Stopped by my local Academy Sports to pick up a few items. Noticed a new shelf of goods labeled in their own category like fishing or camping.

Personal Security, and it took up most of an entire shelf with things like stun guns, pepper sprays, etc. Even more telling, it was half empty and looked to have been picked over hard.

BTW, the 13yo is getting her first SAK in her stocking this year. Probably should've bought her her own pepper spray.

So many things I could say to get me in trouble again lol. But, I get ya warrior. I think people are getting a bit cautious.

Just remember that chemical irritant does not always work and it usually has a few seconds before it takes effect completely. This gives the attacker a few seconds to get at you before it affects them. There are probably few people on this forum who have had chemical in their eyes more than I have. I have learned to work/fight through it.

I live in communist NJ. I am an NRA certified firearms instructor and have a "certified NRA firearms instructor" sticker in my truck's back window.

In the last 18 months I have had a dozen people at work ask what gun they should buy for home protection and had long detailed conversations about this. I've taken 4 coworkers to the range so they could learn about different types of firearms before making a buying decision. All of these were people who did not grow up with a firearm culture and were not pro-gun ownership.

Prior to the last 18 months I've probably had two of these conversations in a decade.

People are nervous.

I was in a chamber at boot camp in 1967. We were sprayed with mace, I think. I promise you I was defenseless.

That was probably tactical strength CS. That ISIN'T available to the public. Sure cleans out the sinuses don't it?

Gave a little chuckle, I remember the gasmask training in basic 1969 had to enter then remove mask. Then replace and clear mask. I don't think anyone came out without pukeing crying coughing gagging choaking spitting. Older guy told me not to shave the day before or it would have been worse. I know their was no fight in me, to busy just trying to inhale. Another chuckle older means his basic company was 2 or 3 weeks ahead of mine.

The sinuses, tear ducts, sweat glands and a few bladders. LOL

I well remember the gas chamber at Jackson. Somehow I was head of the line going in. Masked up all fine, take it off, of course I'm holding my breath but get the drill of name rank serial etc to ensure I get a taste then told to exit so I bolt for the door thinking I got off light. The drill hiding in the corner by the door I don't see until two hands drag me back for a good another round of questions and a dose of gas.

Nasty stuff.

Yeah I wouldnt waste money on any cheaper over the counter pepper sprays. I got a couple to use to spray dogs that chase me and the wife on our mountain bikes. Anything bigger than a chihuahua and they wont even break stride when you land a streak from ear to nose. I wouldnt dare spray that on anyone i thought i needed to stop. It will just make them mad.

I once had the law called on me for peppering a dog. We had a neighbor's mutt that kept jumping the fence due to a gyp in heat we had caged up inside the house. I had already run it off three or four times but this day as I come out the front door it stood it's ground and showed me teeth. I just happened to be in full uniform as I worked armed security at the time. I opted for the spray rather than the .45.
Well as it ran off squalling some dudley doright stopped his car in the street and started screaming profanities at me and threatening all sorts of bodily harm. I reholstered the spray and politely asked the nice gentleman to please step into the yard. He wasn't as dumb as he looked and drove off. On my return home I had a county deputy sitting in my drive. He tried to act all Mr Authority on me but when I laid out the facts of the matter and that by all rights I felt at risk of bodily harm and I was indeed armed and on my own property that I would have been fully justified in the 45 option but instead chose non lethal. He reluctantly agreed and dropped it.

I tried non lethal with them. It just made them run faster when they saw me or heard the door or window open.

Went in the barn one night and heard a low grrrr. Saw the hair raised, my options if i go forward it will think I am comming after it, if i back out chase reaction may kick in. Then I though what if its my wife next time. All that in a fracton of a second. Option glock 23 it was. That broke my seal and dead fixes the problem for good. Needless to say it was not long before that pack of dogs that had been around was in a ditch. Nothing like watching dogs chasing your horses across your pasture, killing your chickens and goats , and ripping up the trash.

One guy down the road had an issue when he found his dog in the dog dump spot. He came strait to me becuse i had gone to all the neibors asking then to keep their dogs out of my yard several times. The sheriff left after I told him what had been going on and went back to the guys down the road. Never heard a thing further about it. Guess the guy didnt know the law or that I had allready called the county cop about the problem pack of dogs and was told just to shoot them.

If'n you buy them supper first you could possibly avoid the pepper spray.

Also sprays can backfire in the wind.

Good on you for helping these folks out!

Might want to throw in a commercial about electing people that believe in Self Defense as a Right!