Police Officers: How would you handcuff someone who has a phobia about being restrained or is severely claustrophobic?

When they're arresting somebody obviously. And it's not a medical condition, it's a phobia. It's not actually going to hurt you to be handcuffed unless you start resisting arrest.

Reply

[-]

Shushyabullshit@reddit

Yes because then that will be the new excuse people use to not get cuffed.

Reply

[-]

ZookeepergameBorn394@reddit

Yes, it’s about balance of risk. The risk of a panic attack at worst, for one person is not going to be prioritised over the risk of serious violence or worse for the other.

Reply

[-]

They'd just stuff you into the back of the cop car, and book you with an additional offense when they get you to the station. "Resisting arrest" or something because you were screaming and thrashing and kicking the window. *Maybe* your lawyer could get that one struck off.

Reply

[-]

Clever_Username_467@reddit

That's a textbook example of resisting arrest, which is a crime.

Reply

[-]

ColossusOfChoads@reddit

Lawyer could sell it as a "medical episode" or something.

Reply

[-]

Clever_Username_467@reddit

There are a number of general defences to crimes. Insanity. Duress. Mistake. Self-defence. Necessity. There's no defence of "medical episode".

Reply

[-]

MathematicianBulky40@reddit

Have a look how they treated an autistic teenager. About like that.

Reply

[-]

Clever_Username_467@reddit

You mean the one who was drunk and disorderly?

Reply

[-]

MathematicianBulky40@reddit

She wasn't arrested for drunk and disorderly, she was arrested for a "hate crime"

Reply

[-]

Clever_Username_467@reddit

Which she committed after being drunk and disorderly.

Reply

[-]

MathematicianBulky40@reddit

They took no further action. She didn't commit shit..she made a socially awkward statement... because she has autism...

Reply

[-]

AlligatorHater22@reddit

They wouldn’t care. Look at how they burst in to a house and illegally detained an autist child because some angry lesbian cop got ‘triggered’.

Reply

[-]

Clever_Username_467@reddit

They didn't "burst into a house", she was drunk and disorderly in Leeds city centre making a nuisance of herself so they took her home. The homophobic remark was just the icing on the cake after an evening of crime.

Reply

[-]

AlligatorHater22@reddit

So PC Clever_Username - what was she detained for? Why was she removed from the property? Let’s see if your case law is any better than the clowns who turned up.

Reply

[-]

Sallytraffic101@reddit

Easily avoidable this - don’t do anything that would get you arrested.

Reply

[-]

Simple-Friend-5372@reddit

And nobody has ever been wrongfully arrested?

Reply

[-]

Sallytraffic101@reddit

Not for 99% of the population. The chances of wrongful arrest are slim so don’t do anything that would get you arrested and you’ll be fine. No doubt if you have a criminal record the chances of a future wrongful arrest are higher though, but those people have brought it upon themselves.

Reply

[-]

Simple-Friend-5372@reddit

Tell that to Jean Charles de Menezes

Reply

[-]

tvthrowaway366@reddit

Bad example because he, very famously, was not arrested

Reply

[-]

Simple-Friend-5372@reddit

Way to miss the point

Reply

[-]

tvthrowaway366@reddit

There’s a wider point to be made about police brutality, but that argument is undermined when you cite irrelevant examples. Bringing up Jean Charles de Menezes in a discussion about wrongful arrest is clearly motivated reasoning.

Reply

[-]

Simple-Friend-5372@reddit

Fair.

Reply

[-]

Clever_Username_467@reddit

I don't think he ever was handcuffed, you know.

Reply

[-]

Simple-Friend-5372@reddit

Not much point after they shot him several times in the head, no.

Reply

[-]

Sallytraffic101@reddit

You need to come up with about 700,000 others to get below 99%. So I stand by my post.

Reply

[-]

I_want_roti@reddit

Add 1 to the wrongfully detailed here. No criminal record, just standard police fuck ups

Reply

[-]

Sallytraffic101@reddit

Ok, so another 699,998 and we get to 99%. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but the chances are so minuscule if you simply don’t do anything that you would be arrested for then you will almost certainly be fine.

Reply

[-]

Succulent_Orange@reddit

Even if 1000 people say "me too" you probably have far more than 10,000 view this post so you're filtering out the 99% who rid hadn't happened to.

Reply

[-]

shazzambongo@reddit

+1 thanks. Yes, the stress and freaking out is sorted at the psych ward, where they get psych nurses to pop you in a comfy little straight jacket for a bit. Calms people right down 😊 Eventually 😵🤡

Reply

[-]

I_want_roti@reddit

With the general IQ of the police it's more often than you think. They refuse to back down when they realise they're wrong because they don't want to appear incompetent but that's what they are. Happy that you've never experienced it but plenty of people, especially those who aren't white experience it all the time because the police are attracted to them like magnets

Reply

[-]

DameKumquat@reddit

To be fair, he didn't get handcuffed, on grounds of having been shot dead already.

Reply

[-]

Witch_of_Dunwich@reddit

> 1 example out of approx. 70 million Brits

Reply

[-]

Simple-Friend-5372@reddit

Not the only one. But fine downvote me. You're all fine with this apparently.

Reply

[-]

Clever_Username_467@reddit

Define "wrongful arrest". An arrest where there was reasonable grounds for suspicion but the suspect later turned out to be innocent is not a wrongful arrest.

Reply

[-]

Valuable-Wallaby-167@reddit

Because nobody innocent has ever been handcuffed

Reply

[-]

Pedal_bin@reddit

The police hate this one simple trick

Reply

[-]

SteviesShoes@reddit

I would hope they make it as uncomfortable as possible. They may think twice before committing crime next time.

Reply

[-]

Pedal_bin@reddit

Ex-police. Your comfort is irrelevant. That said, the people who have the biggest issue with it are the ones who would kick off anyway. For the vast majority of people who are calm (who you don't see on road wars because they're not interesting) it's no big deal. You're asked to face away, you put your arms behind your back and because you aren't squirming around the officer detaining you actually has chance to assess your comfort and loosen them. If its really uncomfortable because of your size then you calmly explain that and an additional pair is used.

Reply

[-]

terahurts@reddit (OP)

>Your comfort is irrelevant. I'm not so much talking about comfort as someone having a full-on panic attack to the point where they're hurting themselves or at risk of doing so. I understand the reasons for handcuffing someone and that the officers doing have likely heard every excuse possible as to why someone shouldn't be cuffed and that it's better for everyone if you don't kick off, but I'm wondering if there's any situation where you'd remove the cuffs or use another method of restraint?

Reply

[-]

SteviesShoes@reddit

Shouldn’t commit crime then.

Reply

[-]

Pedal_bin@reddit

Trouble is, a panic attack and resisting arrest look identical and have the same goal which is to escape. There is no other method of restraint, its cuffs or nothing. And I'm not taking the cuffs off of someone who is actively fighting to have them removed. A calm individual who I knew from past experience might get them stacked to the front after the initial arrest.

Reply

[-]

Clever_Username_467@reddit

Not only do they look identical, they are identical.

Reply

[-]

Accomplished-Ad-3528@reddit

I don't think most low iq police understand the sheer terror claustrophobic induces. Terror. That's putting it mildly.

Reply

[-]

terahurts@reddit (OP)

I've ripped the cuffs off a shirt when I panicked taking it off (admittedly it was because I was so drunk that I couldn't figure out how buttons worked). I've got a feeling that if I was handcuffed I'd be arriving at the station with severely fucked-up wrists or a dislocated shoulder. Just the thought gives me cold sweats.

Reply

[-]

Accomplished-Ad-3528@reddit

Yeahhhh. Others can't relate. They don't understand what sheer terror is. How can they. Caving. Where they force themselves through the narrowest of cracks....fuckkkkkkkk that. That can fuck right off. No no no no. I've ripped shirts that were wet and not coming off. Though handcuffs alone wouldn't be the massive issue online as long as I had no restrictive jacket on. But handcuffs and being locked in a car and just siting there. Fuckkkkk that.

Reply

[-]

Succulent_Orange@reddit

We UNDERSTAND OP nobody has EVER discredited thY this whole time But you DONT understand how that can't change the outcome. You seem to think people should read minds to make super human decisions. Unfortunately they can't. And you call them low IQ or inconsiderate But ultimately panic attacks DO NOT void you of responsibility. OK this upsets you, I can understand why, but cuffs are designed to make people predictable and a person having a panic attack while restrained is physically safe therefore it makes no difference.

Reply

[-]

Accomplished-Ad-3528@reddit

Are you drinking? Seriously please point to where I said they shouldn't be used? Really please copy and paste? My annoyance is with low iq cops and as I pointed out there are VERY many of them. Not all of them. And when the circumstance requires of course they should be used. Wtf. However. Youtube the way some innocent people get treated here in the UK. There are some shocking illegal detainments here. The number of illegal cuffing, detainments is massive. Infact there was a case a while back where the one guy gets hands by the police, cuffed and kept in a van illegally as the officer wanted to bully the person. Resulting in a massive lawsuit which was paid out. That's the low iq I talk of. The hell that some people get put through. At no point dis I say they shouldn't be used. That's daft.

Reply

[-]

Succulent_Orange@reddit

>At no point dis I say they shouldn't be used. That's daft. Then STFU. I'm not playing pedantic reddit rules "well TECHNICALLY I never said they can't be used" you went on an absolute rant, you can't just cap that off with "but they're find to use" that's a 180 flip on everything else you said. I read with context (something that requires social abilities beyond reddit) and you absolutely are saying they're wrong to use cuffs. I'm not dealing with someone like you.

Reply

[-]

Pedal_bin@reddit

And like I said. A claustrophobic panic attack looks a lot like someone resisting arrest/trying to escape. Ignoring the low IQ jab, It's not that we didn't understand, it's because we couldn't afford to take the risk. Supposed you were having a genuine panic attack so we let you out of the cuffs and the first thing you do is run straight into the road in terror. Who do you reckon is getting the blame for that one? Or as is more likely you were pretending and once you're released you hit one of us and escape. Nope, not worth the risk. You just have to put up with it for 10 minutes until you're at the station.

Reply

[-]

terahurts@reddit (OP)

>panic attack and resisting arrest look identical and have the same goal which is to escape. That's what got me wondering about it in the first place. I guess I'm going to have to continuing to be a law-abiding citizen and not do anything to get myself arrested. >There is no other method of restraint, its cuffs or nothing. And I'm not taking the cuffs off of someone who is actively fighting to have them removed. Out of curiosity, what do you do if someone only has one arm or is otherwise disabled?

Reply

[-]

Pedal_bin@reddit

Yeah not being arrested is generally the safest way. Do you know what, it never came up. You'd handcuff them to yourself I think, although it's been 8 or so years since I left and my memory is fading now

Reply

[-]

abek42@reddit

OP, Have you lived under a rock for the last 10 years? If you live in USA, you better live the long and straight life, because chances are your kicking off during an arrest will get you tasered or shot or both in any order. Your conditions nor your comfort are going to be considered important. In many other countries, you will not get a particularly pleasant treatment if you belong to any marginalised group. TLDR; You will mostly be in serious trouble if you find yourself being handcuffed.

Reply

[-]

terahurts@reddit (OP)

>If you live in USA You know this is /r/AskUK right?

Reply

[-]

abek42@reddit

Bahaha... didn't notice... apologies... but then again, if you plan to visit USA, you should probably keep this in mind. Has put me off going back there since 2016. I think UK police are a bit different than the US ones, for one, not all are armed, but if you are kicking off, their attitude may not be very cooperative either.

Reply

[-]

Brian-Kellett@reddit

Pretty much everyone I saw arrested in the street when I worked alongside cops would try the ‘claustrophobia’ or ‘the cuffs are too tight’ lines. Never worked. Normally they would be the sort to get arrested after constantly gobbing off despite warnings and saying ‘you can’t arrest me’ about 30 times a minute.

Reply

[-]

Clever_Username_467@reddit

They all have shoulder injuries too

Reply

[-]

mikeghb89@reddit

And the award for irrational fear/wet-wipe post of the day goes to....

Reply

[-]

RaspberryWonderful16@reddit

The police probably don’t have time to pussyfoot around people. If you start freaking out in handcuffs they’re just gonna restrain you and bundle you into a van

Reply

[-]

alienvoicechanger@reddit

I think people are lacking empathy in their comments here. I'm not claustrophobic, but imagine that being arrested involved something you do have a phobia of - if they put a tarantula on your face during arrest, I'd absolutely freak out. You can't turn phobias off because they're inconvenient.

Reply

[-]

iambeherit@reddit

I'm always a little bit surprised when a question like this comes up and the person is married.

Reply

[-]

Regular_Rutabaga4789@reddit

I think the worst ones for police to deal with would be the people who absolutely love being handcuffed or restrained. Would make the whole situation a bit awkward.

Reply

[-]

CliffyGiro@reddit

I’m not convinced the responses you’ve had are necessarily accurate or helpful. “Your comfort is irrelevant” isn’t actually true. If you’re getting lifted, it can’t be helped no amount of conversation will talk you out of being lifted. However if you speak to me or any of my colleagues calmly and explained your issue we would do our utmost to make the entire process as straightforward as possible. In situations whereby you’re already fighting/presenting risk things would be different, you’d have to be physically restrained. A simple but effective solution is to try and not get yourself lifted in the first place.

Reply

[-]

ohmyblahblah@reddit

Probably taze you. Or a good old fashioned whack with a truncheon

Reply

[-]

BigBird2378@reddit

This is super interesting and I've often wondered how much of the resisting and aggression towards the police is triggered from being restrained. I'm a very relaxed person but I know from experience that I panic in tight spaces or when I can't stretch. I'd be a totally different character when in handcuffs.

Reply

[-]

terahurts@reddit (OP)

That was my thought. I freaked out in an MRI machine because I couldn't move my arms and the thought of being handcuffed gives me the cold sweats. I'm usually calm and collected, but not being able to move my arms puts me into fight-or-flight mode.

Reply

[-]

WDMC-905@reddit

fight or flight are both escalations. simple result will be FAFO.

Reply

[-]

lord_winnish@reddit

Do you really think that your comfort is their priority OP? You’re being cuffed and detained because you’ve very likely done something wrong and are a danger to yourself/others. Cuffing you protects them and society. Wailing about being claustrophobic is a bit childish. I’m horribly claustrophobic but if I was in a situation where I’m being cuffed the chances are I deserve it and my phobias go out the window

Reply

[-]

dukeliminal@reddit

So you’re probably not actually claustrophobic are you? If it “goes out the window” based on the situation..

Reply

[-]

lord_winnish@reddit

It’s doesn’t go out the window per but kicking & screaming doesn’t won’t get me anywhere. I’m asthmatic. If I was put in cuffs I would let the officers know that I might need access to an inhaler - which is probably in my pocket. They might put my cuffed hands in front of me…but that would be unsafe for them. Perhaps they’d have to wait until I turned blue…who knows. Claustrophobia isn’t going to get you special treatment

Reply

[-]

IndelibleIguana@reddit

If you said that to a policeman, they would delight in making the cuffs as tight as possible.

Reply

[-]

Daftsquatch@reddit

Same way they do for everyone else. Largely, the police relish the chance to give someone a great amount of discomfort and stress. Its a perk of the job to them.

Reply

[-]

Unusual_residue@reddit

A taser will help you to relax

Reply

[-]

randomusername468@reddit

Its an arrest ….. your comfort is irrelevant. They’d tell you to shut up and stop resisting before forcing them on you.

Reply

[-]

28374woolijay@reddit

Offer your wrists up in front of you so they don't have a reason to grab your arms.

Reply

[-]

Knoberchanezer@reddit

You think cops would actually give a shit if you have a massive phobia? They're cops. They barely give a shit when people die in their custody.

Reply

[-]

dukeliminal@reddit

I’m not a rozzer but from what I’ve seen on those shows it’s usually those kicking off or who have tried to evade arrest that get “twisted up” and cuffed from behind. Guess it depends on the situation and the person. We had someone arrested for fraud in work and they politely asked her to accompany them to the car without handcuffs.

Reply

[-]

Witch_of_Dunwich@reddit

The exact same way. The cuffs are there to restrain you and protect them - doesn’t matter if you like it or not.

Reply

Reply to Post

84 Comments