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Hotel room security defeated by a piece of wire - can be secured with a towel
This video clip is pretty alarming - it shows how easy it is for a stranger to enter your hotel room, using nothing more than a piece of wire. As you can see in the clip, the wire goes under the door, and is used to open the door from the inside. In all my years of staying in hotels, I never realized how simple it could be.
Thankfully, the clip also shows how easy it is to defeat this method - stuff a towel behind the door handle. Of course, now this new entry method has been revealed to the world, I'm going to have to start using the towel protection method every time I'm in a hotel room. At least when you are in your room, you can protect against this kind of entry with the deadbolt and/or door chain, the real danger is when you are not in your room, and nobody is protecting your valuables.
(Via Gizmodo)
Filed under: Hotels and Accommodations
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
capt123 Feb 25th 2010 7:54AM
Even the deadbolt theory won't help -- for safety reasons, deadbolts are automatically unlocked by the inside door handle so they won't be a problem in an emergency. This device opens the deadbolt, too.
Tari Feb 25th 2010 8:40AM
A very old trick. This is how we would get into our dorm rooms in college if we locked ourselves out. I guess some took more away from college than most.
annie Feb 25th 2010 10:31AM
True, but there is always the metal bar that goes across the door and that does not release when you use the handle. Of course, that is when you are in your room.....
paula Feb 25th 2010 8:30AM
yes lets show all of us that do not know how to break in to a hotel room just how to do it!!!!!!!! wtf
Soldier Boy Feb 25th 2010 1:20PM
Uh!! Paula,
If you think that bad guys don't already know how to do this, your fooling yourself.
red Feb 25th 2010 8:34AM
simply use your door lock whith a towel when in the room along with the safety chain or hook (required by law in all rooms) then when you leave put the towel back behind the handle the same way when you leave. it will stay there because the handle wont move when you close the door it auto locks. your key card will let you turn the handle when you return and towel wont stop handle from moving. if all else fails bring your doberman killer dog with you.
George Feb 25th 2010 12:01PM
And if no killer dog is available, an alert budgie will do just fine.
Tony Feb 25th 2010 8:52AM
A slim-jim for hotels!
I've tried similar things, because I'm a security nerd, and it's really not that easy. First, the door needs to have a reasonable gap beneath it. The tool their using is pretty wide--most of an inch it looks like--and how many hotel doors have that big of a gap? Second, they're clearly very practiced at this, because it's really hard to get the tool to line up with the door handle and to get enough leverage to pull it down. Think how much force those door handles require, and how you need to get that torque by twisting the tool (because it has an angle built into it), and how strong the metal is when being twisted that way.
You can't do it with a clothes-hangar, in other words--that's why their tool is so wide, and why it won't fit under most doors.
I'm just saying, don't panic. The best way to sneak into a hotel room is still to run down the hallway in nothing but a towel and speak broken Spanish to the maid about how you locked yourself out until she lets you in the room.
I babble about it on my own blog, and put up some of my other favorite lock-pick/hack videos...
http://zingzama.com/video/bad-nerd/
Keith Feb 25th 2010 9:14AM
Why in God's name would you show this video to the world & allow otherwise unknowing criminals how to do this? Who on earth could've possible thought this was a good idea?
Get Real Feb 25th 2010 10:05AM
Yeah so they showed you how to do it, but they also show you how to defend against it! It just like the news, get a life.
Louie Feb 25th 2010 9:40AM
I have an idea, if you see someone in a hotel walking around with a four foot hanger just notify the authorities. For Christ's sakes, are you kidding me? Who in their right mind is going to ignore someone walking around with something like that that apparently has no good purpose? What's it supposed to be, floss for a great whiter shark? Come on, wake up.
Lorie Feb 26th 2010 6:05PM
Just what I was thinking... Wouldn't someone notice this guy???
mnm Feb 25th 2010 9:58AM
How did he get the hanger to bend upwards?
Tim Ault Feb 25th 2010 10:07AM
rewatch and you will see a sting attached to the hanger when shown from inside to help pull wire up to handle. I don't think you would have that availabe to you what you try to do it.
mnm Feb 25th 2010 12:39PM
If they tie a string to it and it has a hinge it would work. It's good to be aware of it.
mojo Feb 25th 2010 10:13AM
this is great, now hotel owners are going to have to install new locks when they are available. this means millions and millions of a new safety device will have to be installed in hotels across the country. the hospitality business is still recovering from 9/11. they have been hit hard by the recession and now new locks or other safety devices costing who knows what? a lot of smaller hotels are going to close because with lower rates they are just about making a very low profit line with mandated lower rates. this little bit of fodder has to hurt them. i wonder how many people are buying 4 foot lengths of wire today?
Robert Feb 25th 2010 12:00PM
None mojo.
kcdgenius Feb 25th 2010 10:16AM
Anyone who leaves anything of value in a hotel room is an idiot!
the hotel tells you this THEMSELVES - its a room to sleep it, its not a bank vault.
There are probably 20 people in the hotel that can get in your room while you are not there - they ALL have the key, and 19 of them earn minimum wage to clean up after you when you puke on the bed and floor, to clean your toilets and showers, and to cook your meals.
If you are going to leave anything of value in your room, you might as well leave it on the sidewalk infront of the building.
happilydiagnosed Nov 23rd 2010 2:57PM
yeah, thanks for showing every criminal (rapist, abuser, murderer, etc.) how to break into our hotel rooms-how stupid!
The College Inn bed and Breakfast Feb 25th 2010 1:39PM
Ah, and yet another reason to stay away from nasty hotels! Instead, support local small businesses and stay at a bed and breakfast! Much cleaner, safer and a lot more enjoyable!