Protection

[Janice]

LOL.....

[Aslkahuna]

Well, since I have problems walking due to arthritis, I always have a cane with me which can be a good close in weapon. Beyond that, I often have a largish dog with me and while he's usually friendly he can switch off quickly if he thinks his human is being threatened. That happened once when I stopped a gangbanger punk who was beating up a 12 year old boy. The punk began flashing me and cussing me out in Spanish but never dared to come inside the 10 foot leash radius of me as the dog was staring him down in full hostile mode. The punk backed off. My son, OTOH can seriously maim or even kill a person with a single well placed blow. Both of us also sleep with bladed weapons close at hand.

Steve

[BUD]

John has a 357 here at home and also a bb gun for me...

Do not make fun of "BB guns"LOL.There are BB guns now that will shoot 50cal bullet at around 950fps and is alot faster than a 357!!!Some state have also made it legal to shoot deer,moose,elk,turkeys,with airguns.Just type big bore airguns into any search engine to see what I am talking about.Airguns is my #1 hobby.

[alicia-w]

the 9mm SIG i received as a gift from my husband last year...

and some killer stiletto heels

[george_r_1961]

the 9mm SIG i received as a gift from my husband last year...

and some killer stiletto heels

You can do some major damage with these heels.

[tropicana]

I walk around a lot and I don't carry any protective weapons either. It is a relatively safe city, you just have to know the areas to avoid.

-justin-

[Janice]

We have never once even had the need to go get something in our house for protection. I feel real safe here.

[george_r_1961]

When threatened I merely assume the karate stance and wail like a banshee. Works every time

[Janice]

Have you been treated by a professional for this behavior, George

[george_r_1961]

Have you been treated by a professional for this behavior, George

[beachbum_al]

Yes, myself. Mess with me and you will regret it!

[azsnowman]

Well, since I have problems walking due to arthritis, I always have a cane with me which can be a good close in weapon. Beyond that, I often have a largish dog with me and while he's usually friendly he can switch off quickly if he thinks his human is being threatened. That happened once when I stopped a gangbanger punk who was beating up a 12 year old boy. The punk began flashing me and cussing me out in Spanish but never dared to come inside the 10 foot leash radius of me as the dog was staring him down in full hostile mode. The punk backed off. My son, OTOH can seriously maim or even kill a person with a single well placed blow. Both of us also sleep with bladed weapons close at hand.

Steve

Steve, there's a LOT to be said for personel protection dogs, IMHO, a dog is THE best form of self defense Just remember, to keep yourself on the side of the law, make dam sure you have signs posted around the perimater of your property, "BEWARE OF DOG"..........this way, if someone enters your property and Spot decides to make a "squeaky" toy out of someone you'll be covered.

All 3 of our dogs would bite (I think)..but the chocolate lab, Jessica, she WOULD bite unprevoked, when someone comes within 10 feet of the fence, gates, the hair goes up on her back and neck and that DEEP, LOW pitch growl ensues and she stalks them every step of the way

Dennis

[Janice]

Our golden retriever died at 15 last year and we have a Puerto Rican beach mutt. She came into our yard a few years ago, very small and half starved. She grew to be a beautiful dog. She is useless..... We had a man jump our fence once and when I saw him run into the back yard, our dog was playing with him, haha. She is our baby now. We have a big gate down at the end of our driveway and iron fences. Also, you cannot get into houses in Puerto Rico. Bars everywhere..... Pretty safe.

[Janice]

JOIN THE MEMBERS OF STORM2K FOR OUR ANNUAL PARTY IN THE CHATROOM ON MAY 31ST TO RING IN THE 2006 HURRICANE SEASON......................

MAKE SURE YOU ARE HERE EARLY TO GET A SEAT... YOU WILL BE IN FOR A GREAT EVENING.

[Skywatch_NC]

Well, since I have problems walking due to arthritis, I always have a cane with me which can be a good close in weapon. Beyond that, I often have a largish dog with me and while he's usually friendly he can switch off quickly if he thinks his human is being threatened. That happened once when I stopped a gangbanger punk who was beating up a 12 year old boy. The punk began flashing me and cussing me out in Spanish but never dared to come inside the 10 foot leash radius of me as the dog was staring him down in full hostile mode. The punk backed off. My son, OTOH can seriously maim or even kill a person with a single well placed blow. Both of us also sleep with bladed weapons close at hand.

Steve

Steve, there's a LOT to be said for personel protection dogs, IMHO, a dog is THE best form of self defense Just remember, to keep yourself on the side of the law, make dam sure you have signs posted around the perimater of your property, "BEWARE OF DOG"..........this way, if someone enters your property and Spot decides to make a "squeaky" toy out of someone you'll be covered.

All 3 of our dogs would bite (I think)..but the chocolate lab, Jessica, she WOULD bite unprevoked, when someone comes within 10 feet of the fence, gates, the hair goes up on her back and neck and that DEEP, LOW pitch growl ensues and she stalks them every step of the way

Dennis

There's a very friendly chocolate lab in my neighborhood named Harley and he wouldn't hurt a flea. He's a real social hound loving to visit the neighbors, chase after tennis balls and hang out with with his German Shepherd buddy Riley! Last year Riley was just a puppy adopted at PetsSmart and to see him grow up so FAST!! Anyway Harley took him "under his wings" and is like his mentor teaching him the ways of caninehood.

Eric

[HurriCat]

I can't imagine myself living somewhere that personal safety is such a concern. Maybe I'm living in la la land or something, but what's this world coming to?

I just have to use your post for an example - and it's not a slam on you, okay?

Now, you read, see and hear the news every day. You know that bad things happen, and that it is often to some of the best, most innocent people who you'd ever know. And yet you express such an innocent, rose-tinted and even bewildered view on the subject. You would be the person at a crime scene or being interviewed in a hospital bed, saying "How could this happen to ME?" or "Things like this just don't happen HERE". Come on now - we all read/see/hear these exact quotes all of the time.

I'm just illustrating how different people can be in their "wiring". Some will carry weapons, others will carry only optimistic points of view.

[HurriCat]

I've been carrying around the same pepper spray in my purse for years. My mom gave it to me a long time ago. Every once in a while, I spray a tad on the ground just to make sure it still works. lol
I feel pretty safe everywhere I go though. Sure, something could happen anywhere, but I'm gonna run around scared all the time. I'll just kick whoever where the sun don't shine, and run like the devil.

Also ladies, something I read recently that I had never really thought about before. If you're going to your car and someone approaches you and tells you to give them your wallet or keys or whatever, whatever it is they want, throw it as far as you can. Chances are, that's what they really want and they will go get it, giving you a chance to run away. Otherwise, you have a better chance of ending up in your car with the scumbag driving and then who knows what!? I know the chances of this happening are slim, but it happens somewhere all the time and I thought it sounded like a good idea.

I don't want to be a chatterbox, but your comment really raised a few hackles on my neck. First, change out your pepper-spray if it's old and especially if you "test" it now and again. The contents might break-down over time, and it might not really spray with the pressure that is needed. These usually have an expiration date on them. Be sure to get one with a trigger that's not too easy to set-off, as my wife had one slowly spraying into the bottom of her purse - what a mess. Okay, second, always keep your head up and present an alert appearance. This keeps bad guys from "coming out of nowhere". How many victims have you heard say that? Also, criminals want weak, oblivious prey - and that is what they are doing, is seeking prey.

Third, you do not have to be "social". Criminals count on you being friendly and helpful. This niceness will allow them to get really close physically. Should you then be helpful and look down at your watch or dig in your purse for some change, then POW! Fourth, forget about the "kick to the you know whats". These guys are hard-core, having usually grown up fighting. Most have jail time, and know all sorts of fighting moves. Ditto for carrying a knife or icepick. You can do a quick, sudden strike, but forget about going hand-to-hand with street thugs. Your best defense starts with being alert, making eye contact and not letting someone get too close in a bad place like a parking lot. Be prepared to be rude, to place objects between you and the predator, and to scream loudly. Yell "Fire!" or "My Baby!" as loud as you can. Do not yell "Help!". Frankly, make a big scene and at all costs do not let anyone get control of you.

Realize that females can be bad people, too. They can act as decoys, and some can come after you alone or with others. Even an elderly person or someone "on crutches" can be more than what they seem.

Here in Orlando, we have been searching for Jennifer Kesse - a young woman who vanished under suspicious conditions. It's a terrible thing. Don't do this to your family and friends. Evil is very real, and you just might face it some day. If you do, then remember Clint Eastwood in The Outlaw Josey Wales: "Sometimes you just have to get plain mean". Even a tiny mouse will fight viciously if cornered. You do not have to live in FEAR, but you should live WARY.