SECURITY FOR IDIOTS: January 2009

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Yet another story about customer service from the land of extremes. =0)

Why, you may ask, do I bother to bring to you stories of this kind? What do these kinds of stories have to do with security and how can they possibly improve your personal situation? Well it is simple; I want to share with you the idea that you have a right to be treated well as a part of maintaining control of your life. If you are treated...

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Welcome to our journey together!

Let's take this journey together learning how we can become powerful beings capable of accomplishing anything we want including defending and providing for those that we hold near and dear to our hearts.

This is an on-going exercise, so join in and visit frequently. Post comments anytime and ask whatever questions you feel the need to ask. I will respond to all.

You are a result of the decisions that you make. Start making decisions that will change you for the better and positively affect your own life and that of those around you.

Pepper spray is exactly what its name describes. The ingredient in chili peppers that creates the burning sensation is the active ingredient in this non-lethal weapon.

You will find different grades of pepper spray from 10% on up. The higher grades of pepper spray are sometimes only sold to law enforcement officers. The sprays come in different forms from thin stream or mist to foam. The canister itself varies from pen style to small cans like in the photo above to industrial style mega cannisters like you see Dwayne the Dog Chapman carry while chasing Hawaii's most wanted. There are some varieties that even contain dyes that color the attackers skin to facilitate later identification.

Is pepper spray effective? Lets take a closer look at the pros and cons. In a perfect world you will have the pepper spray in your hand, facing the right direction, with no wind, facing an attacker that has never been exposed to it before. As the attacker approaches, you deliver a steady stream of spray directly to his face, covering his eyes, nose, and mouth. Involuntarily he inhales drawing excess spray deep into the attackers nasal passages and throat causing a spasmodic fight for air. The attacker drops to his knees, frantically rubbing his eyes with mucous and spit running down his chin onto the ground. You are able to walk away and find help from nearby passersby. The attacker is picked up minutes later by police, easily identified by the bright blue skin caused by the marking dye in the pepper spray. In a perfect world...

In the world in which we live. You are confronted by an attacker, here are of the few possible problems you may face:

1. You do not even have the spray with you or you have to search for it under all that "stuff" you keep in your bag;

2. You are able to locate it but cannot activate the spray due to the built in safety you have to deactivate that allows you to either press the button or squeeze a trigger of some sort;

3. You start spraying only to find that the spray is going the wrong way, hopefully not into your own face;

4. There is a strong wind which blows the spray back into your own face;

5. You do hit the attacker but not in the face;

6. The attacker has been sprayed before and realizes that movement is still possible and still attacks you even with the spray on his face;

7. The attacker is so enraged that even though the attacker has never been exposed to pepper spray before, the attacker drives through the pain just to get to you;

8. The attacker takes the spray away from you and uses it on you.

I could go on and on. My point is that in order to use a weapon, the user must be trained. Part of training is practice. Perfect practice makes perfect not practice makes perfect.

A timid user makes for timid use. You must be committed to using the weapon for your personal safety. As they say in poker, ALL IN!

I do not want anybody to get a false sense of security because they are carrying something like pepper spray. A false sense of security denotes comfort with your surroundings. You might even be "braver" and take chances that you might not otherwise take. These are the ingredients for disaster. You are in control of your life. Gadgets are tools. If you do not know how to use a tool, it is useless to you, but with training, tools can be used to make works of art. It all still relies on the skill and talent of the user.

Any questions or comments? Please feel free to hit any comments button. I will reply to all personally.

"A stun gun is a hand-held electronic device that produces a high-voltage pulse that can immobilize a person for several minutes with no permanent damage in most cases. It is powered by ordinary batteries, which supply power to a circuit containing transformers, oscillators, capacitors, and electrodes. The transformers increase the voltage in the circuit to between 20,000 and 150,000 V and reduce the current proportionally. The oscillators fluctuate the current to produce a specific pulse frequency, and the current charges the capacitors. Pressing the electrodes to a person's body releases high-voltage electrical energy at a frequency pattern designed to interfere with the neurological impulses that travel through the human body to control voluntary muscle movement. The use of stun guns has been associated with death in some cases, typically when the person gun was used on has taken drugs or has a pre-existing heart condition. The degree to which the stun gun may have contributed to the deaths is unclear."

The description that you read above was posted in a site called the Columbia Encyclopedia. Is it accurate? As accurate as we need for this topic.

The perfect world application of the Pepper Spray also applies to this gadget. The big difference is that you have to actually be close enough to your attacker to touch the device to the attackers body. Ideally the exposed skin.

The stun gun has actually gained notoriety as the weapon of choice for muggers and rapists. There was even an expert that believed that Jonbenet Ramsey was first stunned by one of these devices before being raped then murdered.

In the real world what could possibly go wrong?

1. Did you even bring it?
2. Can you find it in the bottom of your bag?
3. Do you know how to work it?
4. When was the last time you changed the batteries?
5. What is the weather where you are at? If it is winter, the attacker may have several layers of clothing on in addition to a thick winter coat. Thus requiring that you touch skin.
6. If the current is not applied correctly, the attacker may become enraged thus magnifying the threat.
7. etc. etc. etc.

Like anything else the outcome is what you will it to be. You must first have the will to make the outcome what you want.
Is this gadget effective? Let's first ask, "Are you? "

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