# How to foil armed robbers at ATM. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 19, 2006, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769 "2006-12-19T12:37:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/21 "2006-12-19T18:51:06Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] You know that snowman the neighborhood kids build in the park every year? The one with the sewing thimble stuck in the front of the lower snowball? …_everybody knows_, dude. 😃 [/QUOTE] I knew they knew. I never knew they cared. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/22 "2006-12-19T19:56:12Z")
[QUOTE=saoirse] I just found out that 82% of women care why my schlong is so short. I didn’t even know there was that much interest in the subject. [/QUOTE] Huh. I just found out that only 79% of women care why my schlong is so short. I’m not sure if having a lower percentage is good news or bad news. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/23 "2006-12-19T20:11:20Z")
I could see the money coming out of the ATM _verrrrrry slowwwwllllly_ to give the cops time to get there. 😃 Robber _with gun to head (yours not his)_; “Withdraw $300 or I’ll blow your nose off!!” You; “OK, just hold on while I enter my **PIN** number for you.” \*tap \*tap \*tap \*tap _completes transaction_ _A five comes out really slowly, followed by annnnotttthhher five…_ ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/24 "2006-12-20T02:17:18Z")
[QUOTE=Jelymag] No. Nothing will happen. As many people have said. The machine will not give you money becuase _it doesn’t work._ And the robber could think that you are trying to screw him over and shoot you anyway. I hope nobody hears this and actually tries it in an emergency and something awful happens… Like the guy in Snopes said- it could certainly have some usefulness but who could figure out their PIN backwards with a gun to their head? Unless it was 6666, of course… 😉 [/QUOTE] See, this entire thread is a joke thread, see? It was meant to be funny, as in laughing at urban legends. I can’t imagine anyone with half a brain cell attempting to enter a PIN backwards; it is equally hard to imagine anyone taking this thread seriously, although I would like to hear more about women being interested in short peckers. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/25 "2006-12-20T06:02:52Z")
Well, some women are very interested in short peckers. They even make a career of it. I think they’re called ornithologists. Ha! I slay me! ---
**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:** [December 20, 2006, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/26 "2006-12-20T06:24:38Z")
If I see the robber in a mirror over the ATM, do I enter my number upside down? Then do the anti-police appear? ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/27 "2006-12-20T09:59:13Z")
[QUOTE=LouisB] No, no, the machine _will_ fork over the cash just to delay the robber(s) till the cops arrive—robbers are too dumb to know about this trick. [/QUOTE] Either that or they don’t have email accounts… ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/28 "2006-12-20T10:26:00Z")
[QUOTE=LouisB] I know this is true because it was explained to me by someone I never heard of in an email I opened by mistake. [/QUOTE] I agree that it must be true. My cousin told me that his barber’s wife used this trick and the would-be robber is now serving time. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/29 "2006-12-20T10:47:54Z")
Last time I did it, I just turned around and stabbed him in the throat. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/30 "2006-12-20T10:51:04Z")
The real robbers at ATM’s are the owners of the machines that charge you $3 and up to get money out if the machine is not one from your bank. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/31 "2006-12-20T11:01:14Z")
[QUOTE=DMark] The real robbers at ATM’s are the owners of the machines that charge you $3 and up to get money out if the machine is not one from your bank. [/QUOTE] Yeah, that’s the guy I stabbed. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/32 "2006-12-20T11:15:00Z")
No no no no no - the answer is in the title of the thread - foil 'em - wrap 'em in Reynold’s[sup]TM[/sup] wrap!! It was funnier in my head… ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/33 "2006-12-20T11:50:18Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] Well, some women are very interested in short peckers. They even make a career of it. I think they’re called ornithologists. Ha! I slay me! [/QUOTE] Me too. These orthinologists of which you speak: Do they only specialize in short peckers or do they intentionally discriminate against storks, ibis, roseate spoonbills and others of the long peckered group? ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/34 "2006-12-20T13:34:40Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] Huh. I just found out that only 79% of women care why my schlong is so short. I’m not sure if having a lower percentage is good news or bad news. [/QUOTE] That’s inside the margin of error. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/35 "2006-12-20T15:13:57Z")
[QUOTE=don’t ask] Yeah, that’s the guy I stabbed. [/QUOTE] Do him once for me, would ya? (I’m sure there are ornithologists who specialize in any type of pecker. Short ones, long ones, skinny ones, fat ones…) ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/36 "2006-12-20T15:24:33Z")
Great. I should be getting the same email tonight from one of the elderly gentlemen at church who feels he must warn us ladies about every danger. Wouldn’t it be cool if, when you entered your PIN backwards the ATM gave you a gun so you could just shoot the guy yourself before the cops get there? Or a machine gun port pened up and shot the guy for you? I can’t see any problems with that! 😃 :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/37 "2006-12-20T15:39:47Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] (I’m sure there are ornithologists who specialize in any type of pecker. Short ones, long ones, skinny ones, fat ones…) [/QUOTE] Even ones with chicken pox? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/38 "2006-12-20T18:49:42Z")
I’d gladly input my PIN backwards, if it weren’t for the spider bites, hairless Mexican rats, poodles in microwaves, axe-murderers under my car, and other crises that continually beset me. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/39 "2006-12-20T19:58:08Z")
[QUOTE=Shoshana] If I see the robber in a mirror over the ATM, do I enter my number upside down? Then do the anti-police appear? [/QUOTE] Robbers kind of already _are_ the anti-police. So if you see them in the mirror over the ATM, then entering your PIN backwards might have made them retroactively appear, and Snopes is wrong and the OP’s tip was very helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769/40 "2006-12-20T20:38:59Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] Even ones with chicken pox? [/QUOTE] I actually got that. Thanks for making me howl out loud at my new job. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-foil-armed-robbers-at-atm/384769.md?page=3)