Quick question:
 

I have to do a survey for work, and wanted to see if people on here could help:

How many of the women in GC land carry mace/pepper spray with them? Why do you carry it? If you don't carry it, why not?

Thanks a ton.

Re: Quick question:
 

I carry a gun.

I do not carry mace or pepper spray. I walk five feet from my office building to my car and about the same to get into my house. If I'm out late at night I'm not usually by myself and if I were attacked I probably would not have the time to get the spray out anyway...or I'd probably end up spraying myself. If somebody attacked me I'd probably stab them with my keys.

I'm in the chat room right now (11:05 am my time/west coast time) if you'd like to come in and chat instead of posting.

Re: Quick question:
 

I generally carry pepper spray everywhere I go. I only remove it from my keychain if I'm going somewhere like a concert, where they won't allow it.

If I am walking by myself at night or somewhere that seems a little shady, I always carry it in my hand and in "unlocked" position so it's ready to go should I need it. Maybe I'm a little paranoid, but I just feel so much safer with it. It's not like I live in a really dangerous, high crime area, but I read the police reports in the local paper, and people do get attacked more often than you would think -- there are a lot of purse snatches and stuff like that. Also, every once in a while I'll hear a story on the news about women being attacked -- last year I remember something about a guy who was going around and violently shoving women to the ground like he was intentionally trying to mess up their faces. That stuff scares me, and I want to do whatever I can, within reason, to protect myself, so I keep it ready and always try to be very aware of my surroundings, including who or what is behind me.

That said, I don't think pepper spray is the best solution, but it's what I have to work with right now. I'd rather take a self defense class so that I can be a well-trained fighting machine if need be. I saw a presentation of Girls Fight Back (awesome and headed by a super cool A Phi alumna) earlier this year, and I really want to learn more about self defense. However, until I am well versed in ass kicking, I'll continue to carry my pepper spray.

I don't carry pepper spray. An attacker can easily turn pepper spray against you.

Instead, I concentrate on not looking like an easy target. For instance, if I know it will be dark when I return to my car, I'll park in a well-lit spot. I get my keys out before leaving the building, and I lock the door as soon as I'm in the car.

I don't. I'm scared that it will be used against me.

I have a question for those afraid that pepper spray would be used against them -- How would that happen? Maybe I'm weird, but I can't imagine that it would be easy. If you're walking with the spray in your hand, by the time someone is trying to grab you, you're spraying it in his face and running like hell. How is he going to get it -- it's very small and securely in your hand? I guess if you're awkward about it and fumbling around, I could see that, but if you have it ready to go and you don't hesitate, I can't imagine that it would be easy to get from you. Just wondering...

Nope, no pepper spray for me...I've heard a rumor that it has been outlawed, so I've just stayed away from the stuff. (maybe its just in TN, but I'm not sure). However, I do walk with my head up and my keys between my first two fingers, so that I can jab someone in the eye if they get too close.

Blaire

I've heard of many cases where weapons (i.e pepper spray, guns, knives) were used against women, because they were overpowered. If someone grabs a woman or is within about a two foot radius, and she reaches for her weapon, he can easily snatch it from her. On the other hand, if a woman sees her attacker approaching her from several feet, I guess then it will be a good defense.

Quite a few of my female friends here carry guns with them/on them.

Seriously.

This is Texas. I would trust them with my life if I had too.

Never underestimate a texan woman......with a gun....

lol

A few years ago on campus a girl was walking back to her dorm and was attacked by a man. She had pepper spray and sprayed him with it, but he didn't slow, kind of like he was immune to the stuff. Anyway he ended up getting a hold of the pepper spray and spraying the girl but the police arrived before he had a chance to do anything else to her.

I probably would carry it if I could. It's illegal in Canada. At least, I'm pretty sure it is. Can any fellow Canuks back me up on this?

I don't however my sister who is 16 wants a mace can. She feels unsafe even in our quite safe neighborhood. She's also scared of terrorist breaking in and kidnapping her. So, and I kid you not, she has a blowhorn next to her bed. Since her bedroom is secluded downstairs and everyone is upstairs, she figures if someone tries to break in and steal her she'll be too dramatized to scream ~ hense the blowhorn.

Sad...but true!

Hootie

I don't carry mace or pepper spray either.

Wow, I thought I was the only person that did that. I learned that from one of those films they made us watch in junior or senior high...