Bike thieves could get a nasty shock next time they put their bolt cutters to work, thanks to a new lock that could cause immediate vomiting.
The SkunkLock is the brainchild of San Francisco entrepreneur Daniel Idzkowski and his partner Yves Perrenoud, who came up with the idea after seeing bike locks severed with apparent ease in the city and the surrounding Bay Area.
Idzkowski finally lost patience when a friend's expensive electric bike was stolen despite being secured with two locks.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"I blurted out, 'Why didn't it blow his balls off?'" he told The Guardian. "The biggest problem in this industry is that people don't know that the lock that they bought for $20 is absolutely worthless."
"We realised that people don't need a bigger stronger lock; we needed a lock with a fundamental deterrent."
The two men set about developing a chemical compound that would provoke an instant sensation of nausea.
The result, formula D_1, is placed in a pressurised container inside a steel U-lock and sprays the would-be thief if the lock is pierced.
Idzkowski and Perrenoud tested it on themselves and on gutsy volunteers.
"At two feet it was pretty bad. It was absolutely vomit inducing in 99 per cent of people," says Idzkowski. "At five feet it's very noticeable and the initial reaction is to move away from it. At ten feet it's definitely detectable and very unpleasant."
Not only does the nauseating formula repel all but the most strong-stomached of thieves, the pungent odour "is sure to cause a scene that makes people look in the direction of the crime", says the Daily Mail.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"102381","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]
Carrying or using any "noxious substance" for self-defence is illegal in the UK, but the SkunkLock team say they have a suitable alternative that would be compliant with the law.
The two men are now looking for investors on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo to get the business started. A $99 pledge guarantees donors a SkunkLock when the fundraising total has been reached, subject to legal clearance. So far, Idzkowski and Perrenoud have raised $5,000 (£4,100) of their target $20,000 (£16,400)
-
Nepal chooses toddler as its new ‘living goddess’Under the Radar Girls between two and four are typically chosen to live inside the temple as the Kumari – until puberty strikes
-
October 5 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailoutTalking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
