No one wants to get lock-blocked at stores.
But no employee, no problem. A shopper has devised an ingenious, albeit slightly controversial, DIY way to access locked-up items sans assistance, which he demonstrated in a TikTok clip with nearly 400,00 views.
The TikTokker — who goes by @real_ogjr — concocted the “life hack” in response to stores’ heightening security systems amid the nationwide shoplifting epidemic.
While these measures might deter crime, they’ve arguably also made it harder for legitimate customers to shop, partly due to the interminable time it takes for an employee to arrive and undo the lock.
Fortunately, the would-be Houdini has created a way to circumvent the lock-block by himself for certain items — by ripping the whole rack off the shelf.
He explained in the comments that he’d busted out the anti-anti-theft technique after his sister struggled to find an employee.
In the clip, taken at an undisclosed store, the influencer can be seen approaching a shelf with a rack of items that are protected by a red button security lock.
“If these things are here, and you also need a worker, well you don’t need a worker,” he declared. He then grabs the metal hanger and detaches it from the wall, before sliding the desired item off the other end, which is not under lock and key.
Voila, no employee necessary.
The amateur lock-picker then puts the rack back in place, before quipping: “You don’t have to put it back if you don’t want to.”
The TikTokker’s self-help measure resonated with many viewers. “This is actually a good idea thank you,” said one grateful fan.
“Thanks bro gonna do that today,” said another.
However, others suggested alleged easier ways of getting items off the rack sans assistance, including just ripping products off their hangers as many are encased in cardboard.
Other suggestions entailed disarming the lock with a magnet and just breaking the locks, which they pointed out are comprised of cheap plastic.
Meanwhile, some viewers suggested that the rip-off artist share a follow-up video on how to access items that are locked inside a glass case.
Other commenters, however, felt the hack was not worth the potential consequences of getting caught. “My brother went to jail. There a law where we live about security devices.”
“You gonna get caught,” said another.
A third wrote, “And this is why they keep locks on a lot of stuff.”
Over the summer, self-proclaimed “borrowers” were blasted after sharing appalling TikTok tutorials on how to shoplift from stores without getting caught.
