To half wish pepper spray was allowed in the UK?

[Thisnamechanger]

I live in North London. I love it but I'm so fed up of being constantly on edge when I have to get home alone at night. While walking the 5 mins from my bus stop at 11pm last night not one but two creeps managed to intimidate me, trying to get me to talk to them and blocking my path when there was no one else around. It seems to be constant in London. Every time you have to take a night bus alone there will almost always be some creep on the bus or the walk back who will try and talk to you and get in your personal space. DP showed me some paint spray things that are apparently legal. Rape alarms I feel like everyone would ignore in London because they're always going off. By the way I'm totally not suggesting I'd ever mace anyone just for trying to talk to me! It's just you can never tell which are harmless and which would actually hurt you. Anyone have and personal security devices that they recommend?

I totally get where you're coming from but I can understand why it's not allowed here. That said a small travel size hairspray/perfume et .in your bag hurts just as much in the eyes! Does the trick!x

I was honestly amazed when I first moved to the UK and found out pepper spray/mace is illegal. It's not like you're carrying a handgun. It's a product that doesn't cause lasting or life-threatening damage while at the same time protecting those who use it. I can't think of anything else that works as effectively.

@Hatchee same here

That said a small travel size hairspray

I never thought of that!! Not much range though I suppose.

YABU, you may carry it for protection but others may randomly attack people in the street with it.

I would carry the pepper spray tbh.

Really wrong, but as a teenager I lived alone, worked three jobs and was still skint. I had to walk back from my evening job in the early hours and was followed/hassled so many times I took to carrying a knife.

In hindsight it was a stupid thing to do, and could have ended up worse for me.. but it made me feel safer, and back then I’d have risked the consequences to maybe prevent myself being attacked.

also who would decide what's an acceptable time to use it? You would get supid people spraying you with it in arguments, when someone bumps into them etc.
So no i dont think you should be able to have a weapon that's designed to cause pain to people.

I think it is ok to carry a small handbag size hairspray/perfume as these are items you would have in a handbag anyway.

Adding more weapons to the mix always makes things safer

@NotAsGreen.
You're part of that horrible knife cycle. where someone thinks to carry a knife to protect themselves, then more people are afraid as people are carrying knives so they do to. Criminals then think they might get challanged with a knife so ccarry it too. And then the criminals use the knives.

Terrible idea.

Pepper spray affects the user, the victim and anyone else who is unfortunate enough to be around. On the bus, that could well be the driver.

I also don’t like the idea of anyone being able to walk around with a weapon (which it is, it’s just not a lethal one). Having a weapon in a public place is illegal for a reason. I would also be incandescent with rage if I were caught in the crossfire/ sprayed when innocent, no matter the reason for using it.

There are many things that can be used the wrong way, but that also have a positive purpose. Steak knives and cricket bats can be used to stab or brain people. If somebody's running around pepper spraying people with gay abandon, they're in the wrong and the law should get involved. That doesn't mean there's not also a legitimate use.

YABU, you may carry it for protection but others may randomly attack people in the street with it.

This is why I think OP is U too, in the wrong hands it could be used as to randomly attack.

Agreed @Claudia.
Would you people be ok with carrying around tasers or batons etc as they're less than lethal?

Hairspray wouldn't work as the 'jet' isn't strong enough, so you'd have to stand very close to them, to get it in their eyes.

Also, it'll probably blow back in your own face if there's a breeze.

I agree with you but I also agree with a pp that some would use it to attack others.
When the fireworks were on last year, people were torturing animals with them. My first thought was those same people would be doing the same with pepper spray, it’s just a new way to get their perverted kicks.

However, I know how you feel OP. Just the other day, I left my house, broad daylight and there were two blokes walking past, staring at me and muttering obscenities just loud enough for me to hear. I couldn’t risk saying anything, and risk a violent reaction seeing as they know where I live.

A couple of years ago, two men carrying bottles of whisky tried getting into my car as I’d parked up outside my house (again broad daylight).

If anyone deserves pepper spray in the eyes it’s people like this.

DH was pepper sprayed by a burgler - it's really fucking nasty stuff

I live somewhere you can get handbag sized 'bear' spray. And I saw someone use one at work once. The sprayer, sprayee, staff, random onlookers... all screaming in pain, red, tears and snot running down their faces. It was just a great bit of luck that no one had asthma, heart issues or any other condition that could have made it much worse.

Best way to get stabbed; carry a knife.

@train101

I don’t deny it was a stupid idea, but this was decades ago and after already having been assaulted once (minor) and not having a choice about working... I felt I had to do something. My options were limited.

YABU, you may carry it for protection but others may randomly attack people in the street with it.

People who attack people with weapons are demonstrably not concerned with obeying the law, or whether the law permits them to carry those weapons, and they do so right now at will, with weapons, anyway.

The idea that women shouldn't be able to carry a non-lethal rape deterrent because criminals Will suddenly be more free to commit their illegal acts with a legal weapon instead of much more dangerous things that are in every house (knives, caustic substances etc) is completely illogical.

Frankly if some small proportion of the people who currently carry and use weapons like acid and knives were able to more easily access pepper spray, it's even one or two people might have their faces and eyesight less seriously damaged, or even not get killed.

It's even possible, I meant

Best way to get stabbed; carry a knife.

This. Also, if it’s legal for you to carry pepper spray, then it’s legal for the person attacking you to carry it too. And anyone attacking you is likely to have the advantage and get their attack in before you’ve got yours ready to spray.

People who attack people with weapons are not concerned with obeying the law.

If your concern is availability, people who want to attack others already use knives and acid, and roughly 100% of the population has access to both if they want it.

I think if you’re feeling unsafe walking it’s better to have protection. I know a couple people who use one of these

The police sprayed something at someone a few years back and me and a friend were downwind of it and both got a face full. Very unpleasant for innocent bystanders.