# Tamper Resistant Screws in Public Restrooms **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 29, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030 "2009-09-29T21:11:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kornbln](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/838e76/32.png) [@kornbln](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kornbln)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030/1 "2009-09-29T21:11:08Z")
What’s the deal with so many public restrooms using tamper-resistant screws? Either tamper-resistant Torx or one-way screws. Is there really such an epidemic of people unscrewing things in bathrooms that these are needed? Tamper-resistant bit sets are easy to come by these days. So what are they trying to prevent? Bored people sitting on the toilet with a pocket knife that might have a Phillips or flat-head screwdriver? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030/2 "2009-09-29T21:19:11Z")
Ah restrooms are a favourite place to hide drugs for pick up. A man goes in, unscrews something then leaves a small pack of coke, then screws it back in. Everyone else just sees the toliet paper holder or whatever as being a “little off” or not screwed in all the way. A day later the pick up guy comes in and gets it. Virtually no one would think to unscrew it all the way to look and the drop and pick up make sure that maintanence is the kind that takes a day to fix anything. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030/3 "2009-09-29T21:20:36Z")
Previous threads: [Why are tamperproof bolts & screws used with bathroom stall partitions?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=421423) [Why do so many bathrooms have tamper resistant screws?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=327934) ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030/4 "2009-09-29T21:40:36Z")
Ah, when I was a wee lad, I used to unscrew stuff in the bathrooms (handles, outlet covers, those little hooks to hang your coat on) just to fuck with the school. Then they got smart and put those tamper resistant screws on. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030/5 "2009-09-30T05:11:16Z")
Normal people would be suprised with what goes on in public bathrooms. It can be a pain in the ass to repair scrrews that are removed just for fun. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030/6 "2009-09-30T05:17:25Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > Normal people would be suprised with what goes on in public bathrooms. > > It can be a pain in the ass… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030/7 "2009-09-30T05:48:57Z")
**"Tamper Resistant Screws in Public Restrooms."** hee hee hee hee hee Sorry, \*\*kornbln \*\*, I just came in to say, I’ve had a few of those. hee. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030/8 "2009-09-30T11:11:22Z")
It’s a pain to have to find new bolts and nuts every week to fix the bathroom that the people not using markers on the partitions have removed. Those special bolts and nuts made a big difference where I worked with the public. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030/9 "2009-09-30T13:21:22Z")
I’ve always wondered, how do they take off those screws if they need to do maintenance? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030/10 "2009-09-30T13:22:49Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > I’ve always wondered, how do they take off those screws if they need to do maintenance? There are special tools for removing all of the different tamper-resistant screws. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030/11 "2009-09-30T15:40:26Z")
I just got back from the bathroom here at work. I noticed the partitions themselves were held together with regular screws, but the locks and coat hooks had tamper proof screws. I guess anyone who really wanted to could walk out with a partition, but I imagine they’d have a hard time getting it past security. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030/12 "2009-09-30T16:12:35Z")
What with the internet and all, isn’t it possible that any jackass off the street could buy the right screwdriver and resume his life of tampering? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030/13 "2009-09-30T17:06:45Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > What with the internet and all, isn’t it possible that any jackass off the street could buy the right screwdriver and resume his life of tampering? Of course, but people who do this are just bored. Nobody plans his day around dismantling a toilet stall. So, putting in tamper-resistant screws prevents nearly all of the vandalism. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030/14 "2009-09-30T17:25:22Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Nobody plans his day around dismantling a toilet stall. Speak for _yourself_! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030/15 "2009-09-30T19:44:24Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Of course, but people who do this are just bored. Nobody plans his day around dismantling a toilet stall. So, putting in tamper-resistant screws prevents nearly all of the vandalism. Since I am generally a respectful, law-abiding citizen, and what’s more, I appreciate having purse-hooks and a stable place to do my business, I don’t engage in vandalism. I will admit to having scribbled on a few bathroom walls when I was a teen, but that’s about it. Having said that, I always carry a mini multitool with me, on my keyring, except when I’m in an airport or some place like that. It’s just something that I carry around with me, and I’m sure that I could cause a lot of damage if I was bored and feeling destructive. I always carry a couple of paperback books with me, so I don’t get to feeling bored and destructive. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tamper-resistant-screws-in-public-restrooms/512030/16 "2009-09-30T20:06:35Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Having said that, I always carry a mini multitool with me, on my keyring, except when I’m in an airport or some place like that. It’s just something that I carry around with me, and I’m sure that I could cause a lot of damage if I was bored and feeling destructive. Speaking as someone who used to carry both a Swiss Army knife and a Leatherman tool virtually every day, I know that impulse.