Easy Way To Teach Kids To Free Themselves From Zip Ties In Less Than A Minute

Jul 20, 2021 by apost team

Nobody wants to think about their child being kidnapped, much less talk about child abductions with their kids themselves. This is because subconsciously, many of us have a fear of making it more likely to happen by talking about it. The harsh reality is that children make up 34% of all missing persons cases in the US, as reported by the FBI for 2020. That percentage comes out to 30,396 children or teenagers under the age of 18. Even then, the number seems small if compared against the population of the US and most people think it won't happen to them - but what if it does? The chance might be small, but any parent would want their children to have the best shot at getting out of such a scary situation.

It's better to be prepared for something that will probably never happen than to be unprepared if the worst-case scenario happens. At least, that's how a young lady from Orlando, Florida, feels. A video uploaded to Facebook by Michelle O'Neal back in 2016 features a young girl demonstrating how to escape from cable ties with the help of her shoes.

The trick is actually pretty simple, provided the possibly kidnapped child or teenager has the usual flexibility and mobility. The only thing the abductee needs is shoes that have shoelaces and a little bit of maneuvering space, as the girl in the video proves. The rest is taken care of by simple physics. Read on to find out how exactly the trick works.

In the video, the young unnamed girl is sitting zip-tied on a sofa. She appears to be no older than ten and leans down to use both hands to untie her shoelaces. She then uses her hands and teeth to thread one of the shoelaces through the loop made by the zip tie. Once this is accomplished, she ties both shoelaces together, forming two knots for extra stability. After securing the shoelaces together, she lifts her legs off the floor. With bent knees, she kicks her legs from one side to the other, effectively turning the shoelaces into a self-made saw!
The cable tie breaks within seconds. The side-to-side motion uses friction to break the ties. The whole process takes less than 60 seconds, and you can watch the video for yourself below.

Handcuffs can only be purchased from select vendors, so it makes sense that a kidnapper would use cable ties. They are inexpensive, impossible to trace, and sold everywhere from gas stations to big box stores.

Hopefully, your child is never in a position where they have to break free of cable ties, but it pays to be prepared. One of the easiest ways to make sure nothing happens to your kids is to teach them to be aware of their surroundings - children can notice a lot more than many adults think.
It's also important that you monitor their internet activity and advise them not to talk to strangers. If your child has a cell phone, install an app that allows you to track the phone's location - but talk about it with your kid first.

apost.com

How do you talk to your children about safety? Do you have any tips to help other parents keep their kids safe? Let us know in the comments and be sure to spread the word about this important video. It could save somebody's life!