NEW BIKE LOCK WILL MAKE THIEVES VOMIT

A San Francisco inventor is taking aim at bike theft with the SkunkLock, a lock designed to “fight back” by emitting a vomit-inducing odor. Daniel Idzkowski is seeking funding on IndieGoGo for the SkunkLock, which he said was inspired by the recent theft of his friend’s bike from outside a Whole Foods, despite being secured by two separate locks. Idzkowski said the hardened medium-carbon steel U-Lock is designed to only emit its noxious odor when someone tries to cut through it with a saw, angle grinder or other tool. the chemicals inside the lock include a concoction dubbed “formula D-1”, similar to pepper spray. He and his team tested out the chemicals at various distances on themselves. “At two feet it was pretty bad. It was absolutely vomit inducing in 99 percent of people. At five feet it’s very noticeable and the initial reaction is to move away from it. At 10 feet it’s definitely detectable and very unpleasant,” he said. Idzkowski is currently charging $99 to pre-order the SkunkLock, which is scheduled to ship in June 2017.
* They say it doesn’t work on bike thieves in France.
* So you get to keep your bike. It’ll be covered with vomit, but you keep it.
* If possible, lock up your bike close to an outdoor hose.
* Here’s the clever part – if a thief cuts through the lock, barfs, and runs away – you have to buy a new SkunkLock.
* Interesting strategy. This guy sounds like he has a future in the arms industry.
* Now bike thieves are responding with the new “SkunkMask” nose protector.
* I’m just surprised this idea didn’t turn up on that “Shark Tank” show.
* Naa, this is way too useful to wind up there.
* One thing everyone can agree on – this invention stinks.