pepper spray?

[Dingfelder]

Never had the terror of using any such weapons, but I worry that pepper spray could just as easily spray me as anyone else. And cons sometimes supposedly spray each other just to learn how to walk through it. Is the average person really completely aware of wind direction when the time comes to have to use pepper spray?

 

[Gypsy Freedom]

pepper spray and any weapon for that matter is a last ditch option.

learn about situational awareness and how to not make yourself a target.

those 2 will keep you out of the vast majority of situations.

in a last ditch scenario you should be carrying something that you are capable and competent to use in an EXTREMELY stressful situation. you need to be able to just react, not have to think about what to do as you wont have time. if you do have time, there will likely be other ways to avoid the situation in the first place

it is often said
" it is better to be tried by 12, than carried by 6"
it is better if what yu carry is legal where you are. but if you are going to break the law, dont be stupid and try and skirt the law with things like wasp spray

just ask bernhard goetz. he legally defended himself with an illegal weapon. in this case an unlicensed hand gun. he was found not guilty of all the charges like attempted murder and such. but was found guilty of the illegal weapon charge and spent 8 months in jail for it. and one of his attackers ended up wining a multi million dollar judgement.

realities like this happen quietly every year. this just reinforces that avoiding is always the best solution. i know it is not ALWAYS possible. but if everyone put as much effort into learning awareness, escape and how not to be a target as they do on how to defend themselves. they would have to defend themselves that much less

 

[Dilfo]

I remember reading a long time ago that there are regulations on even that. Like anything, though, laws usually vary from state to state or even city to city. Specifically, I remember reading that the crooks on canes can be classified as deadly weapons, and I think that ones that unusually heavy shafts were too, but it was too long ago ...


I read it because I practiced a martial art in SwordsKingdom that used canes, and the cane was my favorite weapon, being relatively unobtrusive but powerful used correctly. Even a bit of a visual deterrent to wiseguys who were considering their options vis a vis your wallet.

Perhaps that's why most store-bought canes are flimsy, light, or both. My brother broke mine across my other brother's back and it didn't slow him down.