Poll How Many Of Us Are Armed?

[asadafagahajakal]

This isn't just guns. This includes Knives, baseball bats, mace, flashlights, or anything that can be an effective self defense tool. Even deliberately carrying an umbrella with a strong frame or wearing heavy rings or having heavy things in a bag.

I personally have friends that have carried pepper spray, "bottle opener keychains", even stun guns (and yes in canada they're legal but must meet a minimum length but can't carry them legally) and lots of them carry because of traumatic assaults, so I wanna know how many armed suferers are on this forum.

Personally I always have a utility knife on me, and I've only ever used it for work related stuff and opening packages. But obviously regardless of intent I'm still armed. Since there's gonna be a few extreme pacifists on this tread (I respect you guys too), try to keep discussion civil towards each other.

 

[SophiaWisdom]

My father has been buying me pepper spray since I was a teenager (I started dating early) and I would carry it all the time for decades. Unfortunately I would forget I had it and it would constantly get confiscated at the airport (one guy threatened to call the cops on me...makes me want to joke about using it now :P). The last one I had was taken at a concert in the city and I just haven't bought one to put on my keychain recently so now I'm not armed. It does concern me when I walk alone at night or in parking lots - I'm alone a lot and I always live in major urban centers and take public transport all the time (I have definitelygotten assaulted by homeless people in more than one city) so I often regret not having it but I forget b/c I'm scared of weapons so I don't generally think of owning one.

 

[NoWhereKnowWhere]

I've got something at home and sometimes carrying something that could be used as a weapon when out in the dark with the dog. Although I could possibly say that the dog is a weapon of sorts she would definitely protect me if Ali was attacked and she's a bully breed. Me and my partner have to be careful with play fighting because if she thinks I'm being hurt she could intervene.

The law is pretty strict in the uk and you can't carry fixed blades and they can't be longer than a certain size. Pepper spray is also illegal to carry. If I could legally carry a half decent knife or pepper spray I totally would.

 

[Eagle3]

I'm always armed. I used to have a Concealed Carry permit, but I let that lapse when I became too suicidal to handle my guns. I'm better now, and my family has lots of firearms in the house, so we always have something handy around. However, I'm NEVER without my pocket knife, a 4" blade fighting knife that folds. I also hold advanced and black belts in 3 different styles of martial arts, and am dabbling in a 4th. No matter what is at hand, or even if I have absolutely nothing but my bare hands, I'm fairly confident in my ability to defend myself.

 

[asadafagahajakal]

I've got something at home and sometimes carrying something that could be used as a weapon whe...

Wow. I've heard UK law are pretty strict. But in canada, as long as you aren't carrying for a dangerous purpose and you aren't scaring anyone, there is literally no law stopping you from carrying a sword, but obviously someone might call the cops cuz they're scared, so nobody does that.

But in canada, you cannot carry anything for protection from people. So if you even carry a plastic pen and the officer has reasonable grounds to believe you carry it for self defense, you're breaking the law, despite having a guaranteed right to life liberty and security of persons. if you're carrying a knife, it's either for work or for animal protection. And you can only carry pepper spray for dogs and bears, so you only have an excuse if you're in a neighbourhood full of dogs.

I carry a small fixed blade knife (it's the Gerber epic, 3-3/4") and I use it 5 to 10 times a day for opening and prying jobs. If you do carry for defense, you need an alibi. If you have a bat in your car, you better have a glove and baseball with it too.

 

[NoWhereKnowWhere]

Well as you can tell I did a bit or research on the subject haha. I've got a massive torch I can carry with me for you know just like seeing in the dark and that :p. it's similar in the uk that if you had a "legal" knife your going to need a good reason for it like work or something. I used to carry a pair It scissors but if I was stopped and searched they'd definitely be taken off me but at least I could be like oh I forgot I had those. I could legally carry like a little multi tool like a Swiss Army knife, but what the heck am I going to with that? Says to attaker "just give me a sec I'll get the blade out" *pulls out the file by mistake* "damn it!" :rolleyes:

 

[Kintsugi]

I'm always armed, plus the dogs. I'm not supposed to carry any sort of weaponry at my school, but I keep a collapsible baton in my car at all times, and I always have a hunting knife in my bag. :whistling:

 

[Crow]

If I had a weapon, I would've blown a hole in my head long ago. Can't trust when I dip into that abyss.

I do have pepper spray and stun gun thingies all around.

 

[Recovery4Me]

I am rarely unarmed and found there are various benign objects that can suffice in an pinch. I am a pacifist as well, so having weapons does not make one not an pacifist.

I grew up hunting as a small child because that was our way. Boy-scouts had a safety rifle course that I placed my Son in as a tween. Two years ago, my Son and his wife went to an intensive refresher training course.

And then quite a few of us are skilled in martial arts. Some may be skilled enough to be considered a weapon.

So objects are just that and PTSD is just what I have. ;)

 

[Sideways]

I have a lot of items in my car and home that could be used as weapons (gardening), but I doubt very much I'd ever use them that way. The biggest security issue in my area is people high on drugs (it's a nightclub district), but there's no way I'm deliberately going to engage in a fight with someone who's high because that would be crazy dangerous. I've seen cops trying to bring those people to the ground - no thanks!

Without any proper training in the use of weapons, I also think that if I pulled a weapon on someone, it's going to make the situation more dangerous, and is just as likely going to end up being used against me rather than my assailant. Everyone has an inner Kung Fu master in the movies, but until you've been trained, and been in the situation and know how you react, we're actually mostly a lot more inept than we give ourselves credit for! The instinct to get out of the situation, rather than run headlong into it armed to the teeth - that instinct has served me reeeally well!

I trained for competition boxing for quite a while, and I know a few ways to handle myself if "I need to". But the reality is different- I'm a chick, and if someone attacks me, they're very likely going to be bigger than me, on something, or both, and the less weapons in that scenario the better.

And if they haven't attacked me but I think they might? I'm not going to pull a weapon on someone because I think they "might" attack me. I have PTSD, and just about everyone on the planet registers as a possible threat. It's enough of a struggle trying to turn my hypervigelance off without subconsciously feeding that fear by arming myself. But that's just me.

I do keep in mind that this in an international forum, and I think there's really massive cultural differences going on here.

 

[asadafagahajakal]

Well as you can tell I did a bit or research on the subject haha. I've got a massive torch I c...

Get a fist size multitool like the Leatherman wave or the gerber multi-plier. Not as a knife, but just put it in your fist and go for the temples. Although if you're right handed, or are good at modding leathermans, the Leatherman wave can be opened single handedly.

 

[asadafagahajakal]

If I had a weapon, I would've blown a hole in my head long ago. Can't trust when I dip into that ab...

I'm glad you know yourself good enough not to have guns around, but got the means to stay protected. Stay safe man