A look at 'personal disasters' - Part III

Security in a break down situation

For starters, sorry for the lack of a blog post last weekend. My son and I were on a Cub Scout camping trip, and blog posting was very low on the priority list.

While doing a bit of research on this topic, I came upon the use of pepper spray. Now, I have to admit to a great deal of ignorance on the topic. I am comfortable with firearms, and carry a firearm whenever legal and prudent. After looking into pepper spray a little, I have determined that there is a place for this defensive prep; even in the hand gunner's arsenal.

In a self defense situation where you are perfectly justified in bringing a firearm to bear in defense of your life, you will still have to defend that use of force to a law enforcement officer, or maybe even to a jury. They will never be able to see the situation as clearly or as personally as you did. There is never a 100% fool proof method to convey the situation accurately. If you employ a self defense spray product as your last defense before using deadly force, you have just improved your case. If you employ a self defense spray, you have:
- Attempted to end the attack with less than lethal means
- If your attacker persists through the less than lethal defense, they show themselves to be motivated to carry forward their attack regardless
- You have bought yourself, at minimum, a few seconds of response time. Those seconds can be used to retreat if it makes sense to do so. They can be used to improve your tactical situation. They can be used to employ other less than lethal counter measures to render your attacker harmless.

Bottom line is, you have added another layer/option before the use of deadly force.

There is definitely room for self defense sprays in your vehicle preps. Again, I am a relative noob to these sprays. I am finding a wide variety of types and sizes. Do your due diligence in deciding what is right your your to carry, and to store in your vehicle. There seem to be 3 different chemical compounds widely available. Rather than plagiarize someone else's work, here is a link that I have found informational:

http://www.milestonesafety.com/pepper-spray-information.html

In a breakdown situation, people may offer assistance, or it may become necessary to solicit assistance. Strangers always carry with them the risk and threat to security. While at the vehicle, approaching strangers should be assessed quickly as to their threat level. When leaving the vehicle, care should be taken to lock the vehicle, and make sure any valuables are out of sight. What can be carried, should be. Pepper spray may make a good security device in the event that a firearm of knife can not be carried, or brought to bear on a self defense situation. Most people who are not a threat, would view you as a security risk, and even if rendering assistance, will work to keep their distance. Anyone too eager to help, may be an elevated risk.

Action plan -

1.Research viability of pepper spray stored in a hot vehicle.
2.Research viability of a taser stored in a hot vehicle.
3.Store a pocket knife in the vehicle.