Aug 13, 2008
A surprising revelation via user-generated ethnography
Common sense would probably tell you that stealing a bicycle using brute force in a high traffic area was nigh on impossible without being stopped or challenged. Well, think again. This video shows how easy it was for a guy to steal his own bike in busy NY using a bolt cutter, hacksaw and electric saw. And not just once but several times. He did this to try and understand how his bike kept getting stolen despite the fact that he secured it well. There’s a couple of funny bits towards the end: a police van drives right past him attempting the theft in plain sight, but intercepts the camera guy and cautions him not to stand in the car lane. Also, one person does eventually bother to intervene but there’s a twist that you really have to watch to believe. The result is a revelation not just for the guy himself but also for those manufacturing security chains and locks as it changes the assumptions they often work to.
via dvorak.org/blog
Series:MarketingTalk
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My point of view is that most people who actually noticed you ’stealing’ your own bike simply assumed that the bike was your own and you’d lost the keys to your lock? That’s what I would assume. Especially if you’re doing it in broad daylight. I’m not sure this really proves that people don’t give a shit.
Hi Carlos,
Thanks for the comment. Well, you know what they say about assumptions. The bigger point is that product designers need to be aware of this natural human behaviour and factor it in.