Quote:
Originally posted by Westcoastgirl
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.
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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.