It sounds like a weird scenario, but tucking your bootlaces inside your boots could potentially mean the difference between life and death.
I learned this the hard way the other night and, luckily, it was not a life or death situation. I was backing one of my department’s plain clothed drug investigation officers on a traffic stop in a notorious part of town and when I went to step out of my patrol vehicle my left foot would not move. Looking down, I realized that my bootlace (which was double-tied) was wrapped around the emergency brake pedal. It took about 15 crucial seconds to free my foot. I’m sure you can think of several deadly scenarios that could happen to an officer in this situation.
From now on, when I’m wearing Class A uniform trousers (which I was wearing that night) or BDU’s tucked into my boots, I will always tuck my laces into my boots.
Follow up comment from Jason Menclewicz from the Calumet City, Ill. Police Department:
I read Jason Bissell’s submission about his bootlaces getting caught on the emergency brake pedal of his patrol car. Although he did not mention what type of car he was driving, I would not be surprised if it was an Impala. My department has just made a switch to the Impala and this has happened to me as well. I drove various Crown Victoria’s for almost nine years and have never hooked my laces. The pedal position in an Impala is located much higher off the floor than in a Crown Victoria, which can contribute to bootlaces sweeping the pedal upon exiting.
Mike Georgoulis, Danbury, CT Police Dept. Suggests the following:
Jason, try this. Pull your laces tight, wrap the excess around the top of the boots, then secure the laces with a square knot. Then, tuck the small excess into your boots. the square knot will never loosen up and you have nothing to get caught. Plus, you have a more professional appearance with no laces sticking out from under your trousers of flopping around if your trousers are bloused.
Hugh McIntyre from the Delaware River Port Authority notes:
The lead P.T. Instructor who taught my academy class instructed us to tuck our laces inside of our shoes, regardless of whether we were wearing boots or shoes.
The primary reason was that he and a fellow officer were involved in a foot chase in which the subject jumped a four foot chain link fence. His partner supported himself as he cleared the fence. However, as his one foot came over the top of the fence, a dangling lace was caught. The officer landed face down in the dirt.
Although the subject was caught by another unit, the incident demonstrates the risk of not tucking in laces.
Constable Simon Moir from the West Australian Police Service adds:
We dont have bloused trousers so instead of putting the laces back into our boots we simply put the laces around the top of the boot and then fold the top of our socks back over to cover them.
Might not be perfect for all but works for me.