Pepper spray/personal alarm
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| Tue, 12-11-2012 - 2:25pm |
Yay! The workaround worked. Thanks, Elle. (The "see all threads" is at the end of the "College years and more" section, before the "beyond" section.)
So, this is what I wanted to start a discussion on yesterday. Do any of your college students carry pepper spray or any other type of self-defense gadget? When I read the reviews online, often they say that it can take 2-3 tries before the pepper spray actually comes out. Mabye a loud alarm would be better. What do you think?
When we saw DS23 over Thanksgiving he mentioned that there had recently been three armed robberies on/near campus. He said he thought he might start carrying a knife, and I told him I didn't like the idea; too often the weapon gets in the hands of the criminal and makes the situation worse. Personally, I like the defense my BIL used as a teen 40 yrs ago, growing up in the Bronx--a $20 bill to throw at the attacker. (Now, he continues to do martial arts at age 65 and could probably quickly get the guy to the ground and knock him out.) Discreet use of any electronics is always wise. And no Helly Hansen, or other big-name jackets for which some crazies kill. Unfortunately, DS doesn't have time to take a self-defense class now, and hardly has time to work out which doesn't help either.
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Pepper spray & self-defense gadgets are concealed weapons and therefore against the law. Carrying a knife and a gun are also against the law here.
Neither of them carries any self defense devices like that, as far as I know. I don't know what either would do if faced with a situation in which they wished they had something. Dd lives in NYC and walks around alone at all hours....she told me once that the only "sketchy" part was passing the sex workers...she has since moved and changed jobs so I don't think she has to pass through that area any more. We were with her on the subway and she definitely put on a "don't mess with me" demeanor as she went underground!
Ds lives in San Francisco and reports that iPhone snatchings are a popular crime. It used to be just grab it from the hand of a distracted user in the street but more recently people have been held up for their phones. I think that ds tends to keep his electronics tucked into his bag while on the street, but he uses his tablet while commuting on the subway and that seems to be safe, for now. Ds studied Aikido for a few years so he might be able to protect himself if necessary.
I would probably recommend an alarm over pepper spray. I would be concerned about the spray malfunctioning, or blowing back onto the person spraying it, or the attacker grabbing it from the victim.
DS has a black belt in karate. However, he knows from experience that large people can subdue even black belts, so he wouldn't rely on it (he's only 5'7" and skinny though strong). He goes to school in an upstate town where thefts are most likely to occur among college students themselves.
I spent my young adult years working in NYC in the early 80s, during which time NYC was a nightmare of crime (crack epidemic). Simple common sense was always my defense: be aware of your surroundings, keep your valuables out of sight, HOLD ON to your stuff, don't walk down dark alleys, don't walk alone, don't take the subway after a certain hour, etc etc. Even though NYC is much safer now, I still never let my bag out of my sight (and usually not out of my grip). I was never mugged, assaulted or raped in NYC - other places, yes, but not NYC.
BTW I agree with the old idea of "mugger money." Keep $20 handy to just give to someone so they don't pull weapons on you and you can get away with no further loss or complication. And no flashing possessions either (not that my kids have any to flash - they tend to look neat but low-key). Also, always look like you know what you're doing and where you are, even if you don't. If you think someone is following you, turn around so they know you know they're there, and if you can pop into a well-lit or busy place, do it. And so on and so forth. I started working in NYC as a 5'4", 110-lb, 20yo girl, so my parents (who grew up in Brooklyn) made sure I knew all about keeping people at arm's length. I probably didn't stop scowling and looking angry until I was 40, LOL.
This has definitely gotten me to thinking about DD's safety. Her school just had a lockdown a couple of weeks ago due to an armed robbery on campus. I will definitely lookup state laws and university policy regarding pepper sprays and such.
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http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/october/meet_the_new_health_.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQTBYQlQ7yM
Amen to that.
Ramona Mom to 2 great kids and wife to one wonderful hubby since 1990!