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What Would You Do? Bike Theft (White Guy, Black Guy, Pretty Girl)

VladCantSleep · demo · Watch on YouTube

Psychology & human behaviorSocial issues & culture

What it is

A hidden-camera social experiment in a park where three people try to steal a bike in the open: a white teenager, a black teenager and a young woman. It records how bystanders react to each.

Why Hacker News recommends it

Used in threads on bias and social engineering as a vivid example of how bystanders treat different thieves.

  • 2 people recommended it
  • 2 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2013, last 2018

What HN commenters said

  1. “There's an awesome video of three college-student-aged in a park.”

    Hidden-camera experiment showing different bystander reactions to white, black, and female bike thieves.

    SomeCallMeTim, 2016-05 · Strong recommendation · in “The Liberal Blind Spot”

  2. “As always social engineering works far better than tech engineering, watch the guys try and help the girl steal a bike.”

    Hidden-camera experiment where bystanders help a girl steal a bike

    fleitz, 2013-09 · Recommendation · in “Bitlock replaces your bike key with your phone”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: social experiment, bias, bike theft, social engineering, hidden camera

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