Need a form of "protection" for GF. Help

[Shawn5800]

Hey guys.

Last night my girl was creepily stalked from the mall door all the way up to the 2nd floor parking lot and almost followed to her car until she made it apparent to a group of contractors working on the outdoor lights that there was a creepy guy following her. (One of those guys happened to be my buddy luckily) Needless to say they took care of the situation in a non violent manner.

My question to you all is, what can i give do to possibly protect her in case of emergency besides a gun. She is deathly afraid to take a course let alone handle a gun. Maybe mace? Realistic looking handgun?

Any ideas would be appreciated. I cant have this happen again or my temper will get the best of me.

 

[Rix]

tazer/stun gun, GOOD pepper spray, self defense courses, etc.
fear of guns CAN be gotten over though....

 

[Gatafly]

Taser. . . . . . first choice being a a CCW permit and a small framed pistol of course.

 

[Geolander]

I'd say that mace or a taser would probably be your best bet.

Though it is possible to train someone out of a fear of guns, it's not a sure thing. You also have to consider the next step: will she be able to use it on a potential attacker? That's an even more difficult line to cross than getting over the fear. Since mace and tasers just incapacitate, there's a much smaller hurdle to get over for using them.

You also have to consider potential escalation. Showing a gun will scare some people away, but it can prompt others to attack, especially if they have guns of their own. And if they have guns as well, there's a really good chance that they will be more willing to use them.

 

[Thai]

I'd say that mace or a taser would probably be your best bet.

As everyone is saying...mace would be my choice.

 

[NorthGa4R]

Deputy Sheriff

Mace would be so-so. Speaking from someone whos maced more than a handful of people. Mace sucks. It suck to be in the same area when it goes off. So if she had maced someone in a parking lot and been down wind/in a closed area.. when she made it to her car she won't me able to drive away. A hand gun course is the best. But if you want a taser, my mother sells the "taser" brand that comes in colors. She now carries a gun instead. PM for more info on hand gun course/taser sell

 

[4Beast]

For what it's worth a "realistic looking handgun" is usually considered a really bad idea. It will escalate a situation without giving and defensive assistance. I vote taser if she is really unwilling to use a handgun. maybe she'd go for one of those Smith and Wesson Bodyguards with a laser, it would be something (not a big fan of .380).

 

[JackOSU]

Mace would be so-so. Speaking from someone whos maced more than a handful of people. Mace sucks. It suck to be in the same area when it goes off. So if she had maced someone in a parking lot and been down wind/in a closed area.. when she made it to her car she won't me able to drive away. A hand gun course is the best. But if you want a taser, my mother sells the "taser" brand that comes in colors. She now carries a gun instead. PM for more info on hand gun course/taser sell

I dunno. Some nice Mean Green to the eyes and nose will put most people down. Unless they are high on something.

 

[Merle]

Gun first (pocket .380s are very ladylike) but then some of the nastiest and hottest pepper spray I can find. I think Fox was a decent brand.

Then a can of Wasp killer. 25' range in a stream plus it will make grown men cry like babies when you hit them in the face.

Avoid most bear sprays, the usually don't have range. Another option are boat safety gear, flare guns and air horns.

 

[birdtail]

Wasp Killer in the eyes works great. Can be bought at walmart, works excellent, doesn't bring everyone around to their knees, but the downside is range. He would have to be close enough.

She needs self-defense classes. She should learn how to break a nose, break free of a hold, what to do if her hair is grabbed, etc.

 

[KidVermicious]

You guys are missing the first option. Way before anybody starts talking about guns or tasers or mace, she needs to be recommended to a good street awareness class. She (everybody) needs to know how to spot potentially hazardous situations from the get-go and how to respond. Sounds like she has a head on her shoulders and made out all right, but what if the contractors weren't there? What if the potential molester was more aggressive, and engaged sooner? With the right training, an intelligent person can avoid/defuse a hazardous situation well before the need to involve other people or weapons.

Guns are all well and good, and I'm highly in favor of concealed and open carry. But I'm also highly in favor of teaching folks how to not use them.

That's my 2 cents, anyway. I'm glad your loved one is ok, man.

 

[SkylineGTRracer]

Get some bear mace.

 

[KCcarguy]

She really did the right thing to begin with by being aware and finding help.....Even if you carry a gun (my wife and I both do) avoiding a confrontation is the best option. A fake gun is about the worst thing you could do. I'd say mace and some street awareness/ self-defense classes are her best options if she's not open to learning about and carrying a real gun.

 

[Thai]

Wasp Killer in the eyes works great.

The only wasp killer stuff that i see (at Home Depot, Walmart, etc.) comes in a big can...not exactly small enough to fit in a women's purse.

 

[riceandpho]

on tv i saw one of those flashlight with the taser and some strong pepper spray that actually dump out like a cup full at once. maybe a bright ass flashlight with srobe effect, can cause some blindness/seizures.

 

[Ross]

I would say mace and a self defense course. Why was she alone? When I worked in the Mall and even while in college security would offer to escort people to their car. Maybe she could check into that.

 

[jwyshrek]

How about some basic self defense class...learning to use what's on hand...like car keys, magazine, vital pressure points on a person's body, etc.?

 

[ndcent]

Words can be a powerful detriment. Did she say anything to the stalker?

Screaming something as simple as "back off!" at the guy could have made a significant impact.

 

[Rix]

Words can be a powerful detriment. Did she say anything to the stalker?

Screaming something as simple as "back off!" at the guy could have made a significant impact.

Most self defense courses will teach to yell and scream as loud as you can in these situations.
And of course "fight like hell".

 

[Pikeman]

Strong high output[120 lumen] flashlight(like a surefire) and Mace/ pepper spray. The light will temporarily blind/ dissorientate them while she sprays them with the mace. It is a technique used by several Law agencies and Military. I would look into local laws for carrying mace and taser devices. Some will require a permit and class.


***fear of guns can be gotten over however the fear of actually using it is a different story, along with the Trauma afterwards. I have seen more than a few soldiers/ LEO's freeze at the wrong time and be emotionally jacked up later on. I would say the trauma of protecting oneself should be less then the trauma from being a victim but not always the case.***