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?

You can get pepper spray in the uk. It's not allowed, but you can get it online.

FFS don't carry a knife. Unless you are very very well trained.

Have the people suggesting these things actually been anywhere near proper violent crime? I've seen a couple of really nasty attacks - one of which the perpetrator went on to be convicted of murder in another attack. It is lightening quick, utterly vicious and no way would an untrained, scared victim be able to get out their weapon and use it safely. Not a hope in hell. They could however; hurt themselves, be less likely to get a conviction, and be more likely to get killed.

Most of the young men carrying knives on the streets of London are scared too, you know. That's why they carry weapons. Your fear isn't special. Lobby for increased policing, gang cessation programs, reductions in poverty and ghettoisation and young work.

Oh and pepper spray isn't 'non-lethal'. It's 'not normally lethal'. It does kill people.

You can get pepper spray in the uk. It's not allowed, but you can get it online.

It's also currently classed as a section 5 firearm that will get you real prison time. This needs to be mentioned since you make that observation.

Debating legalization is one thing (I believe women ought to be able to carry non lethals in dangerous areas) but actual criminality is another.

My friend is a police officer and they have to get pepper sprayed in training and then train how to arrest someone

The second you spray someone you get sprayed just as badly yourself. So why would you bother?

The poster who linked a key with a knife in it is an idiot.

Good God, is it really? I didn't actually know that. Have you ever known of anybody actually going to prison for possession of pepper spray?

I’ve got a personal protection spray that is legal in the UK - it is a bright red gel type paint spray, which disorientates any attacker, is apparently really hard to get off and stains the face so they are easily identified. Luckily I’ve never had to use it, but apparently it works well

I would not want the general public to have access to this. It really is vile stuff and although some brands supposedly stay with the target they mostly contaminate everyone in the area. I get really pissed off at having to replace contact lenses every time it's deployed. I've had a numpty colleague spray it in a car whilst I was driving. If you legalise it, every idiot in the country will carry it and use it to " solve" arguments rather than to incapacitate a violent attacker.

Okay the subject line was slightly inflammatory....the point I wanted to ask is if there are legal personal security devices that are legal and might stand a chance of making you safer at night? Other than rape alarms which I think would probably be ignored where I live.

There's those paint things, however if you accidently sprayed anyone when they weren't a threat you would be in pretty big bother. There was a thread ages and ages ago about a man who had been running and had got sprayed by it, he contacted the police and they tracked the women down and had a veryvstern word.

Tbh, most threats will not give you the time to reach and get a spray like another poster said so tbh they're pretty pointless

I wish mace was legal here. I've just bought my neighbours 15yr old daughter a rape alarm as she was pestered by a group of men in their early 20's in a park, (her mum doesn't know, she didn't want to worry her). She's let it off once accidentally & told me people stopped and did take note. It's police approved. NE London where I am is terrible for being physically grabbed on a daily basis , by your arm and being asked "can you give me some money for the bus" . They get verbally abusive if you say sorry no change. They are there every day, dressed in designer gear so I'm not sure why bus money is a problem and why they think grabbing a woman's arm is OK. I go a diff route now to avoid them.

I used to carry my keys between my fingers. I know how bad this was but the walk from my work to my home was not safe, I couldn't afford a taxi and often didn't finish work until 2/3am. I was violently mugged twice in six months.

Never felt vulnerable after I changed jobs but then once, while heavily pregnant, I was cornered by a group of lads at 11.30pm, all of whom were drunk. One was terrifying and held very determined eye contact while the other were goading me. The only reason they let me go was because one of my colleagues finished work at the same time and drove at the lads in his car. The one who stared at me didn't even budge for the car but I was able to climb inside and he took me home. Was one of the most terrifying moments in my life.

I'd love for vulnerable people to be able to carry some form of protection such as pepper spray however as people say, fear breeds fear, weapons breed weapons

It's just really scary 😣 there's always some guy who's like "hey girl, talk to me for a minute" and it's like it's 11.30 at night, theres no one else around and I clearly have my headphones in I don't want to fucking talk to you sorry I do know deep down legal weapons is a bad idea I'm just so fed up of being scared.

you can make your own pepper spray. obviously it wouldnt have as much reach and no aerosol but would still hurt.

:( If it's that bad I think I'd consider learning to drive or moving. I've never lived anywhere that I felt unsafe at night - sounds horrible.

What about a self defence course for women?

Only legal device in UK is a personal alarm which can cause serious damage to ears but enough time to get away.

For gods sake don't carry a weapon- keep your keys in your hand if needed and aim for the eyes if needed but never carry a concealed weapon.

Deet50 spray - these flying bugs at night are a nightmare - a few sprays in any direction can help get you home without bites and irritation.

Or aim for the throat if threatened.

Bastard can't chase you if he can't breathe.

I wish there was a device that would ward off nasty, entitled, threatening men. But there's not.

@esk1mo.
And then probably face criminal charges yourself if caught with it or it accidently gets on someone who wasn't a threat to you.

just googled and you can get “personal protection sprays” if thats any use OP

you dont need to apologize, its a valid concern. you arent asking if you should carry a weapon to attack random people.

bore off train

I live in a large US city and carry mace in my bag or pocket - esp if I'm walking the dog late at night or hiking by myself.

A lot of women I know carry it and I've never heard of it going off accidentally or random mace attacks on innocent people. I'm sure it happens, but not often enough to hear about it, even anecdotally. I wish it was legal in the UK!

Bore off because I told the OP that if she uses pepper spray or creates her own she will face criminal charges?

Personal protection sprays are allowed but then are they truly any use against a determined attacker and will you be able to reach it quickly enough to do anything?

Personally I would do self defence classes, and just be aware of my surroundings.

I’m glad it’s illegal. It’s potentially very dangerous and has been used in terrorist attacks. Mace/pepper spray is what was used to subdue the crews of the planes hijacked on 9/11. Some of the hijackers had utility knives but the main weapon used to hijack the planes was actually pepper spray IIRC. It’s nasty stuff and I don’t think it should be something commonly carried around in handbags. It’s legal in the US but you can also keep a handgun in your handbag there.

yes, because if it came down to getting mugged or raped then id rather have something to deter them.

but in your mind, we’d all automatically get found to be carrying home made pepper spray, because we all get stopped and searched daily.

do you really think it is that black and white?

dumbledore its very easy to find online. i’m sure if a terrorist or gangster wanted to order some while its illegal then they could.

I automatically put my keys in my pocket so when they start I can get them between my fingers.

I have brittle bones disease so self defense classes aren't ideal for me. Would rather something with no contact!