Anti-Pickpocket Wallets
A reader recently left a comment about an interesting experiment by a teenager who vacationed with his family in Europe. He had heard about the prevalence of pickpockets in Europe, and he decided to see for himself if this were true by carrying a wallet in a way that would be tempting for pickpockets. The good news is that no one tried to steal his wallet.
This had me thinking if there were any wallets designed to defeat pickpockets. One example is this pickpocket-proof travel wallet which is designed to wear around your neck. Here's an example that's designed to work with a typical wallet that you carry in your pocket. It's called the Wallet Minder and it's a secure nylon wallet holder that attaches to your belt via an 18-inch aircraft-grade coated steel cable. It seems like that cable would be a tad uncomfortable.
Another option would be to use an electronic device that could sound an alarm if the wallet separates a certain distance from the pocket. Something like this could have helped my friend. He didn't have his wallet stolen, but he left it on top of his car while he was he was filling his car with gas. Being distracted by his cell phone, he forgot about the wallet, and it fell on the road where it was run over and turned into a pancake. He promised me he would provide a picture.
I found a few versions of such an electronic design at the US Patent and Trademark Office. Patent 4,884,062 and 6,919,805 have a device that would trigger as soon as the wallet is removed from the pocket. This could be annoying if the alarm goes off when you're using the wallet. Patent 5,396,218 has a better idea that uses two plastic cards (one would be placed in the wallet and the other placed elsewhere on the person). Wireless communication is used to trigger the alarm when the cards are separated within a defined range.
If these inventions are too high tech, you may prefer this anti-pickpocket wallet idea which is a wallet with a mouse trap-like device inside :-)
Based on that European experiment, these wallet inventions may be overkill.
posted by Ken @ 4/20/2008 08:22:00 PM
9 Comments:
Would like to send you some interesting pictures of wallets that we make for women. could you give me your email id?
The new breed of pickpocket takes mobile phones! They'll have "easy pickings--"
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN1336793620080514?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology
Tale of relief that comes with being reunited with a wallet:
http://boothbayregister.maine.com/1998-02-12/lost_wallet.html
how about a post on the Rogue Wallet?
Want to hold my wallet?
http://www.wkuherald.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&ustory_id=996876c1-e38e-4340-b0ab-030b75fe63ac
Cool. . .
I always liked the mousetrap wallet concept. You can imagine the scenario: The pickpocket grabs the wallet after the assistant creates the distraction when all of a sudden.... SNAP! YEEEEEOOOOWWWWWW!!!! The idiot gives himself away as he jumps around in pain with busted fingers. He'll be easy to track in an ER with busted fingers or, if left untreated, amputated fingers as gangrene sets in, ending his career.
You place the decoy wallet in the back right pocket while putting your money elsewhere.
For the cell phone snatcher, put the phone in the left front pocket and have a mousetrap in the holster with the finger-busting end disguised as the top of a cell phone. See above scenario.
You can not be too cautious about identity theft:
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-snooper-proof-your-rfid-chip-loaded-wallet-77233/
A simply folded sheet of aluminum foil is all it takes for a standard leather wallet!
It would be good if there is a biometric code for opening the wallet
yes it's true nowadays sophisticated wallet is style statement. People Like the Sophisticated wallets and Youngster also like sophisticated wallet. Thanks for share.
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