How do you stay safe..alone?

[Eden]

Who's anger? If you come on a forum and ask people's advice and opinions on something, you shouldn't call their replies "BS". Veronica's advice was valid, thoughtful and polite.

Have to agree with V as well. Life's too short to be worrying about ending up on this week's unsolved crime show... I would guess that you probably have about as much chance of being hit by lightening (and as we have maybe two, three thunder storms a year at the most in this area the chance of being hit is pretty remote...) as being taken by a serial killer, so I just can't live my life in fear of something like that.

As far as Jenn goes - I don't know if she's still lurking or not since she started a thread to tell us all that she was leaving (but she did that once before too....), but if she is - frankly I think you totally overreact when you post and someone puts up an opionion that you did not want to hear. It's not an attack - its an opinion that differs from your own and the poster has a right to it. If you only want people to confirm what you are all ready sure that you know maybe an open, diverse, worldwide forum is not the best place to seek advice.... And compared to many other forums this is a real sanctuary, without the insincere BS and name calling that goes on on a lot of other boards. From what I've seen no one has posted anything I would construe as rude or offensive towards you.

[Python]

To throw my tuppenceworth into the melting pot.

I've said this before, but if we were to worry about what might happen, we'd never get out of our beds in the morning.

As for the possible threat of violence. We have a big problem with that in the UK just now, thanks to a government that's soft on crime.

However, I'll be blowed if I'm going to pussyfoot around, be afraid to go out alone, on the bike, walking or whatever. The day I become afraid of living my life how I want to, go where I want, when I want to is the day the pondlife and scum of this country win, and so long as I am able to I will not allow that to happen.

[SouthernBelle]

I clicked and asked that the "Goodbye Cruel Forum" post be removed and it's looks to be gone.

Hey, if ya wanna leave, just leave.

[Python]

I think this is one of the friendliest forums there is.

Of course there will be differences of opinion and not everyone will agree with everyone else. That's life, but to take opinions to heart and throw teddy out of the pram is, well, a bit childish to say the least. Sometimes it's best to agree to disagree.

I suppose some people are just too easily offended.

[SouthernBelle]

[B] That's life, but to take opinions to heart and throw teddy out of the pram is, well, a bit childish to say the least.

I've never heard the teddy phrase before. I love it.

[Starfish]

Have to agree with V as well. Life's too short to be worrying about ending up on this week's unsolved crime show... I would guess that you probably have about as much chance of being hit by lightening (and as we have maybe two, three thunder storms a year at the most in this area the chance of being hit is pretty remote...) as being taken by a serial killer, so I just can't live my life in fear of something like that.

Completely agree. Also completely agree that this is a wonderful forum. I'm so grateful to all of you!

[Aggie_Ama]

Maybe this thread should be closed??? The difference in opinions is what I enjoy about the forum, as it often asks me to think of a situation differently. Somehow this thread took a wrong turn.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Maybe this thread should be closed??? The difference in opinions is what I enjoy about the forum, as it often asks me to think of a situation differently. Somehow this thread took a wrong turn.

I don't know, there is some valid and useful advice that came up in this thread. It certainly is a subject that is good to discuss. Seems to me there is nothing THAT awful in the thread that would make it necessary to erase the whole thing. But then again safety issues will all be brought up again eventually anyway in one thread or another.
I did find it interesting that some of us feel safer when there is NO ONE around, while others feel safer when there are other people around.
I also learned that "bear pepper spray" shoots 8 ft, further than "regular" dog pepper spray (which shot about 4 feet in my field test)- a good thing to know!

That poor woman near me in Albany NY who was hit and killed by a car last week had no ID on her at all, and it took 2 or 3 days I think before police were able to find out who she was and notify her family. Shows how important it is for us all to have ID of some sort when we ride, for one thing.

[Mr. Bloom]

I don't know, there is some valid and useful advice that came up in this thread. It certainly is a subject that is good to discuss.

I agree...it reminded me to check on Silver's pepper spray status.

Mr. Silver: "Silver, do you have your pepper spray on your bike"
Silver: "No, but I know where it is"
Mr. Silver: "What good will that do?"
Silver: "I just have to figure out what to do with it"
Mr. Silver: "Well, did you think it might be better to carry it?"
Silver: "Yep, I like that post's suggestion of putting it on my saddle pack"
Mr. Silver: "How will you reach it if a dog is charging at you?"
Silver: " OH "

Glad we had the discussion.

I don't think we should live in fear.

I do think we should be alert and prepared.

We should not FEAR what could happen.

But, we must RESPECT the possibilities. That's why we wear helmets, stop at stops, etc

[SouthernBelle]

I've not come up with a way to carry my pepper spray prior to seeing the carrier that was mentioned earlier in the thread. Saddle bag is useless. Back pocket you have to get it and make sure you are spraying in the right direction. I been using my bento which is ok, still gotta rip the cover off and spray in the right direction. The clip on the can needs to clip tighter and I could just use the side of the bento.

[Starfish]

I haven't done this, as I don't carry pepper spray, yet. But, I sometimes carry other stuff right up underneath the bottom hem of my shorts on one leg or the other. For instance, in the gym, I'll tuck my ipod nano up under the bottom of a shorts leg, and it works great. Stays in place through biking, elliptical training, ab work on the floor, etc.

Might be a way to have quick access.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Silver: "Yep, I like that post's suggestion of putting it on my saddle pack"
Mr. Silver: "How will you reach it if a dog is charging at you?"
Silver: " OH "[/INDENT]Glad we had the discussion.

For what it's worth: I have one of those little bungee loops that has a ball at one end, it's about 3" long. I loop it around the VERTICAL part of my stem and slip my pepper spray into only one loop vertically, so the spray container is upright, parallel along the stem. Mine has a flip-top to prevent one spraying towards oneself- you can only spray it in one direction when you flip the top up. Tip: do NOT leave the spray on your bike if you pop into a store for a moment- so little kids cannot get to it at all. The bungee is good because 1) it does not gunk up or scratch your bike finish and 2) the spray is easy to yank out quickly, and easy to put back in the bungee loop. Don't slip the spary through both loops- just one so that the other loop keeps the spray cannister from rattling against your bike while you ride. Test your spray once for just a second or two out in your yard (on a windless day!) so you know it works and you have an idea of how it sprays- mine is like a jet stream, not a "spray". My two cents.

[Aggie_Ama]

I don't know, there is some valid and useful advice that came up in this thread. It certainly is a subject that is good to discuss. Seems to me there is nothing THAT awful in the thread that would make it necessary to erase the whole thing.

I agree, just wanted to see the discussion back on track.

Curiousity.... How comfortable are you pepper spray packing ladies at using it? Did you buy a bottle for practice? Or are you just assuming you will be able to use it when needed? I would like to let DH rest easier and ride on my own but I would probably end up pepper spraying myself! I learned with my CO2 that just because something is easy doesn't mean I won't find a way to make it hard. We have had a rabies outbreak in my county and aside from big ol' trucks and creepy ol' people there are rabid dogs. Wow, I am making my little piece of Texas paradise sound awful.

[SouthernBelle]

Prior to carrying Halt, I carried a less toxic citrus spray. A friend and I started being chased one day by 3 dogs through a corner and I ripped out that spray and nailed them. It kept them away but it wasn't a evil enough spray to completely run then off. That's why I changed to halt.

[Tri Girl]

Is is just mace that's illegal in some states? How do you find out? Halt isn't mace, is it? (it's the dog repellent kind, right?) I should ask DH- he used to carry some on his postal bag when he had a route a long time ago that had "attack" dogs on it.
I used to carry pepper spray all the time, but have gotten less stringent about carrying it (complacent, unfortunately). I better go buy some more today- thanks for the reminder ladies!!
I like the idea of bungee cording it to the stem. I guess I could also clip it to the side of my Bento box.


I think I might read that fear book, too. Sounds interesting!!