'Are you embarrassed to hide your pin code when paying in shops?' blog discussion

anotherbaldrick

I have found speed of pin entry is the way for me. Being a banjo player as a hobby I find it possible to move the fingers so fast that the eye cannot keep up with them . I can input the 4 numbers and the enter key in a under 1 second which to the observer is a visual blur. Nobody gets my PINs.

N1AK

I'm a half-hearted user of the same methodology that Martin mentions (all fingers on keys while pressing). It's not so much that I'm embarrassed by hiding the pin as not wanting to live my life constantly paranoid about very low risk actions.

snowleopard61

I do find it mildly embarrassing but not enough to deter me from doing it. If anything (as a smallish-to-average woman) I'm more concerned about being mugged for my card by someone who's seen the number than of losing the money. My strategy is to cover my PIN with my purse, and type it quickly with several fingers (I'm a touch typist, so don't find it difficult). Although I realised recently that looking over my shoulder nervously first to see if anyone around looked dodgy was possibly quite insulting! The shop assistants always tactfully avert their eyes.

What I do find awkward is queuing for an ATM. I don't want to stand so far away that passers-by don't realise you're queuing and barge in, but obviously don't want to give the impression of trying to see over someone's shoulder. My solution tends to be to stand fairly close but face the other way, with my back to the person using the machine. (I don't think I look shifty, as I seem to be the sort of person old ladies talk to at bus stops ... though this probably would actually make me an ideal con artist )

tara747

snowleopard61 wrote: »

I do find it mildly embarrassing but not enough to deter me from doing it. If anything (as a smallish-to-average woman) I'm more concerned about being mugged for my card by someone who's seen the number than of losing the money. My strategy is to cover my PIN with my purse, and type it quickly with several fingers (I'm a touch typist, so don't find it difficult). Although I realised recently that looking over my shoulder nervously first to see if anyone around looked dodgy was possibly quite insulting! The shop assistants always tactfully avert their eyes.

What I do find awkward is queuing for an ATM. I don't want to stand so far away that passers-by don't realise you're queuing and barge in, but obviously don't want to give the impression of trying to see over someone's shoulder. My solution tends to be to stand fairly close but face the other way, with my back to the person using the machine. (I don't think I look shifty, as I seem to be the sort of person old ladies talk to at bus stops ... though this probably would actually make me an ideal con artist )

I do this too!!

And I never worry about anyone being insulted if I look over my shoulder when it's my turn. I give them a daggers look if they're too close to me as well! :rotfl:

Daytona

I've never made an effort to hide it because the original card terminals had high enough screens around them. They chose to lower or remove them, so that's their problem.

Daytona

N1AK wrote: »

It's not so much that I'm embarrassed by hiding the pin as not wanting to live my life constantly paranoid about very low risk actions.

Good grief - someone with a sense of perspective !