49 ms·
Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves
- DeepWorker 8y agoI'm from India and packages there are always delivered in person. The delivery person knocks your door and if you're not there, the package is either delivered to your neighbor or another delivery is attempted. Why is this practice not prevalent in the USA?
- binarymax 8y agoI've had fantasies of much worse punishments for package thieves, like a paint gun sentinel. I'd buy this if he'd manufacture it.
- onemoresoop 8y agoWhile all we can do to revenge is sometimes a fantasy, I'd say be rational when you turn your fantasies to reality, you might end up paying the hospitalization for the package thieves.
- cphoover 8y agoNah... that's not the way the law works. I would love to see a thief try and bring that case... EDIT: NAL but... It's my understanding that the likelihood such a case is brought is small 1. Because it pretty much guarantees the alleged perpetrator will have charges brought against them and 2. Contributory negligence would make that case very hard to win. It is my understanding that yes there have been cases where such cases are brought before a court, but they are infrequent, and not easy to win.
- lukev 8y agoBurglar traps are definitely not legal. Where are you getting your information?
- SmellyGeekBoy 8y agoHome Alone
- techopoly 8y agoOh, well, carry on then.
- jki275 8y agoCan you cite a law that says they're not legal? Certainly if you caused someone harm using one it would be illegal in the sense that causing someone harm is illegal anyway, but a harmless trap like this one doesn't seem to me that it would be illegal. I'm not a lawyer though, so I'd be interested to see if there is some law I'm not aware of.
- bduerst 8y ago>Can you cite a law that says they're not legal? The Geneva convention, for starters. It's also a five second Google search: https://definitions.uslegal.com/b/booby-traps/ https://definitions.uslegal.com/b/booby-traps/
- JibJabLab 8y agoThe Geneva Convention applies during wartime, does it not? AFAIK, we aren't in an actual war against theives...
- dragonwriter 8y ago> The Geneva convention Which Geneva Convention applies to non-state actors not acting in the context of international or internal war? Please quote specifically the relevant provisions making it applicable to that case. > It's also a five second Google search Well, yes, that that's all the effort you devoted does explain the rather giant hole in your argument.
- bduerst 8y ago
- 1024core 8y agoIn America, burglars have been known to sue in such cases.
- vorpalhex 8y agoIANAL but my understanding is that it's generally illegal to have any kind of "booby trap". The concern (and also legal test) is whether or not it would be likely to spring on a first responder. If you have your house fill with knockout gas whenever someone enters and a fireman needs to kick in your front door, you're going to jail. Someone entering illegally such a burglar still can bring a suit around a booby trap (but could also still liable for prosecution for their illegal entry, etc).
- notacoward 8y agoSeems like a package trap that triggers on opening would pass that test. First responders aren't going to open a package. The only way they'd be likely to interact with it at all would be to kick it aside.
- zamalek 8y agoMy brothers friend was sued for medical expenses by a perp who broke something falling over toys the kid hadn't packed away. More than a decade ago, but it does confirm your understanding of the situation.
- jakobegger 8y agoThat sounds like an urban legend.
- zamalek 8y agoIt could well be.
- magic_beans 8y agoI do not believe this. Or if your friend WAS sued, I wouldn't be surprised if the case was thrown out.
- electrograv 8y agoI know "theft traps" are not legal (even ultimately harmless ones, like the paintball idea mentioned above), but for some reason it feels bizarrely backwards (or ironic?) that a proportionately harmless response to a thief (caught in the act) would be more likely to see prosecution than the act of theft itself.
- gear54rus 8y agonot exactly harmless if it gets you in the eye..
- weberc2 8y agoI just could not have less sympathy for a thief who injurs himself while stealing. It's bizarre that we live in a world where this is controversial.
- txcwpalpha 8y agoNoone said anything about sympathy. And lack of sympathy is irrelevant to legal liability.
- weberc2 8y agoOk, let me spell it out: that the law protects criminals and punishes innocent citizens in such cases is indicative of a problem with the law. And yes, defending your property from theft is categorically "innocent".
- stanleydrew 8y agoIf your defense against theft ends up killing the thief do you think you shouldn't be liable? The point is that at some point an "innocent" citizen crosses a line and is no longer innocent. We are just debating where the line should be.
- 8y ago
- ddorian43 8y agoBooby traps are illegal
- b_tterc_p 8y agoSounds like you hypothetically need something which is inherently dangerous (scorpions) but not purposefully dangerous to the person who opens it (drone scheduled to attack package owner). As an aside, I don’t know if it legal to ship scorpions.
- EvanAnderson 8y agoThis adds nothing to the conversation but I absolutely cannot resist sharing this gem that I ran into a few days ago: https://dollarscorpionclub.com https://dollarscorpionclub.com (It just seems too appropriate not to share.)
- hossbeast 8y agoBut is it legal to store them in a box on my porch?
- snovv_crash 8y agoWhat about a big box of 'roaches? And the camera of course, that would be comedy gold.
- modeless 8y ago> I don’t know if it legal to ship scorpions That's easy, simply refer to Exhibit 526.5: Restrictions on Mailing Live Scorpions https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c5_008.htm#ep203359 https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c5_008.htm#ep203359
- b_tterc_p 8y agoHow wonderful, yet disappointingly sufficient. Coincidentally, as suggested in the rules, writing “Live scorpions” will probably deter people anyway.
- belorn 8y agoI strongly doubt that there is any rational risk for prosecution given the police response to the first crime, but I would worry more of escalated revenge from the criminal.
- zaarn 8y agoPersonally, if I could legally, morally and practically, I'd probably use chemical deterrents like cadaverine or butter acid (though the later is possibly dangerous). Dump 100mg of cadaverine in the thiefs car and they'll never use that car again. And possibly the clothes they wore at the time. Or other chemicals. It would be most exciting to find chemicals that yield strongest short-term effects without any damaging long term effects.
- dunham 8y agoHaving once had a package thief open/dump packages in my back yard, next to the house, I would prefer you don't do that. The packages were some rolls of vinyl, a box of sealed granola snacks, and some inexpensive jewelry, all rejected by the thief. If the person was homeless, I'm surprised they ditched the food, it was nutritious and shelf-stable. (I redelivered the packages.)
- zaarn 8y agoSome part of me is prepared to pay that price.
- PyroLagus 8y agoIf you want to be really evil, you use Thioacetone: https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2009/06/11/things_i_wont_work_with_thioacetone https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2009/06/11/th... As far as I'm aware, it's the worst smelling chemical known to humans and has no damaging long term effects. You just have to be veeery careful about it unless you want to stink up the whole town by accident.
- justwalt 8y agoThis reads like an urban legend. I’ll have to shake the rust off my OChem lab experience and try some synthesis. Kidding of course, but I it makes wonder how easy this would be for an amateur to synthesize. The consequences being making an entire town nauseous makes this whole thing pretty enigmatic.
- 8y ago
- usermcuserface 8y agoBear in mind... these people know where you live.
- quotha 8y agoHard to believe how many people are concerned by that. So a cowardly thief gets glitter bombed and you are worried that they will come back!! Imagine how much worse it would get for them.
- 49531 8y agoI don't think someone being a thief makes them cowardly, and thus not open to coming back and throwing a brick through your window in retaliation. A thief is already open to the idea of invading your personal space for gain, why not revenge?
- quotha 8y agoThe man spent months and months developing this thing, is that not revenge? I don't understand why everyone thinks the homeowners are helpless and just waiting to be robbed/vandalized/whatever.
- stcredzero 8y agoThink of it this way: You have made a 100 to 200 pound large hairless ape angry at you. This creature has human intelligence, and no interest in your feelings or your safety. Rather, it wants to make you suffer. It's more capable than the most advanced robot, and may hold onto its grudge and plan revenge over the next several months or a year. Who wants to sign up for that?
- quotha 8y agoYou do realize it was a glitter bomb right?
- stcredzero 8y ago
- slig 8y agoDirect link: https://youtu.be/xoxhDk-hwuo https://youtu.be/xoxhDk-hwuo
- mikece 8y agoNice work, but I think I am not alone in hoping we get to see photos of the skunk-glittered thieves soon! Oh -- and to the engineer who made that: you've got a billion dollar idea on your hands if you include a camera that takes video from inside the device when it's opened. I can think of at least 14 people to whom I would send one of these for Christmas, birthday, etc.
- woofcat 8y agoIt was made by Mark Rober a former engineer at JPL who worked on the Mars Rover projects.
- jamesgeck0 8y agoYou should probably watch the video before commenting.
- criddell 8y agoDo you think the bomb maker could be held liable if the package were to be opened in a moving car that subsequently crashed because of glitter getting in the driver's eyes? I'd be a little nervous about doing this myself.
- PakG1 8y agoIANAL, but is that seriously a legal risk? The guy would have to explain he stole it.
- jayess 8y agoHere in the USA, everyone is litigation crazy, so an enterprising lawyer would probably happily file a suit against the maker if someone was injured because of it.
- devman0 8y agoThe issue though is since the box is so expensive (4 cell phones, custom boards, etc) stealing it was likely a felony. So you'd have to admit to a felony to sue or press charges against box maker. Second when committing a felony, in many jurisdiction the felon is automatically on the hook for any further 'bad things' that happen during the crime up to and including deaths. So if the felonious package thief got in an accident while opening a stolen package, it could all fall on them as a matter of statute in many places.
- duiker101 8y agoWhat if I just buy something very stupid that could scare someone but I actually wanted it for myself? Or what if I actually bought the same device in the video but I wanted it for some other use or for checking out how it's made?
- criddell 8y agoIntent matters. If you have a baseball bat in your car along with your glove and cleats, you have a piece of sports equipment. If you step out of your car with the bat and smash a car that cut you off in traffic, it's a weapon.
- MrBuddyCasino 8y agoAnyone else found it unsatisfactory that there was nothing about forwarding the footage of the thieves to the police?
- Itaxpica 8y agoThe article mentions that he built this in the first place because the police told him that there was nothing they could do even with footage
- izzydata 8y agoThey couldn't do anything with the footage of them taking it from the front porch. But with close up footage of their face and GPS coordinates of some of their houses it seems like a different story.
- weberc2 8y agoNot to mention license plates that are caught in the video.
- SlowRobotAhead 8y agoI’m not trying to be cynical “at you” but my time with police has taught me they are there to document crime always and stop it directly almost never. TV and Movies mislead.
- logfromblammo 8y agoMy time with police has taught me that they will make you do your own documentation by filling out the crime reports yourself, and then just rubber-stamp them for the benefit of your insurance company. Vigilante justice is the only kind there is for misdemeanor property crimes. You could track the thief down, talk him into giving your property back and turning himself in, and drive him to the police station yourself, and the cops would still tell you both to get lost and stop wasting their time. Petty thieves and burglars are pretty low priority for US cops, as long as it's poor people stealing from poor people. Thus you can have an entire class of people that can routinely steal anything they come across that isn't nailed down, yet never get caught. Because no one tries to catch them. And then they get jobs that give them access to things that are only lightly nailed down, because they have no criminal records. The cops aren't really there to protect you or your property. They will if it's convenient, but if you need real protection, you'll have to pay someone and have a contract in place. Or just do what most people do: get insurance with a reasonable deductible and keep all your stuff locked up or nailed down.
- fcbrooklyn 8y agoThe video is well worth your time. The device works very well, and the fart spray has a purpose, in that it encourages the thief to ditch the package as soon as possible, enabling him to recover and reload it.
- ataturk 8y agoNo it's not. Stop, just stop. Think about the holidays and why we have them. Put some extra cash in the Salvation Army pot, give some toys to the Marines for Toys for Tots. Do something positive. There's a reason why materialism is bad.
- dgritsko 8y agoPresumably the last thief never disposed of the package and was therefore the only one to discover the cameras. I wonder what they were thinking, and if they'll come across the video. Wouldn't be surprised if so, it was on the front page of Reddit yesterday.
- Rainymood 8y agoI'm honestly really shocked by how casually people seem to steal these parcels, like what the hell?
- vorpalhex 8y agoAnd many of those people were driving pretty nice cars! It wasn't exactly the homeless stealing packages to feed their family.
- xbmcuser 8y agohomeless are generally not thieves as if they could steal they wouldn't be homeless in the first place
- _verandaguy 8y agoWhat are they gonna do, steal a house?
- Loughla 8y agoYou seem to be getting downvoted because you made a joke, but honestly. The more I look at that sentence: >homeless are generally not thieves as if they could steal they wouldn't be homeless in the first place The less sense it makes. I 100% do not understand what the OP was trying to say with that. It's nonsense if you really evaluate what it's saying.
- thecatspaw 8y agomaybe steal -> get caught -> go to prison -> no longer homeless?
- carlmcqueen 8y agohttps://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/st-louis-larceny-reaches-new-milestone-with-theft-of-entire/article_223154fe-9b92-5e53-9e88-f2755ab75990.html https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/st-loui... Wasn't a homeless person, but in St. Louis Missouri a house isn't out of the question.
- modzu 8y agoit's surprising and sad how 'average' the thieves all seem to be; i expected to see somebody down on their luck, not a guy in a lexus or with a $2000 bike in his room. im trying not to jump to conclusions about humanity. please help.
- slezyr 8y agoThat bike most likely is also stolen.
- astrodust 8y agoImagine how much money you could make hawking shit you stole on eBay and how little income tax you'd pay on it. Until you get caught. Leasing a car isn't beyond the reach of petty criminals.
- greedo 8y agoEbay will report your sales if you reach a certain threshold.
- HeyLaughingBoy 8y agoThere was a news story last winter about a wealthy woman (in a new Lexus, in fact) who died while trying to steal clothes from a charity used-clothing drop box. Apparently she was standing on a stepladder with her head inside the box (it's designed to be theft-resistant) and slipped off the step ladder and was strangled.
- dplgk 8y agoI wonder how much time it took to get all these thieves? We get less people stealing our packages in NYC.
- bookofjoe 8y agoRelated: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/viral-video-shows-man-getting-shocked-trying-to-steal-electrified-trump-yard-sign https://www.foxnews.com/politics/viral-video-shows-man-getti... https://www.foxnews.com/politics/viral-video-shows-man-getting-shocked-trying-to-steal-electrified-trump-yard-sign https://www.foxnews.com/politics/viral-video-shows-man-getti...
- empath75 8y agoi dunno, 4 free iphones is probably worth dealing with glitter and fart spray for a few minutes?
- teraflop 8y agoWatch the video. The phones are hidden, and the fart spray is designed to make the thief get rid of the package as quickly as possible rather than taking it apart to see what might be inside.
- mcv 8y agoEven so, wouldn't it be better to use 4 cheap cameras instead of 4 expensive smartphones?
- dpark 8y agoProbably not. Likely these were second-hand phones, so not terribly expensive. Also because they are phones, they can upload "to the cloud" automatically, have GPS and cell tower triangulation for accurate location reporting.
- bsamuels 8y ago4 cheap cameras wont have lte radios seriously, pick up x4 $30 prepaid phones from walmart and they'll do the job perfectly
- miccah 8y agoIf you knew they were there. The creator obscures everything except the cameras' lenses.
- izzydata 8y agoI don't think money was the concern here. The guy seems pretty well off.
- Adisuki 8y agoLeft his job at NASA to start a company, sell it, and work on viral content for many companies. He's pretty much rich at this point.
- chrisseaton 8y agoI don't understand why the delivery people just leave packages on porches? Why not leave somewhere safe and out of view? Or leave it with a neighbour?
- natch 8y agoAdds too much friction to the system. Yes theft adds friction too, but the relative effects of each are weighed and the lowest cost option wins. If they don’t do it this way, a competitor will, and then that competitor will win. Plus, the options you mention are always available for special cases, and are sometimes used.
- astrodust 8y agoAs a random delivery person do you know the neighbor's relationship? If you know both parties personally maybe you can, but that's a rarity these days for anyone outside of certain companies. Amazon's ad-hoc delivery service never sends the same person twice.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- alkonaut 8y agoIf I’m not home then I get the package delivered to a post office or more commonly the shop on he corner (a network of thousands of little shops acting as pickup points). I think it’s a good trade off between convenience and safety. What delivery options do large online retailers in the US offer if you absolutely don’t want a package left on your porch? Here it’s usually - directly to pickup point: free for orders over say $50 or $100, otherwise $10 - to door, or pickup point if not home: $20 Very rarely is there free delivery to the door.
- bootlooped 8y agoPart of the reason, at least in some cases, must be apathy and laziness. USPS never rings my doorbell when they deliver, nor will they put the package anywhere it's not easily visible from the street, despite there being a couple of easy ways to do this.
- ataturk 8y agoI would like people to stop doing this childish nonsense. There is a guy who does "Operation Krampus" every year and brags about putting gifts out filled with cat shit. And people think he's so funny and cool. Thing is, he could be spending his time doing something uplifting and productive instead of being a low-life asshole himself. It's not funny, first of all. It's childish. It isn't in keeping with the spirit of the holidays. The holidays are about giving, not being assholes to the less fortunate. Thieves deserve what they get, but seriously, if you were looking at how to spend your time over the holidays, why not volunteer or donate and forget about the lowlifes? They are punished enough just by living, and no childish bullshit is going to deter them from their behavior. Set a good example for others this holiday season and don't give in to childish pranks that just further tear down our society.
- flareback 8y agoWhile yes he could be volunteering but it's hard to "forget about the lowlifes". These people are stealing and you don't really just forget about packages disappearing off your porch. You may not agree with his tactics but I don't believe his pranks are furthering to "tear down our society" especially not anymore than the criminals that are stealing. Also, I found his prank funny.
- ataturk 8y agoI can't believe I got downvoted for what I said. This country is truly lost. Stealing is bad, I am not defending thieves in any manner. What I am saying is that people are spending time and effort in all the wrong ways, an idea I stand by. Bullshit glitter bombs are not making our lives better--going out and volunteering and helping kids not become fucking miserable thieves is how we move forwards. By the way, glitter bomb guy now has to worry about his house burning down because one good turn deserves another and you have NO IDEA how the criminal mind works and what lengths people will go to fuck with you if they have a vendetta that you caused with your shitty little glitter bomb. You start something, you better be ready to end it.
- hossbeast 8y agoYou did not watch the video. Some of the theives caught on video live in nice homes. And yet they're stealing packages from a stranger's doorstep. Why?
- ragebol 8y agoIn the Netherlands, when I order a package and no one's at home when it's delivered, it either gets delivered to my neighbors or to the post office, with a note of where to pick it up. It's never left at my door AFAIK. How is this not an option in the US?
- johnlp 8y agoIt is depending on your location and which carrier is delivering the package. In a city you wouldn't typically see the package left on the doorstep. However out in the suburbs they get left as there is still a peculiar notion of wholesomeness.
- learc83 8y ago>there is still a peculiar notion of wholesomeness It's less to do with wholesomeness than it is with a lower population density (there's also a lower crime rate in general in the suburbs, though it's less of a difference than it was 25 years ago). In the suburbs you have far fewer people walking past your doorstep--fewer crimes of opportunity. You're also much more likely to be noticed as being out of place if you're driving around a quiet neighborhood looking for packages.
- mcphage 8y agoGenerally because people don't want it. Shipping used to be a lot stricter about signatures, etc, but people usually aren't home when the packages get delivered, and package theft isn't a significant enough problem to make the extra security worth the inconvenience.
- chrisseaton 8y ago> package theft isn't a significant enough problem This guy had his package stolen many times in a short space of time. Seems like the problem is pretty bad?
- ionforce 8y ago
- JCharante 8y agoSo I guess parcel thieves should remember to open all their packages in a faraday cage nowadays?
- martin-adams 8y agoYou'd need a portable faraday cage right. Otherwise you'd be tracked right to it.
- cosmotron 8y agoWhat are people's thoughts on if this is staged? Considering the views / subscriptions are the main motivation here, it might justify the expenses poured into this project – that is, it would be quite a waste if all that effort went into the build just to have no one actually take it off the porch. If actors were used, it would explain the lack of police involvement (it's easy to say, "police weren't interested" ). An obvious consequence of it being a production without disclosure is the copycats that this will spawn. Edit: just to add a bit more food-for-thought in response to comments such as, "why do that to your own car?" or "why get sprayed with fart spray": what makes you believe it's their own car (could be a beater picked up for a few hundred dollars) or that the fart spray actually smells?
- astrodust 8y agoYou couldn't pay me enough to be an "actor" who had their house or car glitterbombed.
- ionforce 8y agoAnd get fart sprayed on.
- palotasb 8y agoYou're assuming that if it's fake, the spray is still real.
- jackhack 8y agoace body spray -- still can't pay me enough.
- southerndrift 8y agoWhich doesn't happen at all incidents. E.g. the last thief who opens the package in his house doesn't complain about a smell at all. So chances are that this is staged.
- deleted 8y ago
- kwhitefoot 8y agoWhy not use the sort of dye that banks use to protect ATMs?
- mankyd 8y agoFart spray and glitter are temporary and relatively harmless. Permanent dye in someone's home are car is just being a jerk.
- bewatson 8y agoso is stealing a package off someones porch
- mankyd 8y agoI certainly don't deny that. Personally, I'm still not going to perma-dye someone's car.
- auiya 8y agoWe sure wouldn't want to upset people stealing our belongings.
- slig 8y agoOne other issue is: they're criminals, they know where they got the package from and now they're pissed.
- mankyd 8y agoI won't deny the criminality. I'm still not going to cause them thousands of dollars in damage over it.
- AstralStorm 8y agoUse UV active dye (usually transparent otherwise) so they get shiny. Say, a package gets wet itself.
- 0898 8y agoI know I'm going to get downvoted for this, but glitter is a microplastic – I hope we'll see it being used less in the future.
- mcv 8y agoI want to upvote you for your concern about microplastics, but my rule is to downvote people who complain about voting.
- Skywing 8y agoThank you for letting us know.
- MrStonedOne 8y agoI have the same rule. It sounds so whiny when they start their message decrying that they'll get downvotes for something. Its even worse when its not something they will get downvotes for. That's when you realize that they probably get downvoted a lot because of how whiny they are, only they always blame it on some other aspect because they have no self awareness.
- tylerl 8y agoUm.... OK.
- subcosmos 8y agoSo THATS why fish are so sparkly and shiny! Fabulous!
- hjek 8y agoGood point. There's plastic free glitter[0], which I've seen used at environmentally considerate festivals. He should use that for his pranks. I hope campaigns against single use plastic become more mainstream soon, and that will not happen without it being talked about more, so thanks for raising the point. [0]: https://www.ecoglitterfun.com/the-eco-bit https://www.ecoglitterfun.com/the-eco-bit
- 8y ago
- mirimir 8y agoYes, he did a great job on design and construction. But I wonder if sought legal advice before implementing. Because, as others have noted, I gather that booby traps are illegal in the US. Maybe this one is benign enough, but I rather doubt it. Also, while it's true that thieves aren't so likely to press claims, what about parents of juvenile thieves?
- umvi 8y ago"It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission"
- owenversteeg 8y agoI believe (someone more knowledgeable feel free to correct me) that booby traps are only illegal when they hurt/damage people.
- Ajedi32 8y agoI'm really surprised at how many times he was able to recover and reuse that device before it was lost for good. It seems like during the last clip the stink spray failed to activate for some reason?
- aiven 8y agoYeah, spray failed and because of this last guy kept the package. Probably this is why it was the last video.
- klausjensen 8y agoI really enjoyed the this. The insane over-engineering, the well thought out details (like the 30sec fart-spray to get them to ditch the package, maximising chances of recovery), the harmless-ness of it. Loved it! :D
- TheLoneAdmin 8y agoHmm, I'd be worried about retribution. Spread glitter in someone's car, they might come back and torch your house. Assuming they can remember where they grabbed the package from.
- slig 8y agoI'd be worried as well. Even if the criminals didn't remember where they got the package, now the video is going viral and it looks like the shows his home address on a map. Edit: as someone pointed out it's not his address. I just re-watched the video and it's written on the map that it's not actually his house address.
- themoat 8y agoI cannot believe I know this...but the location on the map is actually the McCallister's house from Home Alone, in Illinois, Mark lives in California. I looked it up a few months ago...and I recognized the google map as soon as it popped up on the video. https://goo.gl/maps/1sytkJCxFqn https://goo.gl/maps/1sytkJCxFqn
- duiker101 8y agoHe mentions that he used that address on the package too.
- lawlessone 8y agoThis was very well thought out.
- scrumbledober 8y agoThat's amazing. He goes through a lot of explaining how he used the address for the label and I thought it was weird that he was showing us where his house was on a map.
- alexandercrohde 8y agoWell, he has video of their faces, and possibly where they live, plus security cameras, so at least they'd get life or worse if they did.
- ttty2 8y agoWhat if somebody was driving and while it opens he has an accident and is dead and/or kills somebody? What would happen?
- craftyguy 8y agoDriving a car while opening a package is not exactly a safe activity to do in the first place, regardless of what is in the package.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- rdtsc 8y agoThis needs careful consideration if you ever decide to do it. Depending on the local criminal culture they could exact revenge. Then also know where you live and can do a lot worse things than taking a package. Police might later be involved but it might not be worth it. You are dealing with people who have no qualms stealing so it's not too crazy to expect other rash and illegal acts from them. I can also see some intrepid crooks suing for glitter damaging their eyesight permanently or some other bullshit claim. Some attorney or DA might decide to get free publicity and see if they can swing a "injured by booby trap" case.
- kgwxd 8y agoLeave it on your enemies porch while they're away on vacation, then any revenge will be had on your enemy. Or your enemy opens the box.
- bena 8y agoThis is another level of thinking
- dragonwriter 8y ago> Leave it on your enemies porch while they're away on vacation But hope your enemy doesn't have a porch camera...
- move-on-by 8y ago> You are dealing with people who have no qualms stealing, it's not too crazy to expect other rash and illegal acts from them. In more then one instance the thief opened the package at their house. So its fair to say he knows where they live too. Also, very clear HD video of their faces and vehicles. And there is no way all the glitter is going to get cleaned up - so more evidence of who they are. And home security cameras with more images of them. Not to say these idiots are smart enough to let things be at this point - but if they do retaliate, there is a very high chance they would be caught. As for your comments about liability. Yeah, that sounds entirely plausible.
- 8y ago
- xenadu02 8y agoI recommend package drop boxes if package theft is a problem for you: https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=17572893011 https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=17572893011
- progval 8y agoIronically, one of them has "assorted glitter colors"
- decebalus1 8y agoI don't know what to think about this. It feels staged. I know, I know, the guy is legit, etc.. but I guess the internet made me a skeptic. People go to great lengths for making things viral. I remember various Reddit legit 'Gods of science', very popular IRL which were banned for having bot accounts upvoting their contributions so I trust nobody. And if it's not staged, I see this as an open invite for vandalism, or worse. Those people were pissed and unscrupulous. What's stopping them from coming back and throwing a Molotov cocktail at your house or slashing your tires if you park on the street? First thing I thought about when seeing this video was:"THE GUY KNOWS WHERE YOU FUCKING LIVE". Just ask a cop if he/she thinks this is a good idea. What was initially a crime of opportunity can now escalate to something much worse. Also, what if the thief opens the package when driving and hits someone? I could easily see a lawyer or an ambitious DA going after the guy for booby trapping a package. Bad idea all around.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- everyone 8y agoWhat I found interesting was that none of the people looked poor. Many of them had cars, they seemed to have nice houses, they were all well dressed. I reckon they are just average victims of 'asperational' media and general consumerism and materialism, that is quite rampant in modern society. I reckon they just want the latest gadget, or intend to sell it in order to get another useless status symbol of some kind.
- anonu 8y agoThis is an an awesome project... the kinda stuff I wish I had more time to hack away at... In the video he mentions his automatic bullseye dartboard project... even more impressive than this glitter machine IMHO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHTizZ_XcUM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHTizZ_XcUM Calculating a projectile's trajectory in realtime.... wouldn't even know where to start. EDIT: dartboard code from that youtube link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/rlmhdjoqzyumme1/darts.zip?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/rlmhdjoqzyumme1/darts.zip?dl=0
- breck 8y agoIs there a GitHub link?
- tivert 8y agoIf you're concerned about package thieves, just buy an outdoor cabinet and put it next to your door with a note asking that packages be placed in it. I use an Ikea Josef: https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/storage-furniture/outdoor-organising/josef-cabinet-in-outdoor-dark-grey-art-00168990/ https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/storage-furniture/outdoo... You don't even need a lock for it. If you can get the deliverymen to consistently place packages in it, the thieves will have no idea if there's actually a package at your door to steal or not without actually attempting a theft. For extra deterrence, you can install a motion activated camera next to it. The idea is to reduce the thieves' expectation of reward while increasing their expectation of getting caught.
- bovermyer 8y agoOne fun psychological hack for this - paint an eye above or on said locker. This is backed by research. For example: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-22270052 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-22270052
- samstave 8y ago@jdb here on HN had, at one time, installed a very conspicuous camera housing on his house although it had no camera in it. Psychological deterrence.
- gkfasdfasdf 8y agoTangent, but my son and I used Mark's video on building a pinewood derby car. He gives a list of 7-8 things to do to your car in order of effectiveness. A theme in his video is that the car doesn't have to look fancy to be fast. We implemented most of his recommendations and didn't have time to paint or decorate the car. We ended up winning and we were the most unadorned car in the pack. TLDR: Mark is legit.
- dylan604 8y ago“Glitter: the herpes of all craft supplies. You can never get rid of it.” I wish I was clever enough to have come up with that.
- violiner 8y agos/glitter/lye
- techaddict009 8y agoParcel picking seems a huge problem in USA. I am from India. I didnt know about this untill recent. I gifted Kindle fire stick to one friend in USA. They package was delivered and had note "Placed on Back Porch". I didnt notice that properly and then found it was picked up :P My friend didnt get it. Thanks to amazon who bared the loss and recent one more again. Hope govt. comes with some strict laws to fix this before it turns to huge.
- ChuckMcM 8y agoNice, I posted a link to the video yesterday (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18704553 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18704553) I really like the reactions of all the folks who picked up the package. The 'fart spray' was a really nice touch. I was also thinking that if you could aerosolize some cyanoacrylate when throwing that glitter bomb, it could make for some good times. But there is a line you don't want to cross or you'll get people into revenge mode. Glitter and farts seems pretty harmless.
- dmarlow 8y agoWhy glitter though? I'd choose something that is far more difficult to remove; like ink, motor oil, etc.
- floatingatoll 8y agoHe's using glitter that's as fine as sand. It coats every available surface and sinks into the pores of all soft materials (such as leather car seats).
- jakobegger 8y agoIt's amazing how many people just use their cars to steal packages. If the camera angle was slightly different, it should be trivial to track them down (license plate). I wish police would track down thieves more effectively...
- djhworld 8y agoI'm not sure what this proves other than being a honey trap and good YouTube clickbait. This has been done on YouTube before with people setting up unlocked bicycles attached to some strong difficult to see rope bolted to a nearby structure (e.g. fishing wire), waiting for someone to come and take it, and then laugh when the thief goes flying over the handlebars as they ride off It's justice porn, but at the same time it makes me feel uncomfortable watching.
- amai 8y agoWhy is not an option in the US to get your parcels delivered to your workplace? This is quite common practice in Germany.
- wuunderbar 8y agoPeople do it all the time; many US office workplaces are okay with it. However, not everyone has an office situation like that nor should we need to live in fear of getting items delivered to our home.
- brightball 8y agoDo not mess with engineers
- coryfklein 8y agoWow the video codec just doesn't know what to do with that much glitter, does it.
- SCAQTony 8y agoIs this even legal or safe to have a glitter "bomb," or more accurately, a spinning motor spraying glue if an accomplice opens the package within a moving car? How about just a GPS signal to notify cops. The glitter stuff and chemical spray is probably a civil liability as well.
- myrryr 8y ago> How about just a GPS signal to notify cops. Which would work if the cops cared about it at all... Which leads to the glitter bomb being created....
- SCAQTony 8y agoMy understanding is that the police do care and Amazon is working with them... and they are not using glitter or chemical scents like you advocate: New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/12/11/us/ap-us-porch-thefts-sting.html https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/12/11/us/ap-us-porch-t... CBS: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/police-department-teams-up-with-amazon-to-catch-porch-pirates-1396450883965 https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/police-department...
- seattle_spring 8y ago> My understanding is that the police do care Oh you sweet, summer child.
- ljm 8y agoI appreciate this is HN so the main thread of conversation is going to naturally tend towards security and tech. How to protect your stuff with cameras and GPS trackers and what not. Is such blatant parcel theft not indiciative of a greater societal illness? Not simply poverty and drug abuse. I find myself trying to imagine why I’d drive through suburbs with a partner in crime and nab the odd parcel from a porch along the way. I could be looking to fence something to pay for the next high, or I could be poor as hell and looking to make ends meet. Or, maybe I might just think that the person I’m stealing from is wealthy enough to deal without it and I simply need whatever it is more than they do? I wonder, because there’s a lot you can assume about someone living in a pleasant suburb, ordering lots of Amazon packages. The likely colour of their skin, their money, maybe even their politics. And we like to use attributes like those to decide whether or not someone deserves something. I’ve no idea, but I find it really difficult to explore this without trying to understand why it happens.
- pixl97 8y ago> not indiciative of a greater societal illness? Pretty much been a thing since people have large enough societal groups (larger than Dunbar's number), that some anonymity is allowed. We just get to share these events via our high tech electronic networks and everyone gets to see it.
- will_brown 8y agoI just told this story on HN, but my car window was smashed on 10/13/18 and the theives got my wallet and house keys. They used my credit card at foot locker (~$500), The Store Manager confirmed two guys made the purchase and corporate said they would turn over the video if police just ask. A month later the bank fraud dept informed me someone was trying to cash a fake check ($1,600) against my account at an ATM using my ID (stolen from the car) and they ATM video shows the guy and the would turn it over to police if they requested it. I even emailed the detective with chain and all he had to do was reply all, but the detective refuses (“we don’t look into these things”). Meanwhile these people have my address and key (even though I rekeyed) they may be lurking and try to come in, and I should be entitled to know what these people look like. I was attacked on HN for suggesting this but I’ll suggest it again, since the author of this post already had video of these theives, there needs to be a platform to post these videos for the public to crowdsource the identity of these people. I know there are not police resources to pursue every amazon purchase, but in my case it was grand theft and it’s ongoing, and likely to escalate, but the police are unwilling to do anything to help (but be damn sure they’d look into it if they were the victims).
- weaksauce 8y agoAre there other agencies you can contact?
- alunchbox 8y agoThat's really interesting in regards to the police behaviour perhaps it's the areas you're located in? (I'm located close to Toronto) I've had a similar experience to yours, having my back window smashed out and wallet stolen. luckily we have camera's for our property and were able to get a license # and had our own footage to provide the police with. I wonder if that's why it was taken more seriously. In your shoes I would tell the police you are being targeted & feel unsafe. that might trigger a better response which isn't entirely untrue. It's not like these people are oversea's they are in your city.
- iamdave 8y agothere needs to be a platform to post these videos for the public to crowdsource the identity of these people. And then what? Will the platform also have a portal that will let people en masse vex the local PD with messages containing links to the video until the precinct assigns an officer to the case? What happens next? Is there going to be a timer or some kind of SLA on the platform that notifies people in the crowd "Sergeant Jones still hasn't found the bastard who stole from the Smith family down on the corner"? Crowdsourcing criminal investigation, even a passive element of it like identifying mugs from home security footage seems like a rabbit hole I'm not sure we're prepared to go down (it also scares the bajeezus out of me because the general population, sorry to say this, aren't the rational actors I want involved in trying to identify perps so casually through 'platforms').
- linsomniac 8y agoAll of the videos this guy, Mark Rober, does are worth watching. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY1kMZp36IQSyNx_9h4mpCg https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY1kMZp36IQSyNx_9h4mpCg
- linsomniac 8y agoThis video has a couple scenes of people opening the package in what looks like their own house. Like the guy vacuuming up all the glitter after the fact, or the woman tossing the package in her trash can. Sure with Mark Rober had given some details about what the police did in that case.
- jacquesm 8y agoPSA: do not piss off engineers with too much time on their hands.
- WillPostForFood 8y agoDoes this video seem fake/staged to anyone else? Particularly the reaction of the thief, but also that they left the phones behind, the unlikely GPS signal in the garage, he fearless approach to the crime scene. Nothing felt right.
- loser777 8y agoIt's definitely a possibility but: + I think it's hard to guess what the reaction of a thief will be + The only indication that there were phones inside appeared to be the tiny holes for the cameras + It appears he had a trace of GPS signals over time so that he would be able to deduce it ended up in garage if it stopped transmitting there I would say the "fearless approach to the crime scene" is probably the most suspect bit.
- akeck 8y agoStories like this, and other logistical issues I've personally faced (e.g., counterfeits), have pushed me back to shopping brick-and-mortar for certain things. Yes, I have physically to go to a place to shop, but for some expensive/desirable items, it's more discreet and simpler.
- poundtown 8y agotake one phone and repackage it in its old box. turn it on and throw it into a amazon box and wait. once you have their address you can slowly exact revenge via subtle methods that dont expose you. this glitter method would be like kicking a shark in my neighborhood. made a good vid tho i really enjoyed watching it. esp the fart spray parts.
- irrational 8y agoIn our area it was an Amazon driver who was stealing packages. He would deliver his assigned packages, but then take any packages that were already left on the porch from previous deliveries.
- irrational 8y agoIt is interesting to note the various demographics: black/white, male/female, older/younger, etc. There doesn't seem to be any pattern (other than being unethical jerks) as to who steals packages.
- Pai4033 8y agoแลกคะแนนจากแอฟveeuไม่ได้รับเงิน
- thewikidaily 8y agohttp://houseboimarket.com/mueller-closes-in-on-trump-you-cant-fire-the-grand-jury/ http://houseboimarket.com/mueller-closes-in-on-trump-you-can...
- H1Supreme 8y agoI watched this video earlier today, and I've seen other videos where people's packages are stolen off their front porch. One was a super busy street where the porch was at street level and totally open for all to see. My first thought is: Why are you getting packages delivered to your house if this is an issue? I live in a rural'ish area on a very low traffic street. I still get all my packages delivered to work. All the offices I've worked in have never had a problem with me doing this. My current office is a secure building with a metal detector and armed security. No issues. If someone's on the road, or out of the office constantly, then have the package held at a UPS or Fedex store. Once UPS, Fedex, or USPS drop that package off on your porch, it's your responsibility.
- cabaalis 8y agoIt'd the United States. Thief will sue for damages glitter bomb caused his lungs, and win.
- emanuensis 8y agoFor package thieves most of the problem, at least for those at home most of the time, like me, is simply have the delivery man RING THE BELL. Why this is not common practice for all deliverers, UPS/FEDEX/AZ etc. is beyond me. If the delivery man is already at the front porch all he has to do is reach for the bell.
- apexalpha 8y agoI'm just amazed they leave packages outside your door for everyone to see and grab. Why don't they at least try the neighbours?
- upstandingdude 8y agoFake
- ataturk 8y agoToday, instead of building a glitter bomb, I donated $100 to a local animal shelter. You're not making the world a better place with mindless pranks no matter how sophisticated they are. You'll have to actually do something positive.
- tripzilch 8y agoThe fart spray was the most brilliant part of the contraption, imho. If you look at the video, you can see he pulled the trick numerous times with the same (costly) device, mainly because the thieves were disgusted by the smell and threw it out before they discovered there were four phones in the package.