# Personal Self-Defence Devices (pepper spray etc)



## Adrian. (Nov 28, 2007)

I want to get my girlfriend some sort of device that she can use to protect herself if she is attacked. She is frequently at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo and there has been a series of rapes and attacks on young women at night. With it being pitch black at 6PM these days, I am concerned about her safety. 

I found that pepper spray is illegal in Canada. Are there any other devices that are legal and available in Canada?


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

You can legally obtain bear spray in Canada. Only problem with that is it is illegal to use it on a human. You might find a small taser like device as well, but once again, it is likely illegal to use it. Not much in the way of weapons out there that can legally be used as a protection device. I'm not saying it's right, but that's the way it is.


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## Vandave (Feb 26, 2005)

I wouldn't worry about legalities. The last thing you have to worry about is being charged for bear spraying a rapist.

A cell phone is an obvious thing to carry around as well.


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## rgray (Feb 15, 2005)

A cane is a perfectly legal weapon. In my age group it is an accepted practice to carry a walking stick.

There is even a martial art using the ordinary crooked cane based on Hanbo techniques from Aikido, Tai Chi and kung Fu.

Amazon.com: Raising Cane - The Unexpected Martial Art (9781905605101): Octavio Ramos: Books


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

The Save More Sports Store at Queen and Jarvis in Toronto has an ad for pepper spray in the window,


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

Plain and Simple it is illegal to possess Pepper Spray in Canada, but bear spray is legal. The difference is in the label.

Go with bear spray and if the situation warrants its illegal use, then better to sort out the legalities after the fact than be the victim of an attack. This of course gets very tricky if victim of the bear spray maintains he was not attacking and could easily leave the sprayer in a lot of hot water.

As Sinc implied; Canadian law leaves very few legal options for self defense.


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## Sonal (Oct 2, 2003)

Adrian. said:


> I want to get my girlfriend some sort of device that she can use to protect herself if she is attacked. She is frequently at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo and there has been a series of rapes and attacks on young women at night. With it being pitch black at 6PM these days, I am concerned about her safety.


I went to Waterloo.... it was exactly the same then. 

Best thing she can do is call upon WalkSafe, or whatever they are calling themselves--that service that will has two people escort her across campus or wherever she needs to go. In addition to that, she can start making some friends and asking them to walk with her. Ounce of prevention and all that...

Pepper spray, mace, tasers, etc., have one inherent problem, which is that you have to have enough presence of mind to pull 'em out and use them. Hard to do if you are in a dangerous situation and panicking. I'm a bigger believer in safety in numbers.


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## rgray (Feb 15, 2005)

eMacMan said:


> Canadian law leaves very few legal options for self defense.


Enter the cane or walking stick. Look up Bo, Jo and Hanbo techniques or the Cane technique mentioned above.

All one needs do is affect a walking stick when strolling at night and you are covered. I surprised myself at how much more confident I am walking around at night once I started to understand what a cane/stick can do.



Sonal said:


> Hard to do if you are in a dangerous situation and panicking. I'm a bigger believer in safety in numbers.


A little training helps a lot....


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## monokitty (Jan 26, 2002)

It might sound like an odd suggestion, but a self-defence class can teach her many ways to effectively defend herself without a weapon, even against bigger individuals. It's no guarantee of course, but neither is carrying a weapon.

And +1 on always carrying a cellphone with her.


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## Sonal (Oct 2, 2003)

rgray said:


> A little training helps a lot....


Very true, though a little training takes a little time....


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## adagio (Aug 23, 2002)

Get the bear spray and worry about legalities later.


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## Mckitrick (Dec 25, 2005)

I got a can of bear spray when I was camping out west. Its pretty big. About the size of an air spray can used for blowing dust out of computers. I live in Waterloo and haven't heard of any sexual assaults in the area. That's disturbing.


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## K2ACP (Sep 11, 2010)

Spray paint works well, if you spay it in their eyes. they won't be able to see, and I'm sure carrying spray paint is perfectly legal


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## Sonal (Oct 2, 2003)

K2ACP said:


> Spray paint works well, if you spay it in their eyes. they won't be able to see, and I'm sure carrying spray paint is perfectly legal


Hairspray does the same, actually.


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

Sonal said:


> Hairspray does the same, actually.


Doubly so, if you factor in a lighter as well.


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## cowasaki (Feb 13, 2008)

What about dog spray? I'm not sure if it is powerful enough but an option nonetheless. I have seen it sold at local running stores as well as surplus stores and hunting stores.

It is marketed towards joggers as a pepper spray for dogs!

Just my $0.02

H


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## jamesB (Jan 28, 2007)

cowasaki said:


> What about dog spray? I'm not sure if it is powerful enough but an option nonetheless. I have seen it sold at local running stores as well as surplus stores and hunting stores.
> 
> It is marketed towards joggers as a pepper spray for dogs!
> 
> ...


I've been led to believe that Dog spray and Bear spray are the same, just packaged smaller.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

K2ACP said:


> Spray paint works well, if you spay it in their eyes. they won't be able to see, and I'm sure carrying spray paint is perfectly legal


Some cities have banned spray paint cans, due to all the "tagging" on city property. Still, as Sonal mentioned, hair spray might work.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

There are things you can use legally that will act as deterrents and disorientation aids. A loud whistle is one. A small but very bright halogen flashlight is another._ The idea is not to actually have to engage with the attacker at all_, but to give one the opportunity to evade and draw the attention of others in the area.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

CubaMark said:


> There are things you can use legally that will act as deterrents and disorientation aids. A loud whistle is one. A small but very bright halogen flashlight is another._ The idea is not to actually have to engage with the attacker at all_, but to give one the opportunity to evade and draw the attention of others in the area.


My mother used to carry a small horn, about the size of a big lipstick. I joked at how that would not deter a New York City mugger ............. until she pulled it out and gave me one blast. Luckily, it was not near my ear, but I can still hear it now. It was a one-use item, and she had to replace it, but she did use it once in the NYC subways, and it worked.


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

CubaMark said:


> There are things you can use legally that will act as deterrents and disorientation aids. A loud whistle is one. A small but very bright halogen flashlight is another._ The idea is not to actually have to engage with the attacker at all_, but to give one the opportunity to evade and draw the attention of others in the area.


Great aids to pi$$ off your attacker even more...

If you're going to protect yourself then be prepared to engage with brutal force, otherwise avoid walking alone in areas which may be ideal for attack. 

I agree with Sonal. For women, it's best to walk in groups or at least with an escort.

When I used to sleep in places like Hunts Point Market in the Bronx, or Flushing, or Brooklin or go into Fulton Fish Market in Manhattan I carried a 12 gauge marine flare pistol. Perfectly legal until you blast hot phosphorous into someone's face.

High Performance Red Aerial Signals - Orion Safety Products

But you know what they say "rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6".


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

kps said:


> Great aids to pi$$ off your attacker even more...
> 
> If you're going to protect yourself then be prepared to engage with brutal force, otherwise avoid walking alone in areas which may be ideal for attack.
> 
> ...



kps, I grew up near the New York World's Fair grounds, so I know about Flushing. My father is from Brooklyn, and I was a substitute teacher in Harlem and the South Bronx. Now, I doubt that a 12 gauge marine flare pistol would be of much help given the firepower carried by some in these areas.


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## K2ACP (Sep 11, 2010)

Dr.G. said:


> kps, I grew up near the New York World's Fair grounds, so I know about Flushing. My father is from Brooklyn, and I was a substitute teacher in Harlem and the South Bronx. Now, I doubt that a 12 gauge marine flare pistol would be of much help given the firepower carried by some in these areas.


If you have played GTA before, you KNOW what kinds of guns they carry in the Bronx


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

Dr.G. said:


> kps, I grew up near the New York World's Fair grounds, so I know about Flushing. My father is from Brooklyn, and I was a substitute teacher in Harlem and the South Bronx. Now, I doubt that a 12 gauge marine flare pistol would be of much help given the firepower carried by some in these areas.


Remember also Dr. G, I used to cross the border back and forth...you do with what you can carry legally...if need be. Luckily I've never had an issue back then, today, I'm not so sure.


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## ehMax (Feb 17, 2000)

Adrian. said:


> I want to get my girlfriend some sort of device that she can use to protect herself if she is attacked. She is frequently at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo and there has been a series of rapes and attacks on young women at night. With it being pitch black at 6PM these days, I am concerned about her safety.
> 
> I found that pepper spray is illegal in Canada. Are there any other devices that are legal and available in Canada?


*Krav Maga.*.. Just a couple minutes from U of W.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

kps said:


> Remember also Dr. G, I used to cross the border back and forth...you do with what you can carry legally...if need be. Luckily I've never had an issue back then, today, I'm not so sure.


Not sure what they would say about some of these protection items especially these days.


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## Lichen Software (Jul 23, 2004)

If attacked and you have some presence of mind - Yell Fire, not Help. People will come.

If you smoke and they grab you, butt the cigarette in their eye or other sensitive place. Then run.

Many of your possessions are weapons. There are classes for women to show them how to use them. Car keys, belts and high heels come to mind in addition to canes etc.

Do not walk inattentively. No iPod and ear plugs, no texting and walking. Do not be a target.

The best defence is never being attacked. Previous comments on safety in numbers are not to be taken lightly. Weapons in the hands of untrained people at best are dangerous and at worst are totally useless.


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

Seems like a marine flare gun has self defence uses even at sea:



> The two were in a lagoon near an island about 30 kilometres north of the Honduran coast, off the port community of Tela, when their boat was swarmed by gunmen who tried to rob them.
> 
> Wilson said his niece used a flare gun to scare off the assailants, then remained on the sailboat for several hours until people on another boat arrived to help her.
> 
> ...


CBC News - World - Ottawa man slain in Honduras


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

Lichen Software said:


> ...The best defence is never being attacked. Previous comments on safety in numbers are not to be taken lightly. *Weapons in the hands of untrained people at best are dangerous and at worst are totally useless*.


Remember if you can use it as a weapon, should the person you whom you are attacking get control of the weapon he can and probably will use it on you. 

For that reason alone I will second the idea of some kind of self-defence training.


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## Adrian. (Nov 28, 2007)

Thanks everyone for your input. I really do appreciate it. We simply don't have time to invest into martial arts classes. Although I do think that the best defence is your own body. I think I will look into some of this Dog Spray stuff.


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