Someone has designed a bike lock that can make thieves throw up

If you've ever suffered the horror of having your bike or its parts nicked, a pair of inventors in San Francisco have come up with a clever lock that gives thieves a taste of their own medicine (and their own vomit). 

SkunkLock has been fitted with pressurised containers that emit a noxious gas when a thief cuts through it. The spray, which can be noticed up to 10 feet away and clings to skin and clothing, can cause vomiting, difficulty breathing and 'a lot of symptoms similar to pepper spray,' says co-inventor Daniel Idzkowski.

Now before we get too excited and start ditching our Kryptonites, Idzkowski admits that the SkunkLock can't do much against lock pickers. Bummer. But if they manage to raise enough money through their crowdfunding campaign to get it to market (and have it pass a risk assessment, because y'know, toxic gas), this could be the answer to our commuting woes. If not, we can dream, right? 

Check out the SkunkLock in action:   

In other possible bike deterrent news, have you heard about the theft-proof bike stand?