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AIBU?

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Original poster

Getting out of handcuffs?

258 replies

FrostedWoods · 01/01/2026 14:34

This is such a bizarre thing to write about but hear me out!

Had a weird situation with the police last night. Won't fully go into it but they mistakenly thought there was a criminal in my house and I was arrested then unarrested when they realised their mistake. I was put into handcuffs. I have hypermobility. And I think due to this I could get out of the cuffs pretty easily. Has anyone else experienced this?

I was so suprised at how easy they are to get out of. Do they have any kind of back up if they really need to keep someone secure? Just keep thinking about it! 😄

OP posts:
fashionqueen0123 · 02/01/2026 09:42

Hollabackgurl · 02/01/2026 08:34

@Icequeen01
I was hauled from my bed at 4am and arrested on allegations my STBXH fabricated to get me out of the family home, with no evidence, and held in a cell for 13hrs awaiting questioning after being put in the back of a van. I was then asked questions such as “did you give STBXH COPD?”, you cannot give some COPD, and STBXH has never been diagnosed with COPD. I was then told that they couldn’t ensure my young DC could come with me when I was bailed from the address, it was up to STBXH. LUCKILY, STBXH allowed DC to come with me.

it was agreed with the police a third party could collect my belongings the next day. STBXH changed the locks and I’ve not been allowed my things since. Police say it’s a civil matter and won’t get involved. That was six months ago, if I change the locks then I risk STBXH being issued an occupation order and losing rights to the property for a number of months.

So yes, I find the police and the laws they enforce to the utterly incompetent.

Why would you risk an occupation order yet he’s done the same thing and hasn’t?

copd- goodness grief!

fashionqueen0123 · 02/01/2026 09:41

FrostedWoods · 01/01/2026 23:19

Well no, they were saying a male name and I'm a female. I didn't know why the back up arrived at the time. It was only afterwards when 'debriefing' with the children they told me the police officer had said the loft ladder was too wobbly and she had to get one of the other officers to hold the ladder for her. This was presumably wht she was styling it out confidently claiming she knew 'Jim' was in the loft! She was waiting for back up for a wobbly ladder! I don't even know how you could pull the ladder up and close the hatch from up in the loft!

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Yeah that would be impossible! She must have thought you were hiding him then 🤣

DramaAndBullshit · 02/01/2026 09:35

FrostedWoods · 01/01/2026 14:34

This is such a bizarre thing to write about but hear me out!

Had a weird situation with the police last night. Won't fully go into it but they mistakenly thought there was a criminal in my house and I was arrested then unarrested when they realised their mistake. I was put into handcuffs. I have hypermobility. And I think due to this I could get out of the cuffs pretty easily. Has anyone else experienced this?

I was so suprised at how easy they are to get out of. Do they have any kind of back up if they really need to keep someone secure? Just keep thinking about it! 😄

I am very hypermobile (EDS) and can slip wristbands etc off very easily because my thumbs can kinda melt into the rest of my hand. I’ve never been handcuffed but I suspect that I’d be able to get out of them just like you did unless they were very very tight around my wrists. (Even if my hands were behind my back)

I think most people wouldn’t be able to get handcuffs off, so it’s not really an issue for the police.

Icequeen01 · 02/01/2026 08:39

And I agree that is utterly awful for you and your family and I’m truly sorry for what you have gone through but my point still stands. Some police officers are utterly incompetent whilst others are decent people trying to do a difficult job.

Hollabackgurl · 02/01/2026 08:34

@Icequeen01
I was hauled from my bed at 4am and arrested on allegations my STBXH fabricated to get me out of the family home, with no evidence, and held in a cell for 13hrs awaiting questioning after being put in the back of a van. I was then asked questions such as “did you give STBXH COPD?”, you cannot give some COPD, and STBXH has never been diagnosed with COPD. I was then told that they couldn’t ensure my young DC could come with me when I was bailed from the address, it was up to STBXH. LUCKILY, STBXH allowed DC to come with me.

it was agreed with the police a third party could collect my belongings the next day. STBXH changed the locks and I’ve not been allowed my things since. Police say it’s a civil matter and won’t get involved. That was six months ago, if I change the locks then I risk STBXH being issued an occupation order and losing rights to the property for a number of months.

So yes, I find the police and the laws they enforce to the utterly incompetent.

Icequeen01 · 02/01/2026 07:58

Hollabackgurl · 02/01/2026 02:03

@Icequeen01
What?

You have had experience of all 148,000 police officers in this country so therefore are qualified to state they are all incompetent? I too had a rubbish experience recently with the police when I was robbed but I’ve also had some really good experiences. I just hate all this generalisation of different jobs such as teachers, police etc (and I’m neither of those). Try saying some are utterly incompetent to make it more accurate?

youalright · 02/01/2026 07:30

FrostedWoods · 01/01/2026 22:56

But why put them on atall? If I wasn't a 'flight risk' ...hardly going to just run off and leave my kids am I ...then why put them on at all? Just seemed to be a big song and dance over nothing.

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It sounds like they where just trying to figure out what was actually going on

Hollabackgurl · 02/01/2026 02:03

@Icequeen01
What?

Icequeen01 · 02/01/2026 01:14

Hollabackgurl · 01/01/2026 15:53

It sounds like you were arrested for harbouring a criminal.

I have had recent dealings with the police, I find them to be utterly incompetent.

What all £148,000 of them? Wow, you have been busy!

Weirdoero · 02/01/2026 00:39

Fascinating! What are all these MNers getting handcuffed for!?!

This is a curious thread

LongDistanceClara44 · 02/01/2026 00:39

Sometimes I think I've led quite a colourful life, and then I read threads like this one and realise it's actually been very, very sheltered

Original poster
FrostedWoods · 02/01/2026 00:18

Nearly50omg · 02/01/2026 00:10

Have you out in a complaint yet with the police?

Yes

OP posts:
Original poster
FrostedWoods · 02/01/2026 00:16

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

So why make an irrelevant comment. Nothing better to do with your evening?

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Original poster
FrostedWoods · 02/01/2026 00:14

ThePieceHall · 01/01/2026 23:29

Well, apart from the resulting PTSD, I’m absolutely fine! I can (almost) laugh about my experience now. The custody officer processing me ie DNA swabs/ search/ fingerprints/mugshot) tried to reassure my distress by telling me that I could tick being arrested off my bucket list. No, matey, being arrested had never been on my radar let alone my wish list before it happened! Isn’t that all about going to Bali or wherever? Not a cell in the local nick?! Also, literally every single person who stuck their head through the cell hatch (and there were lots of them in the course of 21 hours) asked me if it was my first time being arrested, like it was some socially acceptable rite of passage. Oh, and having to press a buzzer every time I needed a wee because I had to ask for loo roll. Apparently, I am the only person ever in the cells in living memory of the custody sergeant to ask for a toothbrush and toothpaste.

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Oh gosh, I'm so sorry you have PTSD. And yeah I agree....never been on my bucket list either. I honestly think the whole police service needs reforming. If I was ever in danger not sure I'd think it would be worth calling them. I know it is only experience of 4 officers but seems my experience is common.

OP posts:
Nearly50omg · 02/01/2026 00:10

Have you out in a complaint yet with the police?

Original poster
FrostedWoods · 02/01/2026 00:07

FrostedWoods · 02/01/2026 00:04

I don't know, they seemed more intent on arresting as many people as they could rather than any concern for vulnerable women and children.

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Oh and I have always been able to move my hands, arms and feet in unusual ways. There are tests you can look up online. A common one is if you can pull your thumb down to touch your arm.

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Original poster
FrostedWoods · 02/01/2026 00:04

u3ername · 01/01/2026 23:28

Such an upsetting incident!

If a woman has been reported screaming t why they weren’t looking for her but only for a named male?
And surely they teach them to climb ladders as a basic in ‘police academy’!

I knew a police officer studying for his first degree, so no, afaik they don’t need a degree to start working as one.

I'm quite curious about the hyper mobility? What else can you do - how did you know you’ve got this?

I hope your children are doing ok - how scary for them.

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I don't know, they seemed more intent on arresting as many people as they could rather than any concern for vulnerable women and children.

OP posts:
Original poster
FrostedWoods · 01/01/2026 23:55

ThePieceHall · 01/01/2026 22:35

You’ve not lived till you’ve been in a cell for 21 hours!

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Yikes! 😲

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Original poster
FrostedWoods · 01/01/2026 23:52

Cerialkiller · 01/01/2026 22:21

DH and I have recently been watching publicised police body cam (American). Some very interesting cases, but we were both shocked by the number of times people (always women) could slip the handcuffs and run off. I'm surprised that this isn't included in training as it must happen often enough to be brought up!

You would think wouldn't you?

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Original poster
FrostedWoods · 01/01/2026 23:51

Burntt · 01/01/2026 22:20

I’m hyper mobile. I could get my arms to the front if they were cuffed behind my back definitely. Not sure if I could slob the cuffs off, weirdly want to try now, I can move the ball of my hand at the base of my thumb into my palm so unless they were done very tight I suspect I could slip them.

im sorry you and your kids went through that. Sounds horrible

It was. And yeah I can move my arms from back to front so I could probably get them off either way. I think the cable tie type would be the actualy effective ones.

OP posts:
Naws · 01/01/2026 23:50

Manic

Original poster
FrostedWoods · 01/01/2026 23:47

HoppityBun · 01/01/2026 22:19

Make a subject access request within 31 days of yesterday preferably tomorrow for the body cam footage

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Ah, ok, great, I'll do that.

OP posts:
FreyjaOfTheNorth · 01/01/2026 23:46

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Original poster
FrostedWoods · 01/01/2026 23:45

Naws · 01/01/2026 22:16

How many times did you pull them off?

And why since you were under arrest, didn't they simply hold your wrists so you couldn't?

3 times I think. And I don't know. Why didn't they put them tighter so I couldn't or use their brains and realise I was hardly likely to run off and leave my kids!

OP posts:
Original poster
FrostedWoods · 01/01/2026 23:41

ThePieceHall · 01/01/2026 22:00

Well, I got arrested without being handcuffed. I was also allowed to make a call to a fellow school mum to arrange a lift to school for my DD2 (then seven) while in the back of the police car being taken to the police station to be charged. I realise now that this is/was a huge breach of protocol. I found the police to be exceptionally kind and understanding.

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I'm glad you had a good experience but they made you leave your 7 year old home alone? Or did I misunderstand? Not sure how it was a huge breach of protocol. Is it protocol to put children in danger and traumatise them like they did to mine? Surely it should be standard that children are safeguarded.

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