# hoax? Opening a car lock with a tennis ball? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 1, 2007, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoax-opening-a-car-lock-with-a-tennis-ball/421157 "2007-10-01T15:49:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoax-opening-a-car-lock-with-a-tennis-ball/421157/1 "2007-10-01T15:49:47Z")
Probably ranks along with the cell-phone door opener hoax of a couple years ago, but a vid on Youtube shows a girl blowing open her car door lock with a tennis ball. Does that work? What if it’s not an electronic lock? Seems dubious. If it did work like that, wouldn’t we have lots of guys walking around opening up random cars with a tennis ball? I’m thinking it’s got to be a fake. Dopers? ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoax-opening-a-car-lock-with-a-tennis-ball/421157/2 "2007-10-01T15:53:30Z")
Ah, crap. If I’d only spent more time searching I would have answered my own question. b.s. Mods, feel free to dump this whole thread. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoax-opening-a-car-lock-with-a-tennis-ball/421157/3 "2007-10-01T15:53:57Z")
It’s a joke and it doesn’t work. The joke is trying to get people to go out and actually try it. Anyone you see posting (in the comments, for example) saying that they tried it and IT WORKS!!!, is simply trying to extend the joke a little further. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoax-opening-a-car-lock-with-a-tennis-ball/421157/4 "2007-10-01T15:57:26Z")
Nobody in my house plays tennis, so I don’t have the balls to try this one. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoax-opening-a-car-lock-with-a-tennis-ball/421157/5 "2007-10-01T16:08:20Z")
For those wondering about this, [here’s]( I’ve been a full time non-tenure line faculty member since 2000, including every summer. The university still calls this "adjunct.) the relevant thread. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoax-opening-a-car-lock-with-a-tennis-ball/421157/6 "2007-10-01T16:12:36Z")
Like just about everything, [this topic](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=407825&) has been covered here. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoax-opening-a-car-lock-with-a-tennis-ball/421157/7 "2007-10-01T16:56:44Z")
Heh. I locked my keys in the car this weekend, and while trying to jimmy the door open; saw a tennis ball in the yard. 30 seconds later, I proved that it doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoax-opening-a-car-lock-with-a-tennis-ball/421157/8 "2007-10-01T17:01:54Z")
[QUOTE=BobLibDem] Nobody in my house plays tennis, so I don’t have the balls to try this one. [/QUOTE] I don’t play tennis, either, but I have probably a hundred tennis balls littering my house. Just no racket. I have three dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoax-opening-a-car-lock-with-a-tennis-ball/421157/9 "2007-10-01T17:04:54Z")
Locked at request of OP. Colibri General Questions Moderator