Video Hackers Hack Handcuffs at H.O.P.E. (Video) 172
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Have you ever been handcuffed and wish you weren't? Even if you haven't, what if you plan to demonstrate at a political party convention in the next couple of weeks? Either way, you need to watch this video, shot by Timothy Lord and unknown_lamer at H.O.P.E. (Hackers on Planet Earth), which will teach you the rudiments of unhandcuffing yourself -- but on purpose leaves out the fine points. For those, you'll need to buy several pairs of handcuffs and practice on your own. At worst, you will probably embarrass yourself no more than Timothy does as he tries to shimmy his handcuffed hands from behind him to in front of him, starting at about 5:18.
Re:Handcuffs... (Score:4, Interesting)
" They knew how much debt they would be incurring, and under what interest rate they'd have to pay. "
But here is what many of them did not know, when they made future plans and started their post-secondary education:
(1) That the government would progressively tighten the terms and time limits for repaying the loans.
(2) That the government would progressively reduce grants and direct loans, and rely on more private loans at higher interest rates.
(3) That the economy would crash due to Wall Street greed and government collusion in same, and that they would not be able to find a decent job for years, if then.
(4) That the government would change the rules about defaults. Many of today's M.D.s and Ph.D.s defaulted on their student loans... and go unpenalized. Yet today, a liberal-arts or business graduate, with far lower debt but who can't finde a decent job, finds him- or herself in a position in which the loan can never be forgiven, bankruptcy is not an option, and their tax returns (if any) are seized by the government every year unless and until the loans are paid off.
No, they didn't necessarily know all this going in, because the government changed it gradually, year after year.
Re:Handcuffs at a large protest...not! (Score:4, Interesting)
Uh, no...they're not (harder to escape from). I can show you (as can a little Google'ing) how to escape from even the stoutest of zip-cuffs in under 1 second. Doesn't mater if you're cuffed front or back. This was (and I'm certain still is) standard training for SOC, SERE and Counter Intel in the military (where I was taught) and is common knowledge (apparently not as common as I thought however). Do yourself a favor and head on over to ITS Tactical and you can see an instruction video from one of my buddies on how to properly 'pop' zip-cuffs with one fluid motion.
only problem is that law enforcement doesn't use home depot zip cuffs (primarily because these can cut into your wrists in really nasty ways if you struggle) but special models which (besides having rounded edges and being pretty expensive) are also much harder to break or shim your way out of.