Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Muppets Threads! (And Anything Else) => Topic started by: Matt2matt2002 on April 28, 2013, 02:45:39 PM
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Quote this week from various newspapers here in UK
Bicycle thefts fell at Newcastle University after researchers put up posters of a pair of eyes above bike racks. The image prompted a 62% drop in thefts at racks displaying it - although 63% more bikes were taken from those without a poster.
Daniel Nettle, professor of behavioural science at the University said, " One strong possibility is that the image of the eyes work by making people feel they re being watched. We care what other people think about us and as a result we behave better when we think we are being observed."
This interested me greatly. So while parking my bike at the local supermarket yesterday I tied a note onto the handle bars which read, " This bike is being watched."
I made my usual security arrangements with x2 locks.
When i returned from shopping someone had pulled off the note.
:'(
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Hi Matt!
:-\
Perhaps better to have a note taken than to receive one, though this had a happy ending:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/24/bike-thief-apology-note-dominos-coupon_n_3147343.html
Best,
Dan.
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I've seen that test done various ways and it always has a measureable effect, but it is subconsciously linked to seeing the eyes and behaving better, when asked most people haven't consciously noticed the eyes. Some times it isn't even eyes but eye shaped objects on a poster etc that the brain pick up on. There was a good program about it on the tv, though the name of it escapes me now, interesting stuff.