Pepper Spray Saved His Bacon

Pepper spray is often thought of as a handy weapon for women since it can be packaged in tiny containers about the size of a lipstick. It also comes in a one pound aerosol can (that’s about the size of a big can of hairspray) filled with specially formulated spray to interrupt bear attacks. Just as it is important to have your spray handy when facing a charging bear, you need to have it close by if you are facing a would-be attacker.

In this case, a man found himself surrounded by a semicircle of teens intent upon relieving him of his laptop computer, his wallet, his Rolex, and his car – possibly even his life. He had just left his office building and gone into the company parking lot. Everyone else had gone home about an hour before and it was around dusk and he was the only one in sight. As he began unlocking his car, he heard a sound and turned to find three young men had circled around him, blocking his escape and looking like they meant business.

Fortunately, he had a small canister of pepper spray on his key ring. While the boys were talking to him, threatening, and expecting him to cave in, he moved the canister into position and thumbed up the safety cap.

Instead of handing over the keys, as expected, he sprayed the ring leader squarely in the face with the first burst. Then he sprayed the other two in rapid succession as they had reached out to help their partner in crime. When one of them turned as if to press the attack, he let loose another burst and ended the episode.

Later on, while talking with police, the authorities commended him for his quick thinking and willingness to do whatever was necessary to keep himself safe in a potentially lethal situation. The gentleman said it wasn’t much of a stretch, really, since he had thought through what he would do in a variety of possible scenarios a long time before. He said he kept his little pepper spray canister close at hand and had practiced how to use it in that particular scenario.

Statistics show that parking lots are among top most likely sites for assaults and abductions. Stats also show that if the intended target puts up a fight or makes a lot of noise, the bad guys usually back off because they don’t want to attract attention. Furthermore, most assailants are not even armed because of the extreme difference in sentencing guidelines. That means the odds are good that you would be the only one carrying a weapon. Use that knowledge to your advantage.

Think it through and live to tell the tale.