Tampering with Wristbands - Part 1
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- čas přidán 22. 05. 2022
- Sometimes life throws us into situations where you are issued a wristband for access to an event, for free drinks at a bar, or to enjoy rides at a water park. And wristbands are good for brief situations like that, when you don't want to fumble with a wallet or a credential.
But wristbands have a time limit when it comes to comfort. For multi-day events, I've always particularly hated having to keep one on. They're uncomfortable when trying to sleep at night and they're annoying when your arm is wet after swimming or taking a shower.
This is a tactic which I have found works rather well if want to make most typical disposable wristbands easily removable and replaceable. If you're interested in getting some free wristbands from me for you to practice this or for you to harvest the clasps... shoot me a message at the email address I showed on the screen. (Not pasted here to prevent another avenue of spam.)
These are the cheap, tiny end-cutting pliers I showed in the video...
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
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You don't need a hundred of each. I would try 3D printing them. Bonus round... Make the 3D printed version removable and reusable.
This is the greatest idea and I can't wait to see if someone does this. 😁👍
@@DeviantOllam I emailed you and I plan to give it a try.
Once you have a model, I’m happy to help test it.
@Mr Snow Makes that also sounds really feasible! Also I love that one of my replies on Twitter was somebody pointing out an Alibaba vendor who sells just the clasps apparently.
The internet is dope. 👍
If you come up with a stl file I will try to print these out, have a resin printer, will gladly be a beta tester
It's also a decent idea for just general security. If you're off-property for a resort for example, those bands readily mark you as a tourist. Depending on the resort, a tourist with money.
Yuuup. I was overseas and complained about the band being tight so I could slip it off for exactly that reason. Still look like a tourist, but not a tourist from the expensive hotels.
I was going to post the same - but if you're at a resort, they have a "we don't care what happens outside our resort - you wanna stay safe, stay in the resort." attitude.
@@efnissien Maybe the resorts you've been going to, however the resorts I have used, provide their own private taxi service for their patrons because they care about your safety. Also you can remove the band whenever you want, and simply stop at the front desk to get a replacement. Worked for me in Mexico, Bahamas and Jamaica.
I'm absolutely not putting on a writ band for being at a hotel or a resort. That's plan stupid and annoying.
Yes but that is only if you believe in evil scumbag criminals.
My President, Joey B has convinced me evil scumbag criminals do not exist. Just storytime nonsense told around a campfire to scare the children 🤣🤣🤣🤣
A little while back, I went to a festival that used fabric wristbands with a circular tightening ring with one way spikes to make them "one time use". Inspired by your various talks, I found myself with some spare time and a drinking straw. Wouldn't you know it, they can most definitely be removed non destructively! Thanks for the tip on this style :)
I actually managed to take those wristbands off by pulling on the ends coming out of the ring, moving the ring back a bit to get the spikes out of the fabric, then pulling the ends really hard while rotating and slowly pulling it off the ends. If you notice the spikes grabbing the fabric, just back off a little bit and rotate the ring again.
The trick is to get the two ends of the fabric to twist together really tight by pulling on them and rotating the ring. You could also try twisting the ends instead of only the ring.
Some time back I took off a bunch of wristbands using this method.
Those are super-easy to remove; just twist the ring until the strap tightens, then continue twisting. It will slowly work it's way off.
@@Hobadee Huh, much easier than expected! I still like my method since it can be done and redone without any possibility to damage the strap if done correctly, but I'll probably give this a shot next time I end up with one. Sounds a lot easier, haha!
@@mistaecco My method chews up the straps a little, but it's not something that's noticable without close inspection (which security isn't going to do) and you can easily flip that part on the underside of your wrist so nobody can see it.
In those wristbands they try to put a center bar to precedent you fron doing that, you can also twist up that fabric and carefully pullout
I remember an event I worked where I was supposed to wear a plastic wristband like this while giving a blacksmithing demonstration. Obviously, this became a problem when it started to melt. So, I moved it up my arm a bit higher, which resulted in me getting hastled by security. Seriously, screw these things.
some performers will put the band on their ankle.
When I’m feeling combative, I may go back 10-15 times a day for a new band. “It caught as I brushed past someone and it tore”, “Yep, it melted again.” “Yea I was here a minute ago: this one is so loose it fell off before I made it around the corner”
Whoever decides that people at their conference/facility/whatever had to wear "non-removable" wristbands for literal DAYS on end is a god damn sadist.
The Coachella ones even have an nfc chip in them so if they get too wet you can't get back in
It is funny that someone would say this but it’s NOT OKAY to say it about masks.
you can take masks off when you are in the bathroom or get back to your hotel room dingus
@@user-md3is4dq2d Masks are not non-removable. Nobody requires that you sleep in them, even at a conference.
@@user-md3is4dq2d This isn't the gotcha you think it is.
I used to hit up all the wristband suppliers for "colour samples" and then use them to get into clubs. Last year I had to throw draw filled with them away because I haven't used them since covid.
Remember that the color of the pin might matter; replacing a dark one with a white one might cause suspicion if somebody paying a little bit of attention.
nothing a dab of sharpie marker won't fix. white ones can be blackened easily with a marker or black nail polish.
Very important detail if credentials aren't verifiable 😎👍
@@tech4pros1 until it wears off without you noticing or whatever
nobody is paying attention... when was the last time anyone checked to see if your wristband was still secured correctly... they are all assuming that once it is on, it isn't leaving your wrist, or it will look damaged.
@@ooglek I agree that it's a longshot that anybody pays attention, but it's not foolish to pay more attention to detail than your adversary.
When I was a teen, I visited a local festival, they gave me a minor wristband, but the design of that was so close to the adult bands that you could spot the difference if you looked at it closely, knowing that immediately teleported to the beer stall so confident that the worker there just served me no questions asked managed to buy beer 4 or 5 times. TL:DR Outdoor events are so busy and dark that you could do anything you want if you're confident enough.
The motto of the British "Special Air Services" (which are their equivalent of our Navy Seals) is "Who dares, wins" and most of the time it's true. Be bold. Win. Simple.
Wow, this went destructive and high tech. A safety pin and a little practice can get these off in a few seconds while remaining usable. I don't advocate it, but a local bar at college (20+ years ago) used these by color for proof of age and the colors changed every night. I would just keep every one I got (either from being underage or from a friend that was over 21) each night. After a few weekends I had a full set that I would take with me to the bar. I'd see what the 21+ color was for the night, go to the bathroom to swap mine out for that color and was good for the evening.
On the lighter side, you could probably go to the local fabric store and find small, narrow-post snap buttons. they come in 2 parts and are designed to be reusable. you can get something like 20 pairs for a few dollars. How many "security" personnel inspect the clasp on a plastic wristband?
Yes! I immediately thought of snap buttons/snap fasteners but couldn´t find anyone saying the same. Surely they won´t inspect the clasp
I'd still try and find a way to make the snap look authentic. With the band being lose, it may work it's way around and then someone will notice a nice shiny chrome clasp where there should be a white plastic one and you're busted. If you're going though a line, all security has to do is ask you to rotate your wrist and again - you're busted. Once they've busted someone, they will be on the lookout for others.
@@russellhltn1396 well the predominant color of these buttons will be white so chalk paint should be good to to. Maybe there is white finger nail polish? As long as its not shiny chrome/brass or shiny at all it should be good to to. Dont know about the longevity of the paint though. But nailpolish should be readily available everywhere and to go as far as check the dimensions when the color matches (I still wouldnt think somebody would check, maybe the reflectiveness would be a hint) i dont think any security would do
@@wayanjonathanschiwietz2486 If you're looking for white/whitish-clear plastic snaps, they're available at a lot of fabric and sewing stores - they sell more than just the shiny silver ones, and more than just metal. They also have black ones, and gold, and some might have them in even more colors than that. And they're often available in a few different sizes. So take your pick. My mom has been sewing since she was a kid, so I've seen my fair share of fabric store clothing snap sections.
@@SnowySpiritRuby Did not know that, always just saw the metal ones. so these snaps seem to be the perfect permanent reusable solution for this. Hope @DeviantOllam sees this
I rarely encounter that type of wristbands here in Europe. They have mostly 3 types here.
Paper ones with a glue strip(that damages them if you pull them apart) are the cheapest one, those you usually get on single day/evening events.
For longer, multi day events they usually give you cloth straps, over the ends they pull a plastic collar with teeth(that stop you from pulling them off), or clamp a metal ring on them. And then they cut off the excess.
There is also a third type, made from all plastic, with the clasp being integrated into the wristband.
On Rock am Ring, i got One that was frictionwelded.
@@wolflegion_ I've been wearing a couple for literal years, from pre-covid, never had an issue!
Maybe there are some that tighten more easily.
@@arnodiedrichs3371 Can't say I've seen one like that before. What was it made from? Plastic?
@@jort93z i think it was woven plastic. In the year the Nürburgring owners wanted way bigger Share, so the Organizer went to the alternate Location the next Year.
Oh wow, i never had the excess cut off of the cloth ones. That's definitely how they're supposed to work. That makes a lot of sense.
Was at a gamescom in cologne when I was 16. They had coloured paper wrist bands indicating your age for access. They were "tamper proof", but we did have one person over 18 with us, so we tried to figure something out.
They ended up being super easy to defeat. They were basically just glued together and perforated so you destroy them if you try to pull them apart.
Well, we didn't care - just ripped it open and used some gum to glue it back together. Just hide the glue spot on the other side of the arm, nobody noticed.
As all magicians know, when doing the trick - misdirection.. Anything that does that is your little helper.
added bonus - if the band's color is really bright, for most people it automatically draws attention away from the glued part
With the right solvent in syringe with an needle and scalpel or something, you could probably remove the glued part without destroying it. Once the solvent has evaporated, you can glue it back together with the original glue.
@@Embassy_of_Jupiter Sure, you could probably do that. But that requires planning - we had no idea this was even a thing until we got there.
You can also just cut those with scissors and then tape them back together with clear tape, it's not very visible even if you do have the cut on the outside of your wrist.
With a friend's help and three pins from the hotel sewing kit you can normally pop the main plastic pin on the wristband open and it will re-latch again after.
The main wristband pin clicks through three spring arms that retain it. open them wide and pull apart with a little force
You don't even need a friend. You can pretty easily do that. Deviant is really overdoing it here. Simple solutions are best
@ I found it easier at first with my wife getting two of the arms while I got the third and pulled, but later you're right, I did it solo with no trouble. It's always nice to have a friend though 😄
Time to build a 3D printed tool to do this one-handed and destroy an industry.
Seeing that box, I had flashbacks to my highschool days. A friend of mine refused to pay for concert/festival/lasertag tickets. Just asked what color, went to his trunk and got the relevant color. Personally, I think he spent more money on buying 8 boxes of those bracelets in various colors than he ever saved not buying tickets. He still has a ziploc bag of each color in his trunk.
The little reusable threaded metal stud fasteners typically used for leather crafting (a.k.a. "Chicago screws") are inexpensive and come in a variety of colors so you can sort of match the original plastic snap fasteners you use them to replace. A little spray paint would get you an even closer match. And you can get them from Amazon as well as local crafting stores.
You probably only need to replace it once per trip, as well; when you put it back on with the 'new' clasps, just make it 1-2 spots looser and you should be able to slip it on and off. Only need to clip it once.
A friend got "caught" with a too-loose wristband once, security replaced it with a new one and made sure it's tight..
@@solhsa It's still a good tip and there's zero risk unless they can lookup that you don't belong there. If you get "caught", which I find extremely unlikely, they're just going to replace it.
Just take a few in case, replace it loose, and then keep it behind a watch (further up your arm). It will look tighter, and at the end of the day you just take off the watch to slip it off.
Summer festival season is about to start, so your timing on this is perfect. You could do a whole series on all the different kinds of wristbands in use. 😀
Also: opening/removing the band without damaging it (too much) is a great skill for people who want to keep the band as a memento.
I clicked the video expecting that exact approach! Can't tell you how many of these I've prised open with a pushpin. Having backup lock pins in a couple colors is a good idea tho.
Like you said, no one's looking that close at them. Pick up some super short "Chicago screws" in different color finishes and boom, reusable and with much less waste than buying bulk wristbands.
Actually lol'd, even though I knew it was coming (I've done stagehand work before - been there, done that, retained the t-shirts with STAFF and STAGE CREW which are always useful) when the box hit the desk.
The right wristband in the right place with the right gear (hi-viz yo) is immensely useful. So much free stuff! ;)
""regrettably forgot to return"" the tshirts
@@marcogenovesi8570 That's the one!
Reminds me of "The Clipboard of Authority." Look professional, carry a clipboard, and pretend to silently take notes, and suddenly people are on their best behavior around you ;)
It's amazing the places you can get in with a hi-vis, a clipboard, and a 'I belong here' attitude
sharing wristbands is prolly one of the oldest festival tricks.
I just assume theyre done as a tederant more than anything - to keep the honest people honest
I've taken those snaps off with my Leatherman before without completely destroying them. They don't work perfectly once you do it, but they do work "good enough" and unless someone inspects the snap closely (they never will) they aren't able to tell from a distance.
I love this idea! I was forced to wear one of those on a cruise as a kid and hated it. I've been able to get away with just putting them on loose enough to slip off a couple of times since, but of course that depends on the event letting you put it on yourself.
Lay two fingers on your wrist when they put it on.
dude this is so wasteful. just clip it off and keep it in your pocket!! If its so annoying and uncomfortable just take it off and present it when needed???
I used to live near a park that hosted an annual festival. The festival used the paper wristbands to give access to inside for the day and each day they would change the color, forcing you to buy another wristband. Well on my way over 1 day I saw several people leaving the festival and saw they had bright pink wrist band for that day. Walking through the parking lot I found a bright pink poster in a trash can. Inspiration hit me, I grabbed it ripped off a strip, took it back home to cut it cleanly with scissors and low and behold I had a free wrist band for the day. I subsequently purchased a multi colored construction paper booklet and had free access the rest of the festival. Although the original wrest bands had words/insignia on them nobody ever looked that close. And I also at the time wore rubber bands (the thick kinds with various phrases on them) so I was able to wear my modified wrist band under the rubber bands to conceal it from anyone looking too close.
The Pearson Cyber Security exam revolved around these types of wristbands. It's interesting how vulnerable they actually are
Love the feeling of being treated like cattle or pidgeons with things wrapped around a foot, 10/10 best event ever
Deviant I love your whole mindset.
"I'm tired of dealing with this thing that I don't like. Even though I understand the reason for it. I don't like it."
Proceeds to buy a lifetime supply of bracelets, and makes a video about it.
Just because, it bothered him.
Never change.
Also, the comments on your videos are always excellent and have tons of great ideas!
I'm thinking a press stud kit would be a reasonable upgrade too. once you have put a stud on your band you can take it on and off at will.
That was my first thought for a replacement also
If not too visually different from the original plastic fastening, great idea! Not that sure about that if you ever need to pass closer inspection, though... (slightly exaggerated: gatekeepers of a venue almost touching their nose to the band when checking)
Another way is to get some non-single-use metal pressure button clips like for jackets and trousers. As long as you keep the black "button" part on the outside it will be OK. Nobody will ever inspect the buttons
Bonus points for reusability
Another way to tamper with them: cut the band at the hole the pin goes through and then tape it up from the inside to close them again. The cut will be hidden by the wrapped over part of the band and nobody inspects the "skin side" of the band, even if they look at the clasp.
If you have double-sided tape you can do this on your own (put the tape on your skin temporarily to hold it in place while taping the two ends together), otherwise you need someone to help you as taping the two ends together is a two-handed operation for most people.
You can buy just the tamper buttons; we buy them by the hundreds for our ankle monitors as you have to use a new one each time you change out the monitor. They work great for doing this except that they’re black; I’ve uses them in the past and just keep a couple paint markers as you can color them whatever you need though usually no one is looking that close, and usually they aren’t looking at the snap side anyway. You can also make a reusable version with a short threaded stud/screw from the hardware store, which is nice as you can just reuse the same one over and over again; this style closure as well as Velcro bands can be used to show the color of the day.
Came across this comment only after posting my own... Had basically the same idea about stud/screw, but yours is no frills. Sorry if mine "steals" any attention. Also, buying just the buttons, for any case you might need them, is genius! I actually didn't realize that's possible without that ton of bracelets 😅
@@olgapisova6207: We’d buy them in, I believe 100 packs, and they came in different thicknesses, they also were twist to break instead of being cut. You could just twist one side with a screwdriver, coin, or just about anything flat. We used them in ankle monitors all of our monitors, Al sensing, GPS cellular, and distance tether monitors used the same buttons despite being made by different manufacturers. The different thicknesses were because there were different straps based on length, weight, and type of monitor so one size didn’t fit all. They were damper resistant and not removable so anytime you changed, checked, or pulled/installed a sensor you’d need a new button.
We didn’t always use them but once a few judges realized they made a decent bail alternative or cheap monitor for alcohol consumption they started ordering them as a bail alternative or condition of release and the use increased.
I’m not sure if they sell the buttons without an account or contract, or outside of law enforcement, but I always thought it was a pretty cheap fail point or bypass for at times $5,000 monitors.
@@libertarian1637 wow, that sounds VERY universal! For tougher band materials, would it be mechanically the weakest link? In jewellery, especially necklaces, even welded chains often have a non-welded ring or two near the closure, always thought it must be also for safety than just pure repairability... Does that have any relevance here?
@@olgapisova6207: The straps aren’t either rubber or vinyl with wiring running through them; the wires is what defects of the band is cut or separated/removed. The Bands aren’t weak at all but the buttons are designed to fail if too much force is applied as a safety measure as well as making sure the unit is set off as when the buttons break the bands naturally separate which triggers an alarm/alert. Looking at them for even a few seconds and most people would understand how they work and recognize the plastic button; but I recall a jailer in Baltimore that cut one of our bands instead of breaking the button when they were booking an individual with one of our Al monitors on them. I don’t recall the exact amount but it was over $500 worth of damage due to the Al monitors being unique; we ended up eating the replacement cost as the jail refused to pay and the damage wasn’t caused by the individual so the order didn’t require them to pay. Technology has changed a lot regarding monitors over the years and they have gotten a lot smaller, much more accurate, and even capable to operate via satellite for those times when cellular or POTS just isn’t an option.
Any particular name for them? I can't seem to find anything with just "tamper button"
Amazing! I love seeing the idea evolve in other users' comments. Absolutely cool.
This is fantastic for those of us with sensory issues. I will absolutely be using this in future.
i love the ingenuity for something thats a small annoyance for most of us - at first i thought it was going to be way too much effort this is pretty easy
hundreds of bucks for a festival - I understand the desire.
I didn't expect it to be that simple. Amazing.
I found that the snaps can be manipulated with a flat bladed eyeglasses screw driver to the point that you can snap them on and off. I did this as a youth at various youth conferences.
i remember my dad figuring out how to defeat these things when we were kids at disney land in the 90's. from what i remember, he got a punch and just pushed the little plastic button back apart so we would stop complaining about the bands at the hotel lol. i've also just cut and then taped them. i found that the security only checked to see if the band was on, not if it was damaged. that made sense to me because the bands were harder to source back in the day, so if you had one then you probably got a ticket (or someone did)
As someone with sensitive skin + sleep issues (bit of a germ-a-phobe too) I can't thank you enough for this.
So...
Working as a doorman/security, we knew this "trick" and look for it too. Anyone who doesn't notice it, isn't doing their job and need to be sacked.
But, thanks for bringing it up to our training crews again.
Love the AvE carefulling shoutout!
🤣🤣🤣 ahh the reveal of the massive box was hilarious.
Receiving the shipment was less hilarious 😂
Just have to love when it's cheaper to buy in bulk than in the quantity you actually need.
Gained access to the floor area of a concert one time when I was young by making a paper flyer into an arm band that matched colors for the legit arm band! No tape, no staples, just folded it up and acted very confident when walking past security! Got in for free and accessed the $250 area with flyers found on the ground!
That nail clipper was pretty nice trick. I think you could use it to cut the whole stem after cutting enough from the sides so you can get the whole thing off without enlarging the holes at all.
The only counter-action different places could have is color coded security snaps. Sure you can purchase box of bands with each color but that's get pretty expensive fast.
mad. great content for folks like me. thanks for sharing your insights.
If someone is only interested in the snaps, you could always cut the sheet down to just the ends and save money on shipping✌🏻
You know, there's an easier solution: Just tell them "I can't wear those, I'm allergic to the softeners in the plastic." They'll either have to give you a more comfortable one or come up with an alternate solution. Which they will, because you have a paid ticket.
"Sorry wearing these is a condition of entry and we have no alternatives, have a nice day."
I guarantee you conference workers do not give a single fuck about this and I would implore you to not make their job more complicated than it needs to be doing this
Such a great idea once again
Excellent topic!
Great idea.
Years ago I just made a paracord bracelet the same color and wore a long-sleeved shirt.
But your way takes a lot less attitude.
Hah! Nice timing on this, I just recently experienced a first with these, where the wristband is not only activities entrance but also your room key and you’re stuck wearing it for the duration. I wasn’t there long enough to invest time into hacking it but I was definitely annoyed by it and wishing it could come off at night!
We have a upper end resort condo facility that uses these for access to the pool, water park, mini golf, buffet, and theater. Different colors for different days. The restaurant is open to the public so you sit around and observe the band of the day and then grab one from the collection we've collected. The snap is easy to remove. I used an old extendable antenna. Take it apart, find the section that best fits the post. Check it in the drill and the antenna tube will cut the fingers that hold it to the post. You have the parts but the fingers are gone. It's as easy as a dab of super glue gel, or hot glue to put it back together. You make it big enough where it can slip off and on with a little work and you have a reusable wrist band collection
Last time i was at an conference we had normal rubber-wristbands, color-coded and easy removable. 🙂👍
There are automotive fasteners for holding liner bits together that probably will work as well. Not sure what they would be called, but I have encountered the button style fasteners when pulling apart car interiors for modification.
I've been overthinking this problem. Great idea!
Never used these wrist bands in my life. Happy to know how to make them more pleasant to use
This is pretty great. I lucked out and have thumbs that I can dislocate painlessly. lets me slide in and out of wristbands, handcuffs, etc.
Used to have one at hospital. Worked out as an 10yr old kid I could wedge my teeth between it and provide gentle pressure and they come apart. Bonus, they would snap back together looser than before and could be removed. I would wait till morning visiting hours, put on clothes snap off the hospital band, walk downstairs and buy sweets from the shop and return back. No one ever knew.
Been doing this for years. The little knife on a Swiss Army knife…using the tip just keep going around to each little tab and bending it away from the post, after a bit you can open the snap. If you catch the right moment it’s closable also
My work uses paper sticky wristbands and changes the color each day. Each day, turn up, get your name marked off and issued color of the day wristband. We've had people sneak around sign in and instantly busted cause they had the previous days wristband on. "Oh i though it was the same each day". Security escort was their prize.
I've been cutting a small notch in the band under the snap at an angle. No need to cut the snap and you can remove/install as many times as you like. I guess it's not as strong but it's basically instant and free.
you can modify the snaps to be reusable by widening the hole or flattening the pin. you can even do it with the snap on the wristband
Not seen the plastic ones like this for years, most here are Tyvek with a self adhesive fastening (that has wavy perforations to prevent tampering)
Increasingly they are printed with barcodes that have to be scanned on entry too to stop people just buying their own in the correct colour
2:05 - flush cutters, they are great for all sorts of things.
My trick is setting it large enough you can wiggle your hand out of it with a bit of determination, but small enough it doesn't fall off your wrist all the time. Kinda useful to have small flexible wrists here. And of course, that's if they let you clasp it yourself.
hey dev, cuticle scissors are great too, they are razor sharp and super tiny blades that are just like if they combined sidecutters with nail clippers, also i've found some wrist bands can be just stressed and popped open
Have you ever experienced the fabric type wrist bands used commonly at music festivals? They have the added bonus of turning themselves into a noose for your wrist if the slack end gets caught in something. When I used to work production for music festivals I would typically fold the end up and use a piece of e-tape to make it tight. I never had a problem with security. I think it helped that the e-tape looked similar enough to the actual clasp and security was typically lax near the staff entrances.
Yeah ... Thankfully I can usually slip out of those and then pull the clasp completely off, then destroy its teeth on the inside, then it becomes flexible and removable.
Coming at this from a different direction, perhaps you could subtly force the steward to put the wristband on you looser than they're supposed to. Either with the 'clenching your fists so you can slip out of handcuffs later' trick, or wear a chunky watch or bracelet when you're being admitted which will limit them to putting the wristband on a chunkier part of your forearm.
I am very tempted to get a sheet of these wristbands now to try different opening methods and also to see if i can print a reusable clasp for them
2:56 thanks for reminding me of that amazing moment. remember laughing with my siblings that the security was scared terrorists would snip off the pilots skin or something ridiculous like that as kids do.
Holy shit these things make my wrists hurt so much when I wear them for multiple days in a row, this is so cool!!
I know I have been able to open one of these, but usually the simplest solution is just to cut one of the sides of the hole and then remove the part and then melt or glue the part you cut. Precisely bc they aren't "doing forensics" and the cut part will be hidden anyway, this works. But it's always better if you are able to unlock it in your wrist which it's possible you just need some patience. The cloth ones with the metal bit are also openable, you just have to find the position to force the metal to unbend enough for the cloth to slide.
Anyway, I like your suggestions. Also very simple :)
you can get little snap buttons for textile use, you can get them for relatively cheap ,l rivet them onto one of those wristbands and then just reuse them, the ones i tried are called KAM snaps
When he pulled the nail clippers out, I was expecting him to take them apart so they would open wider. I was curious if they'd be wide enough like that
It's actually relatively easy to take these off non-destructively. Been doing it since I was a kid so I could sneak around at camps and such without being clearly marked as a student. I remember that a mechanical pencil and some finegling was enough to get her done, and then after the first time it was easier to take on and off. The paper ones are actually significantly more difficult to defeat, you need to have access to solvents and a pair of tweezers.
I would love some ... That's a great idea
This wins the internet!
On many occasions I've used those little bendy metal things that are on manila envelopes. It's reusable and they easily stay in place. Most places don't inspect that closely, but you can buy them in all sorts of colors instead of the normal brass color. Edit: They're called brass fasteners... Go figure lol. You can get a multicolored 100 pack on Amazon for $6.
I have a simpler trick, inspired by Houdini: When they put the wristband on, flex your wrist to have a larger diameter. Then just slip it off at night.
I had to wear one of these a whole ago at a resort in Egypt - they're okay unless wet.
I fastened it through the last hole and then managed to take it off - I guess my hands aren't that large.
I'm definitely 3d printing those clips and trying it next time
When I was in a hotel with all-inclusive meals and stuff, I had such a thing too. I used to remove it by simply opening it where it was closed. Somehow it was broken and I was able to open and close it multiple times.
Great video 👍
Its been a while, but a piece of metal tubing to fit over the "stud" (hobby store) and a wiggle, twist, and a push.
Thankfully I have not had one of those forsaken torture devices on in years.
Did you try electronics sidecutters (not the big standard kind in a hardware store)? I could swear i've used them for that before, just to preserve the band.
Small side cutter will work well also
I work at a hotel in reception that use these for all inclusive, if you cut it off night and ask at reception in the morning we will give you a new one, you don't have to sleep with these on.
great advice to create even more plastic waste! well done - of cause for your convenience
Every 3D printing channel ever, "No, just bring your PC / 3D printer, materials and tools. Reverse engineer it, then you can "print" as many clasps as you want for FREE!. Man, it's FREE!"
I haven't tried it, but I would think you could just turn the part of the wrist band with the snap, remove the part that goes against your skin to take apart the snap. Then you could take it off, hot glue to visible part of the snap in place without the glue showing. Maybe on the inside, a tiny circle of velcro (which can be purchased at a crafts store, or even most Targ/mart type big box stores) on the inside to hold it together but make it super fast and easy to take on and off if at a multi-day conference. You wouldn't have to replace the inside part of the snap since no one would see it. Then in your kit you don't need all different color snaps. Just something to cut off the inside part, and the 2 part velcro circle, and a tiny piece of a stick of hot glue and a lighter.
Carefulling, carefulling!
Yes please! I would love to have a sheet
Even easier than this. Cut the band off with scissors near the clasp part but on the non perforated side. Use clear tape to reattach each day.
If you get to put the wristband on yourself then attach it loose enough to slip off at night (but tight enough to not just fall off in the day).
Got any ideas for the Tyvek wristbands that use adhesive in a span almost shredded to ribbons to make sure you can't get it apart in one piece? I kinda found I don't have to, they can be taped from the inside without drawing much attention (and if someone asks I'll say it caught on something and I put it back on myself), but that only works if it's the right color. Playing the same venue for years meant I had a wide selection of their wristbands, though. They could detect them as old by the serial number, but I think the circumstances would have to be pretty intense for them to go to that great a length.
in Belgium most major festivals start to use rfid (some even use it as means of payment too, you need to top up your account linked to your rfid and you can just pay by touching an rfid reader twice... (once to charge the owner, second time to confirm that it's the correct amount they charge from you), they are usually embedded in a wristband in fabric that's tied onto your wrist with a plastic ring around the ends which has teeth inside that prevent you to pull it off ... or even metal ring that they press together with a vice type of thing...
almost never seen the type in this video, only for medical bracelets maybe in hospitals but that's with a barcode to id the patient...
I have typically just used a butter knife to pry the snap halves apart, then pop it back together the following day. No need to cut (in the ones I have used)
I have an even easier fix. When they put it on say "make it loose" and lay two fingers of your other hand along your wrist. Then you can wiggle in and out of it, and its less miserable while on. OR... you could use the toenail clippers on the back and slip the same snap back on.
I go to an event year in year out which always has their accomodation wristband the same colour (white) with the same snap colour (red). Didn't take me long to find a simple 'colour sample request' from a company and boom, now I can sleep without this damn plastic thing on my wrist.
Conveniently another event used the same snap colour later that year!
Well, in every hotel i've been so far I'd just walk to the reception and be like: Mine broke, and they gave me another one.
My sister figured these wristbands out as kids to get into the water park near our house for free (that duplicitous angel!). Nothing motivates like temperatures in the mid 90’s and parents who won’t turn the AC on unless it hits triple digits
(Netflix made a documentary on this park for its lack of safety, so now we know why specific rides mysteriously got closed down; fun times)
Love the AvE-isms
it could be possible to buy a cigar punch cutter keychain that you can poke inside the hole and bypass the locking bits of the clasp, although I'm not sure if you can get one in the right size
there gotta be a way to 3d print a reusable "hole bit" to fit those plugs? then just put that on the inside and it looks perfectly original from the outside. resin 3d print for bonus smoothness on your arm ;)
gotta try this some time but i rarely go places that have those bands, mostly we have fabric ribbons (like you show in part 2) that get crimped closed with metal. people tend to pry these open (to lose the hard+cold metal) and then tie them back together if they want a reminder of the festival or whatever.
Presumably you only need to make it big enough to slip on and off, so what I do is clip it enough to undo it with my tiny swiss army scissors, move it to a hole that allows me to pull it off and put it on without too much trouble and use a lighter or iron to gently melt it enough that it doesn't come apart. If you're gentle with the heat you can keep it hidden on the inside of your wrist.