I made an exciting purchase this weekend:
(photo from Amazon.com)
And I very nearly embarrassed myself getting it, too. I’d seen it for the first time at Target a couple of weeks ago, but it was on one of those locked racks where you have to have an employee get it for you, and I didn’t have time that day to fetch an employee. Then I saw it a second time at Target, again on a locked rack, and I was going to summon an employee but then inexplicably got shy and didn’t want to. So this weekend I was in the store and felt shy again about asking an employee, and I thought, “This is ridiculous. ASK AN EMPLOYEE. THIS IS NOT A SCARY THING TO DO.” But then the first one I saw was with another customer, and the next two were talking intensely to each other about something that seemed to be a problem, kind of speaking sharply over a clipboard. I was about to use the call button when I thought, just on a whim, that I’d see if the rack was still locked. No reason for that to have changed, but, you know, just in case. And it WASN’T a locked rack anymore. So I almost summoned an employee, “Oh, yes, hello; I want to buy this but it’s on a locked rack”—when it wasn’t on a locked rack. With double relief (didn’t have to ask employee AND didn’t make fool of self), I put it into the cart.
It came in black and pink. I thought pink would be easier to find in my purse. Plus, I like pink. I’m very happy to own it. I was under the impression that mace was no longer available to purchase, because of a time back when I was pregnant for the first time and nervous about walking alone, and I tried to buy some and the clerk told me it was no longer available and that maybe the police department could help me if I really needed some. I gave up, just like that. I thought it was like syrup of ipecac, where it used to be in the baby section and then suddenly it wasn’t available, and finally I asked the pediatrician and he said yeah, they weren’t recommending that anymore. I used to feel anxious if I didn’t have it in the house! It was a PARENTING ESSENTIAL! And then…gone!
Where was I? Oh, yes, the mace. Or perhaps pepper spray is not the same as mace, but anyway something I can spray into someone’s eyes and then run away. I don’t USUALLY feel the need to have mace nearby, but there have definitely been times (walking to my car in the dark, for example) when I’ve wished to have a reassuring little canister in my hand, and now I have a reassuring little canister.
Shame you didn’t have this for the “calming energy” incident!
*sustained out-loud laugh!*
I love having pepper spray. I originally got it because I go running in somewhat secluded places but the only time I have used it was on a large dog that came running at me. I didn’t spray the dog but rather sprayed the ground near my feet. It took one whiff and ran in the other direction. Since then I realized that I can take it hiking as we have bears and mountain lions where we live. It’s just a nice back up. I got mine through Amazon and it surprised me that you can buy it there, because I thought they weren’t allowed to ship liquids like that.
I teach a graduate class at a school in a very dicey area of Minneapolis every fall. We teach until 9:30 pm and it is very dark and so scary that there are security guards always patrolling. I still thnk I would feel TONS safer with this instead of wondering all the way to the car and all the way home if I have made it. Plus, pink!
I recently purchased some of this — in the black color — at Target for my soon-to-be-a-college-freshman daughter. I thought she’d be all “mommmmmm…… I don’t need that!” but her only comment was that I should have gotten her the pink color instead of black.
P.S. Our Target doesn’t have them locked up.
I got the same one! I was excited and surprised to see it at the store, because I, too, was told it was no longer available.
Pepper spray is NOT the same as mace :)
I read somewhere (probably the internet, so you know it MUST be true!) that pepper spray is recommended over mace because mace doesn’t work on people who are high or insane.
I have a relatively dangerous occupation, where I have to work alone amougst sketchy people. We’re not allowed to have weapon’s or carry pepper spray, but in one of the many worker safety trainings I’ve taken it was recommended that we carry wasp spray. The big ass cans that shoot 20 feet. So I keep one in my car. Useful for killing wasps, too.
My friend carries wasp spray with her on her daily walks with her two little kids – good deterrent for attacking dogs, and the 20ft is a huge help!
I’ve always wanted pepper spray, but don’t want to go through the ordeal to buy it. Glad it was finally easy for you.
I just watched sleepless in Seattle and Tom hanks said “and there’s ipecac in the cupboard of anyone drinks poison” and for the past two weeks I’ve been thinking “I need ipecac in hand” … Glad to know I can cross that off of my mental to do list.
On hand!
I just read about a phone app called SafeTrek where you open the app when you feel unsafe and hold down the button. If you release the button and don’t input your pin within ten seconds, police are notified. Might be nice for the late night walk to the car situation. Not practical for mountain lions though!
I’ve heard of a service called Kitestring that seems like a similar concept. Basically you enter a time for the program to “check up on you” by sending you a text (like if you’re about to walk to your car alone at night or something) and then if you don’t respond to the text they notify a pre-determined contact of your choice. It’s not an app so I think anyone with a texting plan can get it. It’s supposed to be safer than an app because you don’t have to open the program to use it–instead it only activates if you DON’T respond, so you can still contact someone if you can’t get to your phone. (It doesn’t seem like a perfect system, though–what if you accidentally leave your phone on silent and don’t hear the text? Or what if you’re safe at the time you send the text but something happens two minutes later? Oh well, I’m sure there are times when it could come in handy.)
I’m sure everyone knows this, but if you’re going to use pepper spray, make sure you know what direction the wind is blowing.
I grew up in the South, and my mom had a pepper spray container in her purse. One summer day we were out, and she left her purse in the car for several hours in the heat of the day. When we got back in the car to go home, that sucker exploded. We were two hours from home. It was so bad.
All that to say, be careful where you leave it. I wonder if extreme cold in winter would have an effect on it, too?
Swistle: “Do you feel THAT?”
Creepy lesson guy, crying: “Yes I do feel a slight burning in my eyes.”
Swistle: “It’s not burning: it’s ENERGY.”
I need this–we went hiking and the grass was over 7 feet tall I kept feeling like a bear or moose was going to leap out and kill us-I found some at an outdoor shop but it was the size of a can of hairspray I don’t want to hike with a mega size can of pepper spray holstered to me pretty sure I’d get laughed off the trail : ) this seems the perfect size to wear and grab quickly
I feel like this entire entry should have a #yesallwomen hashtag!