New bicycle lock spits out a noxious gas that will make bike thieves puke
- 8 years ago
SAN FRANCISCO — A pair of San Francisco inventors fed up with getting their bicycles stolen have come up with a chemical deterrent to stop bike thieves.
The SkunkLock contains a vomit-inducing gas that is released when it is cut into.
Co-creators Daniel Idzkowski and Yves Perrenout see huge potential for the device because around $350 million worth of bicycles are stolen in the U.S. each year, according to SkunkLock’s Indiegogo page.
The U-shaped SkunkLock is made of medium-carbon steel and has a hollow chamber inside that contains one of three different pressurized gases. Some of the gas formulas contain capsaicin, the active component in chili peppers.
The formulas are detectable even through gas masks, and ruins any clothing they come into contact with.
The gas smells unpleasant from up to 10 feet away, which could draw unwanted attention to potential bicycle thieves.
The inventors admit the SkunkLock is not foolproof and could probably be picked but say that would take up to 30 minutes because the device has an advanced disc-cylinder tumbler lock, the Guardian reported.
The chemicals in the SkunkLock are legal and compliant with state and national laws.
Idzkowski and Perrenout set a target of $20,000 on their Indiegogo page, but have already received more than $25,000 in pledges. The first SkunkLocks will be shipped to customers by June next year, according to the Guardian.
The SkunkLock contains a vomit-inducing gas that is released when it is cut into.
Co-creators Daniel Idzkowski and Yves Perrenout see huge potential for the device because around $350 million worth of bicycles are stolen in the U.S. each year, according to SkunkLock’s Indiegogo page.
The U-shaped SkunkLock is made of medium-carbon steel and has a hollow chamber inside that contains one of three different pressurized gases. Some of the gas formulas contain capsaicin, the active component in chili peppers.
The formulas are detectable even through gas masks, and ruins any clothing they come into contact with.
The gas smells unpleasant from up to 10 feet away, which could draw unwanted attention to potential bicycle thieves.
The inventors admit the SkunkLock is not foolproof and could probably be picked but say that would take up to 30 minutes because the device has an advanced disc-cylinder tumbler lock, the Guardian reported.
The chemicals in the SkunkLock are legal and compliant with state and national laws.
Idzkowski and Perrenout set a target of $20,000 on their Indiegogo page, but have already received more than $25,000 in pledges. The first SkunkLocks will be shipped to customers by June next year, according to the Guardian.