Pennies In Door Handles

The point of this prank is to lock someone in a room usually causing significant confusion as to what is wrong with the door and or handle.

Pennies in door handles.

An internet warning claims that thieves are wedging pennies or nickels into car door handles as a way to prevent vehicles from being locked. Slide several pennies into the crack between the door and the jamb molding about 18 above the handle. The story has been repeated on numerous website without citing sources for the claim. The width of a penny 0598 inches wouldn t open a car door handle enough to trigger the unlatching mechanism connected to the door handle.

To penny lock a door you simply jam pennies between the door and the hinge from the outside which prevents the door from opening from the inside. Another easy way would be to just make sure that every door is locked when you exit your vehicle. There s really no excuse not to double check your door handles. This appears to be an unfounded rumor with no corroboration cited.

Start by pushing in the door near the top. The first fatal flaw with the penny in the door theory is that door handles aren t designed to open when they re only opened slightly. Coins in car door theft warning there has been no rash of car or property thefts due to nickels or pennies jammed in door handles and car experts say that warnings about them are implausible.