Reverse peephole viewers are both scary and creepy. Here’s everything that you need to know about them.
The last time I was in France, I saw some weird guy in a hotel hallway looking into a peephole. He had something that looked like a small flashlight in his hand, and I wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing. As far as I knew, you couldn’t look through a peephole from the outside, but apparently, I was wrong. For less than $50, you can buy something (that should probably be illegal) from Amazon called a “reverse peephole viewer.” This tiny little door viewer gadget enables anyone to look through the peephole of a door and see inside.
How Does A Reverse Peephole Viewer Work?
If you ever walk around your apartment or hotel room naked, then this will probably creep you out.
A reverse peephole viewer reverses a peephole’s convex lenses. That’s right, any pervert can walk up to your door, hold up a peephole viewer, and look inside your room from the outside. The device looks like a small scope or monocular and easily fits in a pocket.
Legitimate Uses For A Reverse Peephole Viewer
According to manufacturers, there are legitimate use cases for a reverse viewer. Law enforcement agencies will use them to assess potential threats and observe real-time activity behind a door.
How To Block Perverts With A Portable Peephole Cover
For those of us who don’t want to be viewed through a peephole, you can buy a portable peephole cover for about $10. It’s a small investment that will definitely give you some piece of mind the next time you’re staying at a hotel. Or you can also just use some tape or a post-it note to cover the peephole if needed.
Airbnb & Hotel Privacy Checklist
Anytime I stay in a hotel room or an Airbnb, I always check first for hidden cameras and other privacy breaches. There have been cases where stalkers and voyeurs have installed miniature cameras to spy on their victims.
- Check Vents: Use a flashlight to look inside air vents. They are common places for voyeurs to hide cameras.
- Unplug Clocks: Be suspicious of all clocks. You can buy a digital or analog hidden camera clock for about $50 on Amazon.
- Double-Check All Peepholes: In a famous stalking incident, sportscaster Erin Andrews was spied on by a stalker who modified the peephole and recorded her naked in her hotel room. Don’t just check the main door to your hotel room, also check the connecting door if your room has one.
- Count Your Smoke Detectors: Do you have one too many smoke detectors? Hidden camera smoke detectors with Wi-Fi cameras are another common way for voyeurs to spy on victims.
- Look For Small Holes In The Wall: Sometimes perverts will drill small holes in the wall to spy on you. These holes might be too small to see through with your eyes, but just big enough for small fiber optic cameras ($30 via Amazon).
- Check For Two-Way Mirrors: The mirror in your room could have a person or a camera hiding behind it. There are multiple ways to detect a two-way mirror. One of the easiest is the fingernail test.
- Block Your Peephole: Use either a peephole cover ($10) or tape to cover up your peephole.
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