# Am I the only one who gnaws off his fingerprints to avoid detection? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 17, 2003, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-gnaws-off-his-fingerprints-to-avoid-detection/175855 "2003-05-17T06:40:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satisfying_Andy_Licious)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-gnaws-off-his-fingerprints-to-avoid-detection/175855/1 "2003-05-17T06:40:29Z")
This just in: > [@](#): > > PHILADELPHIA (AP) – [A Nigerian who authorities said tried to gnaw off his fingertips](http://www.nola.com/newsflash/national/index.ssf?/newsflash/get_story.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?a0400_BC_ChewedFingerprints&&news&newsflash-national) in jail so he couldn’t be identified through fingerprints pleaded guilty to identity fraud Thursday. They fingered him anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-gnaws-off-his-fingerprints-to-avoid-detection/175855/2 "2003-05-17T06:57:19Z")
Once again, freedom has slipped through his fingers. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-gnaws-off-his-fingerprints-to-avoid-detection/175855/3 "2003-05-17T12:03:00Z")
Some people just can’t finger it out… ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-gnaws-off-his-fingerprints-to-avoid-detection/175855/4 "2003-05-17T12:49:10Z")
He couldn’t hide that from the FBI anyway … Some day his prints will come. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-gnaws-off-his-fingerprints-to-avoid-detection/175855/5 "2003-05-17T12:53:18Z")
That’s really giving the criminal the finger. ---
**Author:** ![Lynne\_kilii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lynne\_kilii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynne_kilii)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-gnaws-off-his-fingerprints-to-avoid-detection/175855/6 "2003-05-17T14:08:13Z")
His prints just go into a file for mangled/altered prints, no? Which makes him easier to find… I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_The\_Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Buck\_The\_Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_The_Diver)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-gnaws-off-his-fingerprints-to-avoid-detection/175855/7 "2003-05-17T14:23:25Z")
That guy needs to get a grip. ---
**Author:** ![Witch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Witch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Witch)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-gnaws-off-his-fingerprints-to-avoid-detection/175855/8 "2003-05-17T16:25:18Z")
Of course not. No-one is ever the “only one” in one of these “Am I the only one?” threads. It’s a SDMB cliche. And it must be true because I saw it in the pit 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Forbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Forbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forbin)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-gnaws-off-his-fingerprints-to-avoid-detection/175855/9 "2003-05-17T17:54:18Z")
When using sandpaper _(cabinetmaker checking in here)_ one often abrades one’s fingerprints enough to render them smooth. I hate that! It’s actually very difficult to lift things without fingerprints. Every object, every apple, or cup, or whatever, has to be grasped firmly and lifted with care. Day in day out, we all lift small objects, never guessing how significantly our fingerprints help out. When they’re gone, you sure do miss 'em. Fortunately they regenerate quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-gnaws-off-his-fingerprints-to-avoid-detection/175855/10 "2003-05-17T18:43:16Z")
This could just be the tip of the iceberg. Hey, I’m trying dammit! ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-gnaws-off-his-fingerprints-to-avoid-detection/175855/11 "2003-05-17T18:51:27Z")
I haven’t before, but now I might give it a whorl. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-gnaws-off-his-fingerprints-to-avoid-detection/175855/12 "2003-05-17T20:13:47Z")
Another criminal unable to eliminate the digital trail.