Capsicum/Pepper Spray

[AFPheonix]

I used to have to walk downtown Portland around midnight several times per week because a class got out so late.

I got hit up for change a lot.

[AdminAssistant]

Oh, the professional panhandlers in KC were the worst.

I lived near a very high crime area in KC, but I just kept my wits about me and was careful. Don't want your car broken into? Don't leave anything valuable in it. That kind of stuff.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

And if you wanna ticket me, you go right ahead. All I can do is stab someone or give them a facial rash if they try to jump me or rape me. You won't let me blow their heads off. So fine, I'll do what I can.


No way in Hell am I not carrying at least something on me to protect myself. What am I supposed to do, try to get the guy off of me with my brute force of my whole entire 120some pounds, most likely failing at that, so just go ahead, let him beat me or rape me or both, then call the police and let them handle it? As if they'd ever find him. And if they did, he'd probably not get the punishment he deserved.

.

I didn't quote the entire post, but I agree with every single word Blas wrote. I don't give a damn what someone says I can use or can't use to protect myself. I'm protecting myself as I see fit.

Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six. Or something like that.

A cop I used to date discovered I was packing a hunting knife in my skirt pocket one night when I met him downtown. He was all like "that's not legal to carry!" I said, and I quote, "Fine. Promise me that if I am attacked, you will be there to save me from being raped or robbed or whatever RIGHT THEN. You promise that? You guarantee it, that you can keep that from happening to me?"

And he said "You know I can't promise that."

I just shrugged and said, "then you have sweet fuck all to say to me, then. Don't you."

He never brought that subject up with me again.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

I always fancied the idea (and now actively plan to execute) carrying concealed with my mag topped off with 2-3 safety slugs and the rest teflon-coated non hollow point.

The idea being that anyone hit 2-3 times with the safety slugs isn't likely to be much of a threat after that, and if they try to continue, 2-3 non-hollow-points would definitely do the job with a good enough possibility that swift medical attention would save their life to let them rot in prison whereas 2-3 hollow points is more of a game-over situation.

Note: I'm not talking about KTWs otherwise known as 'cop-killers' (BS) but rather standard non HP.

[Flyndaran]

All I can say is that I hope you don't whine if you get thrown in jail.

What kind of war zones does everyone live in?

[protege]

I don't live in a war zone. However, I have to travel through some "interesting" areas on the way to work. You name it, I've probably seen it while stopped at a light--fights, drug busts, people getting hauled out of their shacks, etc. Plus, I had some crackhead use his car to block the street and "confront" me. My crime? Simply being behind him in traffic. Even before then, I'm always aware of what's going on in those neighborhoods. That, and I do carry pepper spray in the car.

My home is in a relatively safe neighborhood. We literally have no crime. However, there have been a few break-ins lately, including one just down the street. I'm not overly paranoid, but I do take precautions to protect myself. That is, the screen doors are locked, no valuables (including my phone) are left in the cars, etc.

But, if you *really* want to deter a burglar...run them off with a pitchfork. Did that at my grandmother's farm, when some idiot tried to break in. Seems he knew that she wasn't there (her auto accident made the papers), and since no cars were visible (I'd put my car in the garage), thought it was an easy score.

Well, it would have been, had I not heard the attempt at forcing the door open Not only did I turn the porch lights on, but I ran the bastard off with a pitchfork. Ended up losing him in the shadows, but never had that problem again

Even though I live in a safe area, I refuse to adopt the idea of "it can't happen here." That's been proven as bullshit. It can happen *anywhere.* However, I refuse to let that idea make me a prisoner in my own home. Fuck that. If someone is desperate enough, they'll do it. It's up to *you* not to be a victim.

That is, if someone's trying to hurt you, you take their ass out. (I'm not advocating *killing* them, OK?) That is, you neutralize the threat--beat the shit out of them, pepper spray their eyes, etc., whatever you have to do to protect yourself.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I don't live in a war zone, but downtown it can be rough. People get mugged on a really regular basis down in the party district. People here are poor, there's drugs on the streets, and every other idiot you run into at night is a panhandler of varying degrees of aggressiveness.

It's a college town, so you have drunken frat boys who think, and probably rightly so, that they can get away with anything, too.

Me and a friend actually passed some time one morning on main street following a trail of dried blood from the bus station to a locked door with a bloody doorknob. Nice. (No, I never found out.)

War Zone? No, not so much. Place you can get really effed up if you're not careful? Oh, yes.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I live in a very quiet, peaceful village. However, I do occasionally leave it, and often I'm alone. If I'm heading up London way, you bet I'm carrying something to protect myself with. I don't always have my boyf with me, and I'm damned if I'm going to treat him like a bodyguard and not leave the house without him. -.-

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Bodyguard, hell.

Someone touches or threatens my husband, I will freaking eat their liver.

I'm only half kidding.

I carry something to protect myself, sure, but anyone even looks at him funny better hope I don't take that as a threat. We could all end up on the 11 o'clock news. My husband married a crazy, territorial bitch.

I can think of at least two instances where I went after someone who I thought might harm my husband. Make that three, actually.

EDIT: Oops... make that four. I just remembered the asshole from up north somewhere I threatened with a Corona bottle in a New Orleans Grill.

[Greenday]

Someone touches or threatens my husband, I will freaking eat their liver.

You don't want to do that. I've heard it tastes vile.

[Slytovhand]

Actually, I've heard the opposite.. given the liver deals with glucose and the likes.. all the sugary chemicals in the body, I heard it's quite sweet...

but anyone even looks at him funny better hope I don't take that as a threat.

So... clowns had best stay away, then??

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Clowns are actually safe from me, I understand they taste funny.

[Lachrymose]

You don't want to do that. I've heard it tastes vile.

Not with some fava beans and a nice chanti.

(Can't believe I'm the first one to say that. )

[BroomJockey]

I heard it's quite sweet...

I don't care if it's the best tasting thing in the world, the day you hear me ask to sample another creature's poison filter is the day I've committed murder, and I'll be having it with the obligatory Chianti (Props to Lachry for making the reference first)

[Flyndaran]

You would rather eat an animal's ass like ham?