Comments on: Episode 54: Crimes and Myth-Demeanors 1: Great Hollywood Heists

By: Jay

Jay — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:47:44 +0000

One can surreptitiously scale an air duct by using a system of magnets.”Busted.”I think this is possible, All u need is to customise a door magnetic look to handles with a button to lock and unlock. It would support your weight and let you sneak up as quiet as you like. I think they should redo this episode.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:27:03 +0000

As for using suction cups to scale a skyscraper, it’s absurd that these guys only say it’s “PLAUSIBLE”.

It’s already been done several times in the eighties, by Dan Goodwin.

By: Alan

Alan — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:25:22 +0000

Missed the episode. I am interested though in using laser trip beams in a perimeter security system. However, I haven’t been able to find anything suitable on the internet. Can anybody direct me to a product or system? Thanks.

By: zac

zac — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:33:13 +0000

Any freerunner could scale an air duct in moments and force themselves through the vent. An expert could avoid the beams and infrared systems, one could definately kick down a glass door I propose a revisitation to this myth.

P.S. I dont think this myth was screwed up, I think that it wsnt fully explored.

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:34:33 +0000

GP is correct. Of course you can cut a circle out of glass. The circle-cutting tool you see in those Hollywood movies can be bought at many hardware stores!! Embarrassing oversight.

By: Hungarian Fan

Hungarian Fan — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:42:53 +0000

As for safe-cracking, the mechanical rotation dials are not cracked by listening to sounds, but by feel (finger sensitivity). It takes a lot of regular practice, but eventually one with better than average manual skills can open 3-dial combination locks in 30 minutes or 4-dial ones in about 2 hours. There are “brute force” motor powered auto-diallers which try all codes sequentially and unlock 3 and 4 rotor locks in under 24 hours, but some newer locks have clutches built-in to protect against such excessive number of rotations trials.

Special safes, like those used to keep US Govt secrets are protected against human expert decoder attacks. They have special disconnected mechanism to prevent “feel opening”, you have to turn a middle knob or butterfly washer AFTER you have dialled the entire combination correctly and then you can turn the open handle. If the combination is incorrect the washer cannot be turned and the opening mechanism will not be connected.

Anyhow mechanical disk combination locks are no longer deemed safe for keeping US govt secrets and have been replaced with digital keycode locks, although those also have weaknesses. European safes often use “two-wing” shaped key based locks, which are very secure, but where do you keep those keys?

Good high-security safes are protected against drilling attack by added manganese steel plating or a layer of tungsten nugget filled concrete, which destroys most drill bits, except for diamond tip ones. Really nasty bank safes usually have strategically placed glass “relocking” plates, which hold against spring-loaded closing pins. Drill the safe and as soon as the drill tip shatters the glass relock plate, the safe will be closed permanently. Only some expert can open it with controlled explosion or industrial grade axle grinding.

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:20:11 +0000

I believe that the suction cup climb should be revisited. it would be quite easy to attach a cylinder to each of the existing cups to allow downward force to be used to create suction although it would probably easier just to use a measuring tape or some other thing like that to hook a rope on the opening above climb then repeat.

By: Dayne

Dayne — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:20:08 +0000

you should retry the night vision goggles and infared beem myth. after 2+ years of working with them in the military, i can assure you that it is possible. i have done it. there is reserch on it. try using better NVG’s. maybe ones with an infa red option.

By: GP

GP — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 16:54:34 +0000

They must have never cut glass by hand before, anyone who does it knows you would have to make the circle you cut in the glass bigger than the plunger, otherwise you could never get enough force to break the circle out of it. And you would probably have to push it through, not pull it towards you. (Such a large mistake for them…)

By: Bart

Bart — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 17:53:40 +0000

James, it’s not the infrared detection that’s the problem, it’s the narrow-beam nature of laser. There is just too little coming from the beam to detect without interrupting it or, perhaps, chain smoking.