Woman's Forum: Walmart incident

[TrainChaser]

Personally, I would like to carry a mace like this, but they might be illegal: http://www.heavenlyswords.com/images/T/KT2065A.jpg

If you swung it at someone, it would be 'difficult' to grab the business end.

 

[michele0203]

WalkaboutTed:  "I nevery worry about being rude."

Dammed right!  The 'training' that girls get as children, drives me crazy.  Don't be rude, don't be offensive, don't lose your temper, don't fight back.  Let people annoy you, let people hurt you, don't be defensive, don't be obnoxious.

JUST BE A VICTIM, GIRLIE!  IT'S THE REASON FOR YOUR EXISTENCE!

Preach it!

 

[wasanah2]

Personally, I would like to carry a mace like this, but they might be illegal:  http://www.heavenlyswords.com/images/T/KT2065A.jpg

If you swung it at someone, it would be 'difficult' to grab the business end.

Carry wasp and hornet spray.  It sprays a long distance, will disable your adversary and will blind the person if he doesn't get his eyes flushed pretty fast.  It's LEGAL to carry wasp spray.  It hurts.  It works.

 

[ValerieP]

That is scary, happy to hear you acted so wisely. One reason I surround myself with, perhaps, too many dogs of various sizes.

 

[TrainChaser]

Wasp spray is NOT legal. The law goes by the disclaimer on the can: "It is a violation of federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.” Depending on the state, you can be prosecuted for using it on an attacker.

People also say to use bear spray instead of for-humans pepper spray. Bear spray is 1 to 2% oleoresin capsicum (active ingredient), a strength more appropriate to 'train' a bear (or dog) to leave you alone.

The pepper spray sold to use on humans (or a reasonable facsimile) is usually 10% to 20% oleoresin capsicum -- much stronger. It was created to incapacitate an attacker, and that is what you want. You're not spraying wasps and you're not spraying bears -- if you NEED to push that button, you want it to do what is needed.

 

[wasanah2]

Oh my, I've been carrying wasp spray for years, although I never needed to use it (for humans).  I'll have to get the magnifier to check out the fine print.

Thanks for the info Train Chaser. I'll check the can.

 

[WalkaboutTed]

Legal Shmegal! "Oh, your Honor, I decided to let myself get raped or assaulted because I was afraid of being arrested while trying to protect myself". My safety is more important than protecting the assaulter's temporary discomfort. Sorry, girls, I've not heard of a woman bring arrested because she's carried wasp or bear spray for self defense. In most places in America, it's legal to defend your home with a firearm (the Castle Doctrine). So, I guess its better to shoot the mo***r fu***r than to hit him with wasp spray?
Ted

 

[Freak On A Leash]

Hey Cammalu, (I know you're on the road right now)


Sure enough I noticed a man following me. He'd keep back a bit, then follow me more. I was so HOT with anger from the ex' that I already
had a ton of 'fight' in me.

I stopped, turned back quickly to face him with my fists up, stared him down and growwled'' at him to "BACK OFF!!"

It worked! He got all like 'whoa whoa..." holding his hands up like ..'no don't hurt me' LOL then walked the opposite way.

Attitude is essential and carrying a small hunting knife is a plus!

This is me. I don't let creeps get within range and if they do I come at them. They usually back away quick. And I carry pepper spray and have an air horn. Personally, if someone had approached my car after staring at me I would've been telling him to get away and had my cell phone ready in one hand and my spray in the other. I don't take kindly to being approached by strange men. Happens all the time and I've learned to deal with it and I'm NOT polite about it.

 

[Ms Linda]

I'm glad nothing happened to you, Cammalu. Not to diss you, but I don't park at a Walmart with my door open. I'm a firm believer to be proactive instead reactive. Of course it's not feasible to prevent every bad thing in life, but as long as we solo travelers follow common sense and our instincts we should be okay.

 

[GypsySpirit]

First all, it IS legal for me to carry wasp spray. I'm camping, I am taking bug repellant. I understand that it is not legal to use the product for other than it was intended for, but if it is self preservation, I will use it. It's probably not legal for me to hit someone in the head with my cast iron skillet, but if necessary, I will. I'm not looking for trouble, but I have plenty of unorthodox tools at my disposal, along with regular self-defense items. Better armed and not need it.

 

[ClassyGlobal]

I think it is HIGHLY IMPORTANT we make a note of the EXACT LOCATION where things like this occur (AS LONG AS WE COMMIT TO INTEGRITY). Arm each other with information (USEFUL HONEST INFORMATION)!!!
Most CREEPS are repeat offenders and have "TERRITORY" they terrorize.
The fear of this happening to others should outweigh embarrassment.
Just think if you post this information other people can pin point this person & eventually eliminate them so we no longer have to go out of our way altering our plans trying to avoid a creep or their territory.

As long as we are honest and use your personal platform with integrity you have nothing to be embarrassed about.

 

[Mei Jade]

I'm glad you're okay! That sounds awful.

I just want to chime in on self defense with wasp spray, that I work in horticulture and have been sprayed in the face with it. It does not immediately incapacitate a person except perhaps if they have a pre-existing medical condition (such as asthma).

Breathing it in you will not go down immediately. Chances of your attacker inhaling enough to slow them as it disperses into the air is low.

If it gets in your eyes it doesn't do enough except to piss you off and irritate your eyes. If you know what it is and the side effects, like me, you go to an eyewash station and love your eyes. If you're an attacker and you don't notice the can label or don't know the ingredients then what you do know is you've just been sprayed in the face with an unpleasant floral smelling liquid.

The truly long distance varieties are the foaming ones with tiny wands, which don't stay in reliably if you're not immobile and take time to attach (cheap tiny wand; tiny hole don't align well). Plus you have to dig out that tiny wand from your bag.

And if you swallow some of it but just think it is a disgusting fragrance then you might not go to the ER. That would be the situation the attacker is in. I am not sure how much is needed for the ER to be necessary. I just washed out my mouth... a lot. Being sprayed in the face didn't have me swallow much if any.

This stuff is poison and while it is most harmful to insects and fish it is still poison. Poison that is not that effective in the moment at halting an attack.

If it's all you have because you happen to be in the garden shed or just picked it up to kill some pesky wasps when an attacker appears, then by all means use what is available! But I don't think it should be part of a defense plan anymore than I would think Windex or dish soap should be.

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