I made a spur-of-the-moment error earlier this week. I was forwarding a video that showed a would-be thief entering the home of his unsuspecting victim who, when she picked up her cell phone to call 911 first opened an app that showed the perpetrator in action right outside her bedroom door. In my introduction to that video I suggested the remedy - having either a gun or a can of wasp spray, since it took the police fourteen precious minutes to respond to the 911 call.
The "can of wasp spray" suggestion came to me
while I was typing the sentence, so I included it for those people who won't
have a gun on their premises.
Afterwards, I began researching that weapon as a deterrent and what I
found was surprising and enlightening.
And, since I also know that most people do not take the time
to go to websites such as Snopes.com or truthorfiction.com before they forward
the ninety-nine percent of email alerts and tips that are actually urban
legends, I decided to debunk this one myself.
in my column.
Now if you really don't have the time or inclination to read
my column, then at least watch this video. It runs less than three minutes and is very
effective in comparing wasp spray to pepper spray or mace. Alternately, you could get it directly from
the horse's mouth by reading what Snopes or Truthorfiction has to say
about it.
If you are patient and stay with me on this, I'll give it to
you as briefly as possible. Here are the reasons why wasp spray should not be
used for self defense:
- It is illegal to use any insecticide for other than its intended purpose. Its use could result in criminal and civil charges and lawsuits from unintended 'victims' who happen to be within range.
- It is terribly inconvenient and does not come in a size to fit in a pocket or purse.
- The spray is a thin stream as compared to the fog spray of a mace or pepper spray.
- It is illegal for anyone to recommend a use other than the labeled use.
Well, I already violated that last one, I guess, but I'm
remedying that now.
Another fact I learned—well, I had some help from my cousin
who is a retired lawman—is that there are pepper sprays—equally effective if
not more so—that come in the shape of a gun with trigger and all. Now you might be able to scare the nasty guy
off by just pointing it at him, but in the more likely event that he detects
that it isn’t a real gun, you can still do great harm to him with it.
What’s more, you don’t run the risk of pointing the damn
thing backwards and spraying yourself with it, a very real possibility with
those big old cans of hornet spray. And
the trigger has a twelve-pound pull, which makes a "safety"
unnecessary. It is definitely a
point-and-shoot weapon.
The gun-shaped pepper sprays aren’t cheap; so don’t expect
to get one for less than $40. However,
if it gives you peace of mind it’s worth every penny.
Oh, and one other thing that my cousin advised… If the other
guy has a gun and you don’t, don’t be a hero.
If you can’t get away and you can’t spray him before he gets that gun
out and pointed at you, then peacefully submit and take your lumps.
However, that says a lot for having the right caliber locked
and loaded to begin with. Make him the one staring down the barrel of a .45!
If you feel the need for self defense against attack, and in
these days we all should have some trepidation, but you cannot entertain the
idea of keeping a gun in your home or on your person, do get at least two small
pepper spray dispensers, one for your vehicle - they fit nicely in the cup
holder - and another that you keep handy at all times. They are relatively inexpensive, readily
available and easy to use. In fact, if
you're up to it, get one for each adult member of your household as well. It never hurts to BE PREPARED.
