I work with a lot of women and recently have asked if they carry anything to protect themselves, knife, whistle, pepper spray? My boss, 54yr old women from Burlington, co-workers 40yr. old Cambodian women from Lowell, 50 yrs old and 60 yrs old living in Medford. They know I'm a gun owner and I recently asked them if they'd like me to purchase mace for them and show them how to use it. Very negative response from them and Q&A's like what happens if it goes off in my purse, is it legal, how do I use it? When asked if they have a plan to defend themselves they're speechless. I have bought mace for my GF, her sister, daughter and GF's daughter and showed them how to use.
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Female Co-workers and Mace/Pepper Spray/Sheeple
- Thread starter rwl1955
- Start date
Part of the problem is you think that these women have a willingness to even defend themselves, and that's silly on its face. (I realize it sounds insane to us, but think about "bubble people" etc).
It's one thing to pitch to people in your care, or in your tribe... but beyond that? Lol... you're not going to get a horse to water.
-Mike
It's one thing to pitch to people in your care, or in your tribe... but beyond that? Lol... you're not going to get a horse to water.
-Mike
ToddDubya
NES Member
Ditto. If they choose to be defenseless, that's on them.
I also find that women tend to be against self help because they have men whose job it is to provide for their security. I understand I'm generalizing here, but that's been my experience.
amm5061
NES Member
Bingo. I give 0 f***s about the willingness to defend themselves of anyone outside my immediate circle. It's their problem to deal with, not mine. My concern is to make sure myself and the people I care about are safe.
![[devil]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/015.gif "Devil [devil]")
one-eyed Jack
Manufacturer
I guess that there's not a lot of "The mother and the cubs" thinking still around. My wife was a stay at home mother for the kids and always had the "means" to protect them handy. Times change. Jack.
grizquad
NES Member
I think GOAL and I know several clubs that offer Pepper Spray training. There are also several PD's offering self defense type classes for women too. If you are still interested in "helping out" give a class schedule to your HR office and let them deal with it.
hedgehound
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I agree. Even unsolicited advice on the subject is an overstep, in my view.
MisterHappy
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Props to you, OP for thinking of others.
That said, IMO advocating anything like that is a dangerous thing in the work environment.
At my work, I don't hide the fact that I shoot. People have asked me about everything from bump stocks to muzzleloaders, and I've answered them directly and honestly. And, I generally end the conversation with, "If you want to go to the range, just ask. (Not bump stocks, don't have one, and never did). But I'd not be the one to fire the "opening shot."
If they're adults, they can buy it on their own - and should be allowed to make their own [wrong] decision.
That said, IMO advocating anything like that is a dangerous thing in the work environment.
At my work, I don't hide the fact that I shoot. People have asked me about everything from bump stocks to muzzleloaders, and I've answered them directly and honestly. And, I generally end the conversation with, "If you want to go to the range, just ask. (Not bump stocks, don't have one, and never did). But I'd not be the one to fire the "opening shot."
If they're adults, they can buy it on their own - and should be allowed to make their own [wrong] decision.
It's mostly not either of those things. The main problem is that they never think it will happen to them. The second part of the problem is that they don't want to think about it because it's scary. Then there is the social conditioning. Even in a self defense class it takes a while for most women to really fight back because they are conditioned to be nice and not hurt people.
Even as a woman trying to educate other women it's difficult. Their eyes glaze over and you can see them mentally checking out.
Good job rwl for trying!! Maybe the better way would be to ask your boss if there is any interest a self defense seminar. If she's not comfortable with you running it she could check with the local PD. Or, find someone who is a rep for Damsels in Defense. There items are pricey but it's done in a girly party type atmosphere that might feel more comfortable to the ladies.
Even if they had the pepper spray they wouldnt be able to successfully use it with the attitude they have.
You have to implant ideas in certain people, such as saying, "wow another rape on the Esplanade. Theyre always saying Boston is so safe..."
You have to implant ideas in certain people, such as saying, "wow another rape on the Esplanade. Theyre always saying Boston is so safe..."
I would concur with this approach. I will bend over backwards helping people understand something, but frequently until someone is ready to talk about it the conversation isn't that fruitful. I found it frequently talking about financial stuff with friends, they were not that interested in my advice on starting planning/investing early. One by one they all turned the corner and wanted to talk about 401Ks, IRAs, funds, strategies, etc.
One of the bigger Dem party active people in my family having a kubaton keychain when she was living in the city. If someone is worried about their safety they will figure it out.
One of my buddys in NYC inquired about self-defense and guns after Trumps election because he had a lot of LGBT friends worried about safety, apparently those feelings fizzled as nothing ever came of it. Otherwise I would have done anything I could to either route him to someone near NY to give them some training or had him come up to MA and take him to the range for informal information.
greencobra
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myob
kind of have to agree here....OP better off just minding his own business.
Reminds me of a friend from college who said he was over at his neighbor's drinking and the guy started talking about how safe he felt in his house and how he had his sword collection to protect himself. Then he starts asking my friend if he felt safe in his house, it was super creepy as the guy kept pressing him to explain how he would protect his house. At the end my friend just said, 'uh I have a shotgun' and bailed then told his roommates to bolt the door if the neighbor ever came onto the lawn.
JDL
NES Member
Mind your own business the last thing you want is to purchase spray for them teach them how to use it and then if something happens to them you are now open to be sued and you will be the bad guy. Don't get involved no mater how good your intentions are.
Warning, very gory. Man foils home invasion with superior Nippon steel.
Man uses katana to stop home invasion, this is the gory aftermath (NSFW) - Knowledge Glue
amm5061
NES Member
In fairness the friend in question did have a shotgun, and his roommate was the type that had a safe full of stuff plus carry gun. I would be a little skeved by someone who just started talking up how safe their guns make them feel unprompted in the middle of a BBQ. However if someone just says "Yeah this week I picked up XZY gun, pretty excited" and then they offer to show me their entire safe of goodies thats entirely different and not weird at all.
Mace is a brand name like Band-Aid. Calling pepper spray mace is almost like calling a magazine a clip. You bought pepper spray for people and showed them how to use it? What kind of instruction did you offer?
"What if it goes off in my purse?"![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
It could happen. Purse in dashboard in summer is the best way. You could also travel to a high altitude without being in a pressurized container.
Although I'm sure she wasn't thinking of those scenarios and was just worried it would press its own button and fire, just like guns do all the time.
Very true, and such people are probably better off with nothing and pleading for their life if something happens. I tried to get my mother to carry pepper spray, but I immediately figured out that was a bad idea because the whole thing just terrified her. She would never be able to press the button and squirt it. I set mouse traps in the basement for her and she discovered a mouse squished in one of them and was traumatized for weeks. No way is she defending herself.
********
They're friends of mine, we work side by side all day..
Wow! These women are close friends of mine and we work in a Military environment on a Military base where we drive thru a gate with SP's carrying M9's and M4's. I'm trying to up their awareness to threat levels and to make them think. These women are not clueless liberal snowflakes and if they answered yes they'd like to have more info I would set up training for them at either my gun club or in another setting. The key is situational awareness and not being a victim.
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