Escape and Evasion advice needed

pict

pict

Joined
Jan 7, 2003
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With all the anti-American sentiment about these days I’ve decided to make a few preparations in case I’m ever the target of a kidnapping. Granted that there’s not too much you can do in such a situation once you’re in it.

Under insole of my right shoe I have a hacksaw blade and a single edge razor. Under the left insole I have R$70 (50/20) and a phone card. The money and phone card are protected from water and abrasion by wrapping them in foil and sealing them in clear contact paper.

I figure they may eventually take my shoes but maybe not right away. These items may enable me to cut myself free and gain some distance. Anyway, I‘ve been walking around with this stuff in my shoes for a few days and can’t tell the difference.

I want to add a handcuff key but I don’t know anything about handcuffs. Is there some form of universal handcuff key? What else would you add to these shoes to aid in an escape? Remember that they still have to function and appear like normal shoes. Mac
 
Handcuff keys should be sewn in the hem of a coat, or in the waistband of trousers (prefferably both) with slit to access (at the back, of course)

cash can likewise kept rolled up (lengthways) & sealed in a Mcdonalds straw & flattened (with a mallet or rolling pin, this probably will not split the straw, but if it does, do it a bit lighter next time) a double sided razor blade can be broken in two, ground down (to about the width of the ground edge x 3 wrapped in one thickness of paper & again sealed (with sticky tape) A better bet than the hacksaw blade is a microfile, swiss file, jewellers file in the "mostly flat/half round" style. This has several advantages over the hacksaw blade: It's quieter, it lasts longer & if your cutting through a chain, the length of time it takes is immaterial really, 'cos you'll be dead & buried before you cut through more than @ 3/16", best bet then is to use it as a weapon (on the guy that has the key:rolleyes: )
 
Oh, & try to get one of the keys with a quick release "prod" (the small stick on the ring) just in case the kidnappers know nothing & use standard cuffs (I believe most cuffs worldwide use the standard locking mechanism, I may be wrong:p )
 
& if you do need to cut through a chain link, don't cut the ends, the bend may be tougher than the long side, don't cut on the welded side either (due to possible hardening from the weld) cut through long side near one end & then, if possible, from the inside 1 1/2 times the thickness of the link down (more if possible) then you don't have to cut all the way through on the second cut & can use the other link as a lever (probably best if you practice on your neighbours fence first ;) )
 
Also...

Prevention is better than cure...

Not saying it will deter a kidnap as the circumstances are always different, but if you can readily protect yourself to an extent, it IS an advantage.

I once was in a very sticky situation, probably not to the extent of a kidnapping, but the ability to defend myself probably saved me from a very bad beating or being stabbed. When you fight back and seem to know what you are doing, they do think twice.

I like the shoe idea, very clever!

BTW, I do believe also that most cuffs are standard worlwide. Maybe a LEO could elaborate...
 
Marc "Animal" MacYoung has a pretty good book called Street E & E (Evasion and Escape). It's more about running away when people are chasing you, and how not to be found when people are looking for you, than it is about how to get away when you've been caught or captured. But it's definitely a good read.

Here's a link to this book on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t..._books_2/103-7091806-8741450?v=glance&s=books

Johnny
 
About handcuffs...

It's nice to have the key if your captors aren't trained police officers. If they are not, you have a 1 in 4 chance that the keyhole will be accessable to you while your hands are cuffed.

A trained police officer will administer the cuffs so that it is impossible to insert a key into the hole while handcuffed.

The best thing is... to react violently long before your captors can take you.
 
Many kidnapped people are put into their own vehicle's trunk. Keep a flashlight and a handgun stashed in the trunk. Kidnappers wont be expecting you to come out shooting.
 
The rod on the back of hand iron keys is for activating the double lock, whick prevents the cuff from tightening and causing a stupid law suit
 
Rick,

Here in Brazil I can't legally keep a handgun in my trunk although the thought has crossed my mind (OK I'll be honest, the thought has camped out in my mind).

My old car was rigged so I could open the trunk from inside. I just sold it a few weeks ago. My new car is harder to rig that way, I'll actually have to do some cutting and drilling.

I always thought the best bet was to open the trunk at the first stoplight and run for it. Either that or make a break for it the monent they enter the car and start the engine. That way I'd still be in a palce I'm familiar with. I do have a large knife in the trunk. Mac
 
I don't mean to stray too far off topic, but can you explain this handcuff thing to someone who's never been handcuffed?

I gather that each cuff has a key hole on only one side, right? Well, I don't see why you couldn't twist your wrists in relation to each other to get access to the hole if its not on the hand side.

It happens all the time in the movies.... ;)

Mark

Originally posted by MelancholyMutt
About handcuffs...

It's nice to have the key if your captors aren't trained police officers. If they are not, you have a 1 in 4 chance that the keyhole will be accessable to you while your hands are cuffed.

A trained police officer will administer the cuffs so that it is impossible to insert a key into the hole while handcuffed.

The best thing is... to react violently long before your captors can take you.
Click to expand...
 
You would be handcuffed with the backs of your wrists together and the keyhole facing away from your fingers. If the cuffs are on tight, it's pretty impossible to gain access. Even if your hands are in front and you manage to get the key in your teeth, all I can say is, your wrist flexibility, and patience better be good.
 
Typical of how a kidnapping happens here is that the victim is transported in the trunk of a car to a remote location. He is then held in a small room, handcuffed and chained to a wall for the duration.

I figure the best way to deal with the situation is right at the begining, before they have you. The next best would be to escape from the trunk at the earliest possible moment. If they get you all the way to the remote location you may be able to escape at some point if any of your resources remain with you.

I figure a small razor blade and a handcuff key, well hidden may go unnoticed and may give you an opportunity later. Anyway, it sure beats the alternative. Mac
 
Not to be a doomsayer, but...

I would image that a pillow casing to immediately disorientate you (treated with chloroform or other anaesthetic agent), followed perhaps by stun gun (or cattle prod), or a series of blows to the ribs to take the fight out of you. Duct tape or zip ties (either the industrial strength 2 foot lengths, or the "Quick zip" police brand) would quickly be applied to the ankles (to prevent you from kicking and flailing), and then the wrists, to further imobilize you. Your eyes would most likely be duct taped, along with your mouth. The next likely step is trunk of car, or dragged into a van. I imagine that two grown men can duct tape a third in a relatively short amount of time. The thing with duct tape as opposed to cuffs, is it can be applied hastily, without much attention to detail, and still be very effective. (In addition to it being inconspicuous to possess.)

Your shoes would definately be removed, to remove such caches as you have planned, and to severly limit your ground speed and range. In all likelihood, most if not all of your clothes would be removed. You would no doubt be taken to a remote location. In the event that a van is used, you would be under constant supervision by your kidnappers.

It will be unlikely that they will care about delivering minor injuries (and a whole lot of pain) while attempting to subdue you. If they are professional kidnappers, as opposed to "first timers", they will more than likely have their sh*t together. Professional kidnappers must surely understand the possibility of killing their victims, let alone the unpleastness of providing "proof" to the victim's family/corporation.

A friend of the family's was kidnapped in Columbia. He was held for about 7 months. It has become an industry to kidnap Americans abroad, whose corporate insurance policies cover such things, and then ransom them back.

I agree with MelancholyMutt that explosive violence at the moment of abduction is the only chance in hell of you preventing the kidnapping, once you have been targeted. In the event that you cannot provide adequate resistance, I would imagine that complete compliance with your kidnappers would extend your life. It is a safe bet to believe that any troublesome antics will be dealt with harshly, if not fatally.

I am not trying to further scare you, I am simply trying to give a no punches pulled overview of the severity of such a situation.



Regards,

Shaun.
 
If you're really worried about it, do what Houdini used to do. Tape a wrapped single edge razor blade to the sole of your foot with some duct tape.
The trunk thing is a good idea. Many modern trunks can be opened from the inside, ask a friend to lock you in and see if you can manipulate the latch from the inside. Tape a penlight somewhere inside the trunk where you can get at it, but not see it easily. Might as well put a knife and a handcuff key in there too. If they force you in, try to get in where your hands will be facing the back seat of the car, so you can reach the gear. If you believe this could happen, it's worth practicing for it.
As was said before, your most potent weapon is awareness of your surroundings and situation, and avoiding and evading. Take different routes every day. Do not be predictable. And always come off as aware.
 
The number of professionals who do this is quite small compared to the number of low lifes who attempt it. In most cases the professionals are much better at making the necessary arraingments and work with a much higher confidence level. As a result most professional kidnappings here are only found out about after the pay-off.

The really dangerous ones are the low lifes who try this for the first or second time and don't know what they are doing. These are usually the ones that end in death regardless of any cooperation or payment.

Basically I look at it like this. If they are pro's and take everything I have with me and place me in some hermetically sealed room with 24/7 video monitoring, then I'm more likely to survive because they have their act together. If on the other hand, like so many, I find myself chained to a wall in the back room of a remote farmhouse while my captors drink beer in the next room I might have a chance if I pay attention.

Anyway, I don't live paranoid of the this scenario. The preparations I've taken against it are things I had to think through once and put in place. I can now afford to forget about them until I'm in the trunk of a car. Mac
 
Tracer-San,

Thanks alot for the great website. I have already sent it along to some folks I work with who are far less security conscious than me.

Mac
 
>I want to add a handcuff key but I don’t
>know anything about handcuffs. Is there
>some form of universal handcuff key?

According to one international retailer I asked, the Brazillian government uses mostly cheap Taiwanese imports that _do_ take an American standard key. Some agencies also use "Yuil" brand cuffs from Korea. I don't think you can buy Yuil keys on-line, but you can get a pair cuffs (with two keys) at: http://www.discounthandcuffs.com/yuil.html

That site will also sell you a standard key.
 
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