Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger): I’m going to kill you pretty soon.
Samir (Charles Cragin): I see. How exactly?
Harry: Well, I thought I’d break your neck, then use you as a human shield, then kill the guard with that knife there on your table and take his gun.
Samir: And what makes you think you can do all that?
Harry: Because I just picked the lock on these handcuffs . . .
-True Lies
There are many different types of handcuffs throughout the world, but the American handcuff is the most commonly used-and the most commonly unlocked. The good news is that handcuffs are designed to be temporary restraints, not permanent ones. So you have a good shot at escape, since American-style cuffs all use a universal key. Remember that you only need to free one hand to restore your mobility-and then dispatch your torturer and his two henchmen. To do so, follow the directions here, provided by escape artist Tom Lyon.
PREPARING FOR ESCAPE
Step 1: As you are being cuffed, tense your wrist muscles.
Tighten or flex your wrist muscles as you are being cuffed. This may allow you more maneuverability later.
Step 2: Try to be left alone.
Ask if you can go to the bathroom or say that you are ill. Ask for a drink or something that would require your guard to leave you unattended.
Step 3: Once alone, work your hands in front of you, if you can.
Though it is possible to escape from handcuffs with your hands behind you, the moves are more difficult. If you can, bring your hands down around your bottom. Slip one hand down, and then the other. Then work both of your hands down toward your feet. Lie on your back and bend your legs. Then, one at a time, bring your feet through the loop of your arms.
PICKING THE LOCK
When you find a tool that you can use as a pick (see step 1) hold it firmly and manipulate it with your thumb and forefinger.
Step 1: Find a pick.
You can pick a handcuff lock relatively easily by bending a resilient piece of metal into the shape of a key. A universal handcuff key is round, with one nodule sticking straight out a few millimeters. Whatever you use, the material must be resilient because the springs on a handcuff lock are strong. Use any of the following items (or your own MacGyveresque creation):
- Large paper clip
- Hairpin
- Mini screwdriver
- Any tough wire (e.g., chicken or piano)
- Small fork
- Electrical wire with the insulation stripped away (10 gauge or higher)
- Thin radio antennae
Step 2: Shape your pick.
Bend a few millimeters of one end of your pick over 90 degrees. This bend should be about the same shape and size as the bit on the end of the universal handcuff key.
Step 3: Put the pick in the lock.
Fit the bend into the lock at the point where the nipple of the key fits. You will feel the bend move into place.
Step 4: Turn the pick to open the lock.
Until you get the feel for what it’s like to turn the “key,” it may take you a while to pick the lock. Turn your pick left and then right. If you can’t get any movement, put the latch end of your handcuff vertically on a hard surface and press down. This may relieve a bit of pressure on the lock and make it easier to turn. Be careful, though: pushing too hard may lock the cuff another tooth and restrict your hand movement.
