big dog AND firearms! :D

Yes, spend several thousand dollars to avodi the possibility of losing a few hundred dollars worth of goods.

Seriously, I can gfet into about 99% of houses in under five minutes without trick.

Or I could before I got old and fat, now it might take me ten and require a screwdriver.

StoneGold

12-02-2006, 04:57 PM

Yes, spend several thousand dollars to avodi the possibility of losing a few hundred dollars worth of goods.

Seriously, I can gfet into about 99% of houses in under five minutes without trick.

Or I could before I got old and fat, now it might take me ten and require a screwdriver.
How many houses can be easily gotten into with a rock to a window?

Iangould

12-02-2006, 05:03 PM

How many houses can be easily gotten into with a rock to a window?

Most of the tiem you don;t even need that. It's amazing how few peopel close all their windows.

(Note: No, I was never a burglar. I did used to hang out with people who regularly lost their keys while drunk.)

StoneGold

12-02-2006, 05:18 PM

Most of the tiem you don;t even need that. It's amazing how few peopel close all their windows.

(Note: No, I was never a burglar. I did used to hang out with people who regularly lost their keys while drunk.)
Or it's just genetic, being Australian and all.

Fuck, did I just acknowledge Australia's existence? The propaganda must finally be getting to me.

Iangould

12-02-2006, 05:18 PM

People who spend large amounts of money on home security for reasons of personal safety need to look at the statistics.

The chances of an American being murdered in any year is somewhat less than one in 30,000. Now a large percentage of the peopel murdered in the US are career criminals themselves so unless you're dealing crack from your house (in which case investing in steel-reinforced doors; security cameras et cetera is entirely rational) your chances of being murdered ANYWHERE are substantially less than that and the chances of being murdered in your home are obviously smaller still.

Putting a lock on your door is rational, spending thousands of dollars on home securityprobably isn't unless you're
a. very rich
b. a career criminal or
c. have another reason to think you're at particular risk of violent atatck.

Seriously, having your car's brakes checked, buying a smoke alarm or installing handrails next to the bath-tub will do far more to protect you and your family.

StoneGold

12-02-2006, 05:19 PM

Putting a lock on your door is rational, spending thousands of dollars on home securityprobably isn't unless you're
a. very rich
b. a career criminal or
c. have another reason to think you're at particular risk of violent atatck.

Or doing so lowers your insurance rates.

Iangould

12-02-2006, 05:30 PM

Actually I go through that every year with the shops.

Back-to-base burglar alarms cost us around $1500 per store per year.

The savings on insurance are around $100 per store per year.

In purely economic terms, we'd be better off iwthout the alarms - pay the extra $100 per store in insurance and let the insurance company wear the extra cost.

But I hate the bastards who break in so much and I hate the clean-up afterwards so much that I'd pay for the alarms even without the insurance concession.

K'Nort

12-02-2006, 05:31 PM

Or doing so lowers your insurance rates.

Good point. It may not be the case in Australia, but I have friends in neighborhoods in Portland where the security systems really do change their insurance rates. They also expect it to mainly be helpful during the day when they're gone. It's to protect their stuff, not their persons.

Jack Zodiac

12-02-2006, 11:26 PM

Sweet! I'm makin' me a bump key!

Fish Sauce

12-03-2006, 12:52 AM

This would be hilarious to pull on someone's locker tomorrow.

Seriously, though, it sucks that it's that easy.

StoneGold

12-03-2006, 01:13 AM

This would be hilarious to pull on someone's locker tomorrow.

Seriously, though, it sucks that it's that easy.
Well, except it's not. You still have to have the skill for it. Seriously, is lockpicking really new?

Dan Apodaca

12-03-2006, 02:13 AM

"A good lock and an alarm system is ALL you need to protect your so-called 'property' citizen! Where are your PAPERS?"

Man, you screwed that one up really badly!

No one was talking about alarm systems until you brought them up, and they actually work against your argument!

You need practice.

Fish Sauce

12-03-2006, 03:48 AM

Well, except it's not. You still have to have the skill for it. Seriously, is lockpicking really new?

The video on the site made it look easy as hell, though to be fair I haven't actually tried it.

Boldido

12-03-2006, 04:26 AM

This doesn't concern me as far as traditional burglars go. I am more coincerned that otherwise good, but mischievous, kids may find themselve in serious trouble because of how much easier entering someone's house has now become. I have to confess that if I was aware of bump keys when I was a kid, I may have rearranged the furniture in more than one or two houses. Kids don't realize that they enters someone's home and its not a simple trespass they'd be fighting, but a 2nd degree felony burglary.

howyadoin

12-03-2006, 05:10 AM

Yes, spend several thousand dollars to avodi the possibility of losing a few hundred dollars worth of goods."A few hundred dollars worth"? I've got around $5,000 worth of computer equipment alone, plus about 500 CDs and more liquor than I'd care to inventory.

Tages

12-03-2006, 05:25 AM

"A few hundred dollars worth"? I've got around $5,000 worth of computer equipment alone, plus about 500 CDs and more liquor than I'd care to inventory.
Plus, I have dogs for reasons other than protection. Protection is just an added bonus.

MatthewC

12-03-2006, 11:20 AM

Well, except it's not. You still have to have the skill for it. Seriously, is lockpicking really new?

What's new is the internet making it trivial to acquire the knowledge and tools to open locks.

Before watching this video, I thought of lockpicking as something that was done with a lot of thin steel needles and jiggery-pokery, and I had no real idea how to accomplish it. I expect that was how most people thought of it.

Now I am seriously considering a bump key just as a sort of "universal back-up" in case I ever need to legitmately get into somewhere that the key has been mislaid or I forgot to grab it before I left or the person who was supposed to bring the key didn't show up on time or something like that.

Yoda

12-03-2006, 12:38 PM

Is possession of one of these bump keys considered possession of burglarous tools?

Boldido

12-03-2006, 12:54 PM

Is possession of one of these bump keys considered possession of burglarous tools?
It would depend. If it was found in your possession while you were inside a house illegally, then yes. Absent some showing of the intent of the user, however, you couldn't prosecute in Florida.

810.06 Possession of burglary tools. —

Whoever has in his or her possession any tool, machine, or implement with
intent to use the same, or allow the same to be used, to commit any
burglary or trespass shall be guilty of a felony of the third degree,
punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

Gilda Dent

12-03-2006, 01:32 PM

Iangould

12-03-2006, 01:52 PM

"A few hundred dollars worth"? I've got around $5,000 worth of computer equipment alone, plus about 500 CDs and more liquor than I'd care to inventory.

And how much of that do you think the average junkie thief is going to bother with?

A friend of mine is a youth worker, his clients tell him electrical gear and CDs are hardly worthy ripping off anymore thanks to cheap Chinese imports and downloading.

When you can buy a DVD player legally for $50 how much are you going to pay for a stolen one?

JeffreyWKramer

12-03-2006, 03:31 PM

And how much of that do you think the average junkie thief is going to bother with?

A friend of mine is a youth worker, his clients tell him electrical gear and CDs are hardly worthy ripping off anymore thanks to cheap Chinese imports and downloading.

When you can buy a DVD player legally for $50 how much are you going to pay for a stolen one?

Nonetheless, home electronics, CDs and DVDs are still among the most-stolen items in home burglaries, and they're a favorite because while they may not bring a high price, they're easier to pawn than another favorite, jewelry.