Saw this on fark.com. A woman was (apparently wrongly) arrested from her home, and taken to the police station, where she was subject to a strip search. This search consisted of:
Walk like a duck?! What does that accomplish?
erm, makes anything fall out that may have been loosely placed?
No. No. You got it all wrong. They told her to quack like a duck. They wanted to see if it echoed.
I kid you not, during my induction to the Marine Corps, a roomful of us inductees had to do this as part of our medical exam. And I still don’t know why we had to do it.
er, what exactly does it mean to “walk like a duck”? Sway from side to side as you walk?
Good thing they didn’t tell her to “squeal like a pig.” :eek:
For the military medical exam, it’s so the observer can see if your hips, knees, and back will support you in a posture other than walking – a posture where you may not have practiced concealing a limp.
No clue on why you’d do this to strip search someone.
The obvious reason has already been stated - waddling while in a squatting position might dislodge contraband concealed by rectal or vaginal insertion. Presumably, this might be less intrusive than the examiner simply probing the orifices in question. It would also be a hell of a lot less reliable, and I wonder why it simply wouldn’t be time for the latex gloves, given that you’ve justified a police strip search in the first place.
When you’re crouched down with your chest to your knees, you have no choice but to walk “like a duck”. Your body naturally sways from side to side as you move forward. Try it.
Yes, but does it make a difference if you’re naked?
Does being naked make a difference (1) if you are taking a Marine Corps medical exam, or (2) if you are being strip searched by police?
If you mean the former, going by what Jurph wrote, being naked would make it easier for the medical examiner to watch the workings of your hips and spine.
If walking while squatting was a legitimate procedure there (Australia?) then the reference to a duck is probably a helpful instruction. At my agency (in Arizona, USA), we don’t tell people to walk as part of the strip search, although the other instructions (run fingers through hair, squat) are standard.
BTW, strip seaches here are usually reserved for narcotics-related arrests and they never include cavity searches in our facility. Also, strip searches are conducted in the detention facility only, not an office. It’s unpleasant for all involved and the idea is to keep it professional, respectful, and quick.