BRIAN BRUSHWOOD: The following program contains secret hacks.
Attempting some of these shortcuts can be dangerous
and is ill-advised.
Oh! [breathing heavily]
Hi, there. I want to talk to you about cars,
Specifically the one I am trapped in the trunk off.
Did you know that about 2,000 Americans
are reported missing every day?
Now, if you end up in this situation,
don't panic.
You've got options.
First off, every car in America since 2002
is required by law to have a trunk pull
on the inside.
Unfortunately, it looks like they removed this one.
Other cars might have a mechanical line
that runs up to a pole on the driver's side door.
If you find one, give it a yank.
Might pop it open.
But no matter what,
remember that modern cars use a mechanical latch
that you might be able to access with your fingers.
Now how you escape from the moving car,
that's up to you.
I'm Brian Brushwood.
For 15 years, I've made a career
out of social manipulation.
I've mastered incredible tricks
and dangerous stunts as a professional magician
and learned how to become a life hacker.
I've picked up the tools of scientists and spies,
criminals and con-artists.
These hacks are an encyclopedia
of secret data and everyday shortcuts
to help make life easier and give you the upper hand.
I'll reveal how to avoid people
who cheat the system
and show you the legal tips and tricks
to stay safe and get ahead...
one hack at a time.
This isHacking the System.
Cars.
More than 250 million of them
coast along American roads in every shape and color.
Well, today, I'm popping the hood
on secret hacks associated with our vehicles.
I'll teach you how to keep your car
from being targeted by thieves...
expose how car dealers use psychology to close a deal,
reveal the truth behind a trick
to turn red lights green,
and even show you how to talk your way out
of a speeding ticket.
So let's get started.
Think you're safe?
Think again.
Modern criminals know all the tricks
that make stealing a car a piece of cake.
And to prove it,
I'm going to break into one of these cars,
drive it out the front gate in under two minutes
using some crap I picked up at a convenience store.
Jason will start the clock the second I start walking.
-Here we go. -[timer beeps]
BRIAN: These are real people's cars
in an actual garage.
And while you might think that car theft is random,
there are dozens of factors that could attract
a crook to your vehicle.
In general, criminals will pass on cars
with sophisticated ignitions
and activated alarm lights.
Even parking under a light or near an entrance
will deter most thieves.
-My target... -There she is,
...a mid-nineties Japanese sedan.
A car thief's dream
and the single most stolen type of car in America.
Here's the best part.
you don't need fancy equipment to open some cars.
Criminals have been known to use a variety of tools
like these to bypass door locks,
and I just used one of them.
I'm in.
[grunts] Now, you got a few options
when it comes to starting these older cars.
You could, of course, hotwire 'em
but I'm gonna use a set of these.
These are auto jigglers.
They're basically skeleton keys for cars.
Now if they had used one of these,
I would've been totally screwed.
This is an engine disabler.
It works by hooking up to various electronic systems
in the cars, creating a bunch of combinations.
Without the end cap, there's no way
for you to get it open.
Uh, they didn't have to make it that easy, but they did.
One minute, thirty two seconds.
BRIAN: Oh, and don't worry, I'm putting the car right back
where I found it.
You just had your car stolen.
Who should you call?
The police, your local cab company,
a private detective, or your mother?
The answer is the police and the cab company.
You should call the cops, of course,
but you should also call a cab.
Not for a ride, but to offer
$100 to the dispatcher and driver
who could spot your stolen car
before it ever leaves the area.
Not all hacks are meant to help you beat the system.
Some of them are just plain fun to test out.
In fact, I'd like to show you a quick and simple hack
to shatter a window that not only is a cool trick
but a useful method to get you inside
in an extreme emergency.
All right, Jason, I want you to take this mallet
and smash that window.
Probably want to wear eyewear.
Do your worst.
My kid can hit harder.
Come on, man. You have a hammer! It's a window!
-Ssshhhh. Shut up. -Come on.
[distorted voice]: It's indestructible!
See? Breaking a window is not as easy as you thought
unless you know the right hack.
This is your secret weapon.
-A spark plug? -Yeah.
But like this, it's no good
but if you smash it with a hammer,
take one of those pieces of porcelain,
just give it a little toss out on the window.
-This? -Just that.
All right.
[Brian laughing]
That was awesome.
-How? -Because side windows
are made of tempered glass.
This makes it very hard and very resistant
to blunt objects.
But when you fracture porcelain,
it creates a very, very fine, very hard point.
You're not hitting it with very much force,
but what force is there is exquisitely precise,
causing a fracture that propagates
through the entire glass
and shatters it just like that.
So next time you have an emergency
and need to get inside,
grab yourself a spark plug
or head over to the ceramic store.
Now that we've cracked the secrets of a car's window,
let's talk about a secret automotive hack
that's for pedestrians only.
Spend a few minutes hanging around an intersection
waiting for the light to change
and you'll bear witness to the sad spectacle
of human impatience.
Pedestrians act like rats in a maze,
pushing away at crossing buttons,
hoping to be rewarded with a walk symbol.
There's a variety of classic techniques.
There's the single tapper, a rarity these days,
the pulse push...
the drummer...
the push and hold...
the whatever this is
and the ever popular Hulk Smash.
A few years ago, a legend started to spread
about a sequence of taps that would cause
the signal to change,
a secret hacker code for an instant walk signal.
Code was simple three short taps,
two long, one short, two long, and three short taps again,
and it goes from don't walk to walk.
Let's give it a try.
Tap, tap, tap,
two long,
one short, two long
and three short again.
No dice.
Unfortunately, this one's a scam.
I know it's disappointing but get ready for this,
a lot of these lights are on timers,
so even when you do hit the signal,
it's not going to speed anything up.
And even more outrageous,
in big cities like New York City,
a lot of these signals
are not even hooked up to anything.
They exist only as placebos to keep people from going crazy
while they wait for the lights to change.
So the next time you're at a crosswalk,
just push the button once and relax.
The light will change...
eventually.
Think fast. What is the most dangerous time of day
for pedestrians?
8 a.m. to noon, noon to 4 p.m.,
4 p.m. to 8 p.m., or 8 p.m. to midnight.
The answer is 8 p.m. to midnight
when nearly 30 percent
of all pedestrian fatalities occur.
Also, nearly 50 percent of these accidents
occur on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
when both drivers and pedestrians
are more likely to be drinking.
It's important to remember
that not all hacks are physical.
Some are of the psychological variety.
When it comes to messing with people's minds,
experienced car salesmen are the undisputed masters.
I'm pulling up to a used car lot
in Los Angeles, California.
My goal? To identify the mental tricks
used by salesmen on consumers,
and then use those exact same techniques on them
so that I get the lowest price possible.
This should be fun.
To pull this off, my crew is filming secretly
from across the street,
and I've got a hidden camera in my shirt button.
SALESMAN: Hey, how you doing today?
BRIAN: As well as the one in the side of my bag.
BRIAN: How's it going? I'm Brian.
-SALESMAN: How are you, Brian? -BRIAN: Good.
Yeah? In the market for a car?
Uh, if the price is right.
[chuckles] Well, this is an '07,
-immaculate shape, very low miles. -Right on
Are you trading in your other car?
Uh, no, but I would love
to take this one for a test drive.
All right, I'll grab the keys.
All right, you got it, boss.
SALESMAN: All right, yeah, just make a right here.
How do you like the handling? Pretty good, right?
-Not bad. -Yeah.
You see what he's doing?
Sounds like he's just talking about the car,
but he's really trying to have me
talk myself into the purchase.
Tip. Never ever, ever
show how much you want the vehicle.
Act aloof, neutral, or even unimpressed.
Buying a car is like courting a date.
you don't want to come on too strong.
Okay. I've taken a test drive
and employed a few tricks along the way,
but back at the lot...
-Have a seat. -Sure.
...the real battle begins.
This is Thunderdome, ladies and gentlemen,
and in order to survive,
I'm going use his mind games against him.
Okay. Let's talk.
What's your budget for the car?
BRIAN: Negotiating 101.
Never be the first person to set a price.
Why don't we start off with what you guys are asking?
Okay. It's marked on special, $10,999.
I can let you have it for $10,500.
Yeah, we were kind of looking closer to seven.
Oh, that's not possible.
I mean, I could take it to my boss,
but he's not going to go that low.
BRIAN: Now, I'm going to employ
a powerful and underused negotiating technique:
silence.
Always be willing to say nothing at all.
Let it get uncomfortable.
[Brian clears throat]
Okay. I'll take it to my boss.
Stand by.
I'm wearing him down.
Remember, negotiating takes a while
but it's important that you keep
a positive attitude and stand your ground.
Well, I'm surprised.
He said he can go to 95,
and the other thing is,
I don't know if you saw the paper,
but these prices are only holding
for the holiday weekend.
I mean, everything is going to go back up on Tuesday,
so I hesitate to tell you to wait.
BRIAN: This one's called the "now or never" offer
and it's another tried-and-true sales technique.
He's creating urgency so I'll rush into a decision,
but two can play at that game.
I've established a signal with my crew
to call my cell phone the moment I scratch my head.
Let's see what happens when I create a little urgency
for the salesman.
No, that's... I mean, that's fair enough.
-I, uh... -There's the signal.
SALESMAN: I mean, we never drop the prices this low.
-[cell phone ringing] -We haven't had a deal like this in...
BRIAN: I'm sorry. Hang on one second.
This is... I'm also looking at it
over at Van Nuys
This is Brian.
Yeah, the 07 Prius, right?
And that's 8,500 total or...
Okay.
Yeah, uh, let me... Yeah, let me check.
I'm going to check on my end, and I'll get back to you.
All right.
I'm sorry. What were we on?
Look, if you're not serious about buying the car.
I mean, I'm serious about buying the car,
but I've got a firm offer across town for 8,500.
You-- You got to be able to get in that ballpark
for me to make this work.
Yeah, I don't, I don't think we're going to be able
to make it work, Brian. I'm sorry.
BRIAN: And finally, always be prepared
to walk away.
It's the single most powerful tool
in your negotiating arsenal.
All right. Well, appreciate your time.
Thanks so much.
-No problem. -Thank you.
-Have a good one. -Uh, you too. Good luck.
BRIAN: But more often than not,
you won't even make it to the car before...
wait for it, wait for it.
Brian, hey, hold on a sec.
BRIAN: There he is.
Looks like someone's ready to negotiate.
What's up?
No matter how well you negotiate the price
of your car, there's nothing worse
than having to sit in it at a red light.
And if you drive a small car or a motorcycle,
it turns out you might be waiting even longer
for the light to change.
Not all lights are on timers.
This light's not turning green for me,
and I might sit here all day without it turning green.
And a lot of other small vehicles and bikes
have the exact same problem.
The reason is right below my feet.
These are the tell-tale grooves of inductive loop sensors,
and this is how they work.
The loop is made up of a coil of wire
buried in the asphalt.
The sensor works by detecting a change
of electrical inductance.
When a car passes overhead,
the level of inductance changes
and so does the light.
But hundreds of thousands of small cars,
motorcycles, scooters, and even bicycles
don't have enough inductance to trip the sensor.
So how do we hack this system to increase the odds
of getting a green light?
Some people claim it's all about the magnetism.
And to that, we got these, powerful neodymium magnets.
You do not want these near your credit cards.
The legend goes that if you attach these
down at the bottom of your bicycle, your scooter,
or even a small car,
the magnetism should be enough to actually trigger the sensor.
This is cheap copper wiring
we picked up at the hardware store.
These inductive loops are basically
giant metal detectors
and modern motorcycles, bicycles, and even small cars
are covered in carbon fiber and plastic.
There might just not be enough conductive material
to trip the sensor.
So we're going to put these
right here on the rims and hope to trip that thing.
Let's see if it works.
All right, let's try this one more time.
This time, we're going to position
as much of the conductive material as possible
right over that inductive loop.
Hopefully, that'll be enough to trigger it.
Last time I had to wait
over three minutes for the light to change.
Let's see about this time.
Remember, anything faster than three minutes
is a success.
Yes!
Sometimes the best hacks are the simplest.
Now let's see how hacks can save your sanity.
Meet average American consumer Jason Murphy.
He's just had a great afternoon
shopping at the mall
and is ready to head home.
Uh-oh, it looks like
Jason's having the all too common experience
of forgetting where he parked in a sea of cars.
He's feeling anxious, and he tries to use
the panic button on his key fob,
but Jason's out of range,
and like many people,
he's starting to feel a little desperate.
Okay, very desperate.
Jason feels defeated
but then...
he remembers an amazing hack.
Since the human noggin is about 80 percent water,
by pressing the clicker to his chin,
he can essentially turn his whole head into an antenna
and increase his range by up to 40 feet.
So cheer up, Jason.
You'll never lose your car again.
Just watch the overacting.
And this isn't the only trick
you could do with your car clicker.
So if you're buying a second car
or sharing one with a spouse,
before too long, your key chain can look like
that of a janitor's, covered with
a whole bunch of electronic keys
all at once.
If you have two cars from the same manufacturer,
you might be able to consolidate
and handle both cars with just one keyless entry.
This is the key that controls this car.
This one only controls the black car over there.
By the time we're done, this key fob
should control both cars.
The first step is to put the car into programming mode
Now, every manufacturer is different
so you'll need to look yours up online
to see if this'll work.
But for this model, we cycle the power four times...
-[beeping] -...and you hear a tone
indicating it's ready to receive key fobs.
We press one for each of the keys
we want to add
and by the time we're done...
the result is one key fob...
[car lock beeping]
...two cars.
Okay. Let's say some jerk
just scuffed your car at the mall
Which of the following household items
can be used to remove minor scratches?
Tin foil, diet soda, toothpaste, or butter?
As long as the scratch isn't deep enough
to penetrate your car's clear coat,
you might be able to get rid of it
using whitening toothpaste.
There's a reason this stuff shines up your teeth.
It contains tiny abrasives.
If you put a little dab of it on a damp cloth,
that scratch will disappear.
Life hacks are shortcuts and tricks
to help you beat the system.
But sometimes,
the system doesn't like to get beat.
Which is why my next experiment
is a serious gamble.
Buckle up.
So, for 15 years, I've been studying
the techniques of social manipulation.
And if there's one thing I've figured out,
it's that you can talk your way out of any situation
as long as you play the right angle.
So tonight, I'm going to put my skills to the test...
By trying to schmooze one of the toughest customers
on the planet, a police officer.
Jason, you there?
Right behind you.
BRIAN [on walkie talkie]: All right, keep an eye out.
Gee, you say?
This strip of highway is notorious for its speed traps
and sure enough, Jason and I scouted ahead earlier
and saw a cop just up the road.
All right, we're almost there,
and I am definitely over the speed limit.
Jason, we're coming up. I'm going to shut
the dome lights off.
I'm going to hang back a little bit,
give you some breathing room.
[siren wailing]
BRIAN [on walkie talkie]: All right, so this is happening.
Calm down. Don't freak out.
All right, so we're here. That moment we all dread,
when your heart sinks into your stomach
and you know you're about to get totally screwed.
Everyone's got their own theory.
Some people argue or lie or make up stories
about dead grandmothers or cry.
But what really works?
Every case and every cop is different,
but there are a few simple psychological tricks
that could give you an edge.
In this case, you have to know your opponent.
The police, as a general rule, take a lot of pride
in their work, which is dangerous
and often thankless.
They approach every situation with extreme caution.
So the first thing I did was to respect that.
I turned on my interior light
and put my hands on the steering wheel
to show that I'm no threat.
The faster you can defuse suspicion and tension,
the faster you can start
to shift the odds in your favor.
No sudden movements. Nothing crazy.
Not crying, not freaking out.
Nothing that makes him think
there's anything more than an idiot
who accidentally went too fast.
-OFFICER: Good evening. -Howdy, officer.
Now, it's time for step two.
Would you give your friend a speeding ticket?
I didn't think so. So, I've got about two minutes
to become this cop's pal.
To do that, I defy his expectations.
OFFICER: Do you know why I pulled you over?
I-- I believe I was speeding.
By telling the truth, I'm respecting his intelligence.
Now that he's receptive, I try to make him laugh
OFFICER: May I see your license, registration,
and proof of insurance please?
Sure I got to warn you, it is the worst photo
in the history of the DMV though.
OFFICER: Huh. [chuckles]
BRIAN: Do yourself a favor and get a driver's license
with a very ridiculous photo.
If that doesn't work, try something really silly
like this.
OFFICER: And, Brian, do you have your proof of insurance?
Uh, yeah, I have, well,
I have one of these. Does that help?
OFFICER: Uh, no. [chuckles]
BRIAN: Boom.
It's not exactly scientific,
but every time I get a cop to laugh,
or at least smile, I never get a ticket.
OFFICER: All right, Brian. I'm going to let you off
with a verbal warning.
Try to keep the speed down, all right?
-Yes, sir. -Great.
BRIAN: Bingo.
Yes.
BRIAN [on walkie talkie]: Dude, it worked!
JASON [on walkie talkie]: You didn't get a ticket?
No!
BRIAN: Verbal warning.
My best advice for a sure fire way
to avoid hefty fines
is simple, just drive the speed limit
and don't get pulled over in the first place.
Okay. Time for me to drive on
into the light of a new day.
So, remember, stay safe out there on the open road.
But don't always accept the conventional way
of doing things.
There are secrets all around us
and with a little ingenuity, a touch of daring,
and most importantly, knowledge,
you can find endless ways to save time, money,
and have a lot more fun by hacking the system.
Captioned by Point.360