By Cuffsandcops

Last week, I took a half day from work in order to get my teeth cleaned. My dentist’s office is located on the western edge of the city limits and several small police departments serve the surrounding area. Back more than a few years ago, I successfully got an officer from one of the PDs to cuff me and sit me in the back seat of his patrol vehicle, so every time I have an appointment on that side of town, I wonder if the opportunity will rise again.

I really wanted to get my truck washed before my appointment so I left my house early enough to account for that errand. The line at the car wash was way too long, so I decided to hook a U-turn and head towards the dentist on a road where I knew some officers liked to park while monitoring traffic. As I passed by a large parking lot next to a church, I noticed a marked SUV up against the tree line.

I took a right, back tracked through the neighborhood, and located a back entrance to the parking lot. The marked SUV was still parked in the shade, so I pulled up next to it and rolled down my window. The passenger window of the SUV went down revealing a bearded officer. I asked if there was any way I could experience being handcuffed. The officer hesistated, then said that I wouldn’t want to get put in the ones he had. I said it was something I had always been curious about and figured it was worth asking about. The officer looked back at me, said alright, and exited his vehicle. I exited my truck, left it running, and rolled up the sleeves on my jacket as the officer rounded the back of his marked unit.

As we approached each other, the officer pulled out a pair of black chain handcuffs. He showed them to me and said that he carries three of the same pairs of Peerless cuffs. I asked if they were a commonly carried pair and the officer said they were. He then described hinged cuffs to me as an alternative option some favored. I asked why he liked the Peerless chain cuffs and he said that they are easier to grip and fit his hand well. He then showed me the push button double lock and talked about the importance of double locking cuffs for both himself and the person wearing them.

The interaction that followed stands out among all of the times I have put myself in this situation. The officer told me to turn away from him. Most previous officers had asked about cuffing in front, which seems silly to me, and I always ask for the proper treatment behind my back. Within seconds of turned around, my right hand was grabbed and a cuff was applied so swiftly that it didn’t need to be adjusted for fit. My left hand was then pulled behind me and I heard the familiar clicking. The officer pulled his keys from his belt, checked each cuff for fit, and double locked each cuff with the butt of his key. I immediately felt like I was getting arrested, which is not typical in these experiences, but the way he applied the cuffs made it feel very real.

While standing there locked up, I asked if my hands, which were palms facing out, were in the correct position and if they were on a tight as they should be. The officer said the motion of applying them is muscle memory. He talked about the repetitous routine that was performed during the academy that seems to have been burned in his brain and hands. It was quite clear that he was speaking the truth as evidence by how I felt in his handcuffs. He said that as long as he could squeeze his fingertip in the cuffs they weren’t on too tight. He said that the state troopers cuff people in the front and sit those wearing them in the front seat of their vehicles. He then asked me if I wanted to sit in the back seat and opened the rear passenger door.

He talked about how most of his department’s units have half cages meaning that there is only a cage on the passenger side of the back seat. I actually remembered this from my previous cuffing by a guy from this department and know it’s a unique feature of their vehicles. I made my way into the backseat and commented how there was a lot more leg room than I had anticipated. The officer talked about how there have been instances where one officer would have to pull someone into the back seat from the other side of the vehicle so full back seat cages were needed at times. While sitting there and talking, I could really feel the cuffs on my wrists and with the officer standing in the door, I felt like I wasn’t going anywhere. I asked how long someone spends in cuffs. The officer said if the person is being compliant, then he would take them directly to the station and once there they, one cuff would be released from a wrist, and attached to a bench.

Recognizing that I was probably a few minutes late for my dentist appointment, I sat up and exited the back seat. The officer was in position to remove the handcuffs, first the right wrist, then the left. When I looked down there were noticeable dark red rings around my wrists. The officer described a hobble and how they leave one part of it out of the door which doesn’t allow the person hobbled to move much while in the back seat. He said that if someone was being an asshole, they would be taken directly to the jail where 6 deputies would be waiting to remove them from the vehicle. I asked if they ever used shackles and he said only when transporting prisoners to court or some kind of appointment.

I shook hands with the officer and we exchanged names. As I got into my truck, my phone received a call from the dentist office. I was 3 blocks away from where I needed to go so I buckled my seat belt, thanked the officer again for the experience, and drove away. I walked into my appointment, where they were waiting for me, with noticeable red rings around my wrists, that were not hidden in any way by my short sleeve shirt.

During the cleaning, I took a look at my wrists a few times, but the hygentist never made a comment. Upon reflecting on the experience I had just had, it really stood out how this officer cuffed me. I could tell he did it exactly how he had countless times before when arresting someone. He also initiated me sitting in the back seat. Those couple of factors made this time feel more real than the others. Needless to say, this officer made a really strong impression on me and I would really like to cross paths with him again. Maybe I can do I ride along with him and see what it might lead to. All I can say, is that it was absolutely worth being late to my appointment.