A surprisingly simple mechanism I thought. Maybe films which show them being picked with a paperclip aren't too far from reality. Lacking relevant experience, I don't know if the UK version is similar.
Yes, that same locking mechanism has been standard issue in the UK for donkeys' years, albeit on a variety of different cuff designs, which suggests that it does the job it was designed for. (If it ain't broke, don't fix it!)
Vatsmith - that would give us two good mantras for MPs - "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" and "If it is broke, fix it!" The trouble is they don't know which is which.
In my youth an adventure ended in seeking help at a police station. I was offered the choice of sleeping in a cell or sleeping in the Magistrates' Court. I opted for the latter on the grounds that might be the only chance I'd ever get to do it.
When I was a lot younger, I bought a handcuff key and carried in my back pocket, just in case. When I grew up a bit and realised the prospect of getting arrested was quite slim, and the cops would probably just catch up with me anyway if I slipped the cuffs, I binned it.
Apparently all the keys are the same so coppers can hand off prisoners to different coppers without having to worry about keys that might get lost if not kept on keyrings
dearieme - it is probably not unknown for magistrates to sleep there too.
Bucko - yes I suppose the keys have to be the same for that reason. It seems insecure, but for temporary restraint it probably works well enough not to change it.
While serving as (UK) County Police officer, I was shown, by a young lad "known to Police" how to undo handcuffs using the plastic top of a biro. He also showed how, by only undoing one cuff, it could be used as a weapon. The introduction of rigid bar handcuffs (quick cuffs) prevented the weapon use and a locking device prevented the cuffs being slipped. My daughters boyfriends were fascinated by the quick cuffs and I, unofficially, showed them how easy it was for an older man to put a young, fit, man on the floor. That was also an incentive for them not to mess my daughters about. They were good days :-). Penseivat
8 comments:
Yes, that same locking mechanism has been standard issue in the UK for donkeys' years, albeit on a variety of different cuff designs, which suggests that it does the job it was designed for. (If it ain't broke, don't fix it!)
Planning to test them out, AKH?
Vatsmith - that would give us two good mantras for MPs -
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" and "If it is broke, fix it!"
The trouble is they don't know which is which.
James - hoping to avoid them for a while yet.
In my youth an adventure ended in seeking help at a police station. I was offered the choice of sleeping in a cell or sleeping in the Magistrates' Court. I opted for the latter on the grounds that might be the only chance I'd ever get to do it.
When I was a lot younger, I bought a handcuff key and carried in my back pocket, just in case. When I grew up a bit and realised the prospect of getting arrested was quite slim, and the cops would probably just catch up with me anyway if I slipped the cuffs, I binned it.
Apparently all the keys are the same so coppers can hand off prisoners to different coppers without having to worry about keys that might get lost if not kept on keyrings
dearieme - it is probably not unknown for magistrates to sleep there too.
Bucko - yes I suppose the keys have to be the same for that reason. It seems insecure, but for temporary restraint it probably works well enough not to change it.
While serving as (UK) County Police officer, I was shown, by a young lad "known to Police" how to undo handcuffs using the plastic top of a biro. He also showed how, by only undoing one cuff, it could be used as a weapon. The introduction of rigid bar handcuffs (quick cuffs) prevented the weapon use and a locking device prevented the cuffs being slipped.
My daughters boyfriends were fascinated by the quick cuffs and I, unofficially, showed them how easy it was for an older man to put a young, fit, man on the floor. That was also an incentive for them not to mess my daughters about. They were good days :-).
Penseivat
Penseivat - today that young lad might be demonstrating his skills on social media for all to share.
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