21 replies to this topic

[Sophia]

They use both here at work.

Where do you work?

[cincin]

Many of the upscale department stores here in New England use two way mirrors in their dressingrooms as theft deterrents. However, they post a notice letting you know!

Hay BradfordNC, how do you know so much about this topic?

It's an interesting topic from a technology sense! Personally, I go with my gut on this one. If it feels fishy then it probably is and I don't use the area. Of course theres the other side of it and you can give them a real show for their viewing pleasure!!!!

Hay jextract, on the gruntled topic it could be that your just a grunt if your not disgruntled! Websters says Grunt is a "deep throaty sound". May be thats what the two way mirrors are watching for-Grunters?

[BradfordNC]

Hay BradfordNC, how do you know so much about this topic?

It's an interesting topic from a technology sense!

surveillance is a big part of my job

[Walter]

Where do you work?

You wanna come take a tour? I can point out all the 2 way mirrors and the cameras.

[Sophia]

Where do you work?

You wanna come take a tour? I can point out all the 2 way mirrors and the cameras.

Nope, not working myself, can't afford to go anywhere. I've only seen 2-way mirrors in one workplace. I was touring a vendors manufacturing site. Their production was in a Class 10, or was it Class 1?, cleanroom. The work area had one-way windows. Everyone knew they were there, but if you looked in, the workers didn't know. They claimed it was for tours like ours. But if so, then why couldn't the workers see us? That vendor went down a notch in my esteem.

When I was travelling, I always did wonder about cameras in the hotel rooms. Never did anything about it.

[Walter]

Ours are small, but they are everywhere (except the restrooms - since the mid 60's), they peer down from enclosed overhead catwalks. Since they've installed the cameras, I don't think the catwalks are used much anymore. The concept is you never know when you're being watched, so you'll keep your nose clean. Every few years, someone leaves in cuffs.

[jholley309]

I know this is late, but I figured I'd make a comment...

The "fingernail test" does not actually tell you if the mirror is a two-way or not, it just tells you which side the mirror is coated on. The coating itself is what decides whether it's a two way mirror. The vast majority of plate glass mirrors (like the ones in your vanity at home or in the public restroom at the rest stop) are coated on the back side, simply to protect the coating; front-side mirrors are typically only used in telescopes or some types of laser systems (like those nifty barcode scanners at the grocery store). Holding your fingernail to the surface of a back side mirror will give you a gap between the reflection and your fingernail (when viewed from the side) because of the thickness of the glass; the coating on the back of the mirror could still be a two-way coating. In fact, most two-way mirrors have the coating sandwiched between two plates of glass, again to protect the coating; regardless of which side you were on, you'd still see a gap between your fingernail and its reflection. The only way to tell for sure is to go behind the mirror and look back through it, or wait until someone turns on a light in the room behind the mirror. What's that? Can't get behind the mirror? What are you worried about, then?

This whole two-way mirror thing smacks of urban myth-hood; except for a few types of motels, there simply isn't enough room to get behind mirrors in most public places like restrooms. That's why plumbers make so much money: there's just no room to work back there. Besides, with modern mirror coatings any mirror will become a "two-way" mirror if a bright enough light is placed on the other side.

Cheers!

Jim