The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

It occured to me the other day while running that I carry absolutely nothing for safety.  I don't even have a set of keys on me in case I need to poke someone in the eye. 

For the most part, I run on well lit streets up and down the beach and in my neighborhood. However, I've been running into a lot of homeless/shady people on my runs. 

I started looking around on line and have no idea what to buy. It needs to be something that I can carry in my hands and have ready to use just in case.

Pepper spray?  Mace?  (I honestly don't know the difference between these two.)  Small knife or something? (Is it legal to carry a knife?)

I'm not a weapony type of girl, but I sure as hell would use one if necessary.

just go buy a sniper rifle and get it over with!




I don't think pepper spray cuts it anymore, you need a taser.

Blowtorch...definitely a blowtorch.

Honestly, I don't know.  I know mace and pepper spray hurt (second hand accounts, mind you), but you want something that will nearly incapacitate an attacker.  I don't know that mace would do more than really, really sting.

if someone has the balls to attack you, kick him in the nuts.

I'm normally not an advocate of nut-kicking, but attackers deserve it.  Just aim for the part between the legs, kick and haul ass.

A knife is a really, really bad idea.

1st off - mace is a spray first, ask questions later kind of thing...since there's no permanent damage.
Stabbing someone is a pretty big deal.

Plus, the odds of you getting overpowed and someone taking your knife is high.  ...a small stab wound sucks, I'm sure, but it's not always incapacitating (which is the goal to protect your safety).  Pepper spray in the eyes makes you not be able to function or see, so it clears you up to run away.

Pepper spray is better than mace. Without even getting hit directly with the spray it can choke you up. Knives are legal to carry, but depending on where you go (I doubt you are going into any businesses during your run) the size of the knife can make a difference.

There are juicier targets.  Kneecap either straight on or from the side.  Snap that baby.  Guy will limp for life.

Throat.

Side of neck (jugular)

Temple

Nose in a hard, upward motion

Good point about the spray first ask questions later thing.

I'll probably look for pepper spray.

It's not like I'm off in desolate areas. I'm runnng up Las Olas, A1A, or Sunrise for the most part.  Maybe some neighborhood running.  

Just lately it seems I'm always running across some homeless dudes. They're everywhere around here.  I'm surprised that people that own million dollar houses are willing to put up with it.

The other day, I was running up Las Olas (this is when I noticed that I didn't even have anything), and a guy was peeing in these people's front yard. Right out in the open.  He was laughing like he was insane.

Just kind of made me think about what would happen if he tried to grab me or something like that.

Edited to add:  I like the idea of kicking in the nuts.  Always effective and since these are well traveled streets, it's probalby teh best way to go.  Someone would see all of that commotion.

I'd advise against a knife. Remember, to hurt someone with a knife, you need to get pretty close to them (at least an arms length, so you can reach them). Most pepper sprays or mace can be used from about 5 feet away.

I'm not sure if anyone remembers, but when you had a problem with a "stalker" from a nearby construction site, I posted a story about my wife having a stalker once. We talked to a buddy of mine who is a cop and he said pepper spray was the best thing for her to carry.

Pepper spray it is then.

Until I figure out how to make some sort of weapon using either my iPod and /or my heart rate monitor. 

how about hair spray and a lighter ?

I've heard there are some pepper sprays that will mark the person as well.  It sprays some chemical that will glow under a black light and can't be washed off for a week.  Pretty damn cool for identifying a person that attacked you.

Hopefully, I'll never have to use it. It just occured to me that if something happens, I have nothing but my bare hands, and that ain't shit.

Try learning a form of martial arts.  I've studied my whole life, I have always felt comfortable with my ability to defend myself with my body only.  Plus it's a great workout and amazing for mental balance.

Practice saying "WORST CASE OF HERPES IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND!" while spraying saliva in the direction of your would-be attacker. You'll be amazed how quickly they go away...

Do you know this from experience? (Have you tried it or was it used on you?)  ;)

Or you can just use me:  (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/lordthundergod/103727main_bodybuilder.jpg)

Until you decide that joggin at night isn't that good of an idea.   ;)

Just get yourself a Glock.  Once you pull it out, they'll back off REAL quick. 

I remember watching some show on Discovery Channel about basic training (I believe it was called, appropriately enough, "Basic Training") where they train newbies on how to use their gas masks.  In order to put the consequences of half-assing your gas mask in its proper context, they made them stand in a shed filled with tear gas (or something similar).  Looked pretty effective.

I would go with the Colt .45

(http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062883/K=colt+45/v=2/SID=w/l=IVS/SIG=12759fetm/EXP=1139407197/*-http%3A//www.iguanasoft.com/~jeffersonian/colt_45.jpg)

Pats!  You're military.  That's an M-1911!

Its called CS Gas. Good stuff.  Stuff F$%Kes you up. I will have to find some pics from when we went.

Its a COLT .45 ACP GOVERNMENT MODEL PISTOL


Officers use the 9mm

Enlisted use the M16

I am a qualified expert with both, but wrong form to be talking about this stuff.


Mace and pepper spray are not that effect of. So yea you are better off kicking him in the balls or box if its a female!

I'm leaning more towards that idea. My dad's been pressuring me for years to take some sort of self defense / martial arts class.  I just want enough to get me away. 



Can I buy this stuff or is it only military?

And, I couldn't carry a gun. I run with shorts and a bra on. Where would I keep it.  Run around waving it perhaps. No one would mess with me then. Ha ha ha!

Like we learned during the superbowl. Just get the cell phone with crime deterrent.  :)

Vid...you KNOW I didn't watch the Superbowl. So, what the hell are you talking about?

Maybe if you wore a shirt you wouldn't have to worry about attackers.

Sorry, but women don't get attcked because of what they're wearing.

Would you say that women who get attacked deserved it because of what they're wearing? I think not.

And when I say bra, I mean sports bra. Pretty much a tank that shows my tummy.   Far more than what most women on the beach are wearing. (Which is where I do most of my running.)

Pepper spray is a weak version of CS gas that is used on rioters by police/military. Also CS doesn't work on eveyone/ or right away. I just went through the gas chamber as part of our depolyment training, and I took off my mask and was exsposed for about 10-15 sec before I left the chamber. It took about another 30 secs for the effects to really kick in i.e. massive eye burning/runny nose. So if hit with a weaker version I could still inflict damage upon you before I was incapacitated, and some people suffer no real effects at all. Also some states require you to take classes to learn when it is justifiable under the law to use these agents to avoid committing a felony.
I am not advsing against it, but make sure you research every aspect of it. I have friends who just bought the stuff without knowing what their legal responsibility to use it properly was.

I was joking. 

I'm just pictuing a woman running down the street wearing a Victoria Secret lace bra.  I imagine she might get more attention than a woman wearing a tee.  Of course I live in Oregon and don't see women in bikinis on a daily basis (so I'm imaining a woman running down the streets of Portland wearing a VS bra).

And I never said anyone deserved to be attacked. 

I don't think there is much restriction on the use of pepper spray. I know it is legal in all 50 states. Some places have restrictions in regards to the concentration or size of the container. I would imagine the rules of use would be the same that pertain to any self defense case when you would need to use an additional "weapon". As an FYI, the State of Florida has re-written the laws so that deadly force can be used before an attempt to flee has been tried (that only applies for cases where deadly force is warranted) so I can't imagine the state is very tough on pepper spray.

There are restrictions as to when you canuse it i.e. it has to be a legitimate threat and not just someone who pissed you off/creeped you out. Some of these agents are potentially blinding, so if you use it incorrectly or on someone who isn't truly threatening you, then you could face charges of maiming.

That should be a given shouldn't it? The same as using any sort of "weapon".

Good.  Because sadly, some men do think that way.

As far as when it can be used, I would think  if the man grabbed me, I would be in w/in my rights to used it.

My little sister had an issue like this once.  She was waiting for the bus one day, and some guy tried to grab her bicycle. Somehow, she winds up kicking him somewhere in the throat area and hurting the guy.  (She's a black belt in tae kwon do.)

Fortunately, there were a couple of people there to verify that he did try to grab her bike.  The guys defense was that he knew my sister from school and was just kidding.

The cops decided she did use it for personal protection and didn't take her in or anything. 

I would assume that the use of pepper spray or anything else would be the same way.

Buddha, it's not just guys that think that way. I swear this is a true story.

I know a couple of gay girls that went fishing off the shore once. One of them had on a sports bra. They were spread out and there was a guy fishing further down. One of them started paying attention to him (the one not in a sprts bra) and noticed he was fondling himself while looking at her girlfriend. She packed everything up and yelled at her girlfriend the whole way home that she was "asking for it".