Talk:Slim Jim (lock pick)

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Contents 1 Capitalize? 2 Airbags 3 Illegal 4 Improvised Slim Jim 5 Honolulu Advertiser reference

[edit] Capitalize?

Should "slim jim" be capitalized or not? It is done so inconsistently throughout this entry. cbustapeck 14:58, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

I guess it depends on whether "Slim Jim" has become a genericized trademark or not. If not, then it ought to be capitals everywhere. If so, it should probably be down-cased everywhere.

Atlant 16:37, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Airbags

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the ablility to set off an airbag with a slim jim is not possible:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/enforce/slim.htm

Reading that document, it's clear that the NHTSA has done little more but read the claims and evaluated them as wanting -- a conclusion most people would make without much help. The only claims of impossibility reported by the NHTSA are essentially hear-say on their part: there is no evidence whatsoever that NHTSA has done any actual experimental work, design analysis etc, and NHTSA cites no documentation from the manufacturers they claim to have contacted. Note that someone has added a sentence about Mythbusters; if it is true that MB has aired a test on this claim, it would stand has a far better reference than the above, given Mythbusters' undeniable credibility. mdf 20:52, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Illegal

These are illegal where I live except for towers/locksmiths.

[edit] Improvised Slim Jim

I locked myself out of my car today and was able to improvise a Slim Jim using the metal strip from a hanging file folder. I found out about it here http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=SLIM%20JIM

If someone feels it would be a useful addition to the article feel free to mention the improvised technique. It may be helpful when you're stuck at work or in a locality that does not allow the sale of Slim Jims.

Also when using a Slim Jim, you should never try to unlock the car from the driver's side because if you damage something, you'll have to deal with it every day rather than just having to deal with it when you have a passenger.

Stonent 15:35, 8 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Honolulu Advertiser reference

I read the article and don't see any connection or barely a mention of Slim Jim; certainly nothing about how they are used to open a door. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jwin74 (talk • contribs) 20:11, 28 May 2008 (UTC)