There are several places selling resin handcuff keys and shims and ceramic razor blades for “E&E” purposes. For a while there were limitations like, “only available to law enforcement and military customers” but now it seems like these are wide open to the general public.
Obviously we’re all good guys here who would only use these in justifiable instances of civil disobedience (or to avoid public urination charges). My concern is that one of these will find its way into the hands of a bad guy, and that people will be hurt as a result.
Here in Durham, a kid committed suicide in the back seat of a police cruiser a few months ago. These escape tools make incidents like that more likely.
I have tiny hands that basically fold in half – length-wise, so my my pinky touches my thumb, and either side of my palms touch. I can get out of even zip-ties quite easily, especially if I make my hands as “big” and wide as possible before they go on. Then they fold. And I’m out.
Instead of hand cuffs, electrical neck shackle would be more effective. Example: “Dog behavioural collars”. Tough luck when the operator moves away from the suspect’s radius. Common responce: “Oops, sorry.”.
I went to Mardi Gras in 94, I think, and I drunkenly urinated in public the whole time. usually, there was an area with a bunch of drunks all pissing there. the cops saw us, we weren’t hiding. they did nothing. we climbed up onto the McDonalds awning right in the French Quarter. the cops told us to get down, then left us alone. the only arrests were made for fighting. guess the crackdown came later? glad I missed it.
I’m going to pretend you’re serious for a moment: if the hands are left free, that would be child’s play to disable. Slip a credit card, or a folded scrap of paper or plastic bag, or just about anything else thin and non-conductive, in between your neck and the contacts.
