Protecting cars, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles from
theft is important to modern every day life. Cars and trucks have locks built
in that when used, discourages most car thieves. To protect a motorcycle or
bicycle riders might use a heavy chain or a U lock.
The idea is to make it difficult to steal your
transportation. Thicker chains or U locks, or locks with harder materials make
it more difficult to cut and then steal the bike. Thieves do not want to take
too much time when they steal, the more time they are at a crime scene, the
more likely someone will see them, and they may be caught.
But locks, even the strongest locks, can be cut. A small company
in the San Francisco area thinks it has a novel solution. It notes that in the
United States three bicycles are stolen every minute. And less than 3% of
stolen bicycles are recovered. The company has developed a unique feature in a
U lock that gives a surprise to a potential bike thief.
Called Skunklock, their uniquely colored black and white lock
emits a noxious chemical compound that can induce the thief to vomit when a
thief cuts the lock. The compound can also ruin the thief’s clothes and the
company claims that the compound can even penetrate high-end gas masks.
A lock with an alarm draws attention to the thief but the thief
can run away or may even ignore the alarm and take your bike anyway. A lock
that sends you a text message when your bike is stolen lets you know that it is
stolen but may not help you recover your bike.
The chemical solution is intended to stop the thief and slow
him down enough that a bystander might be able to call police and have police
show up at the scene. Failing that, the thief will probably walk (or stumble)
away and know to stay away from bikes with the U locks that are black and white
in color.
Skunklocks can be used on bicycles and motorcycles.
The manufacturer points out that even a Skunklock is ineffective
if you do not utilize it properly. Among the locking tips that the company recommends
are:
·
Lock your bike in a well-lit, high foot traffic
area. That way, a thief can be more easily observed, and if the Skunklock deploys
its chemical then someone can call the cops.
·
Make sure you lock your bike to something solid.
If you are interested in this lock with its unique approach,
you can only purchase it directly from Skunklock. The company says that it is not currently
selling through retail outlets. When you order a Skunklock it is made to order
and tested, a 6-week process. The regular price is $159.99, but they are
running a special until the end of the year with a price of $119.
Skunklock:
