Pepper Spray for defense against muggers ?

There’s a spate of violent assaults along the towpaths in my area and am contemplating carrying a can of Pepper spray velcro’d to the handlebars.
Now before you all shout at me, I know it’s illegal to carry and it’s classed as a firearm etc, but so is the knife that these muggers carry!

So before I place an order with those in the know, what’s the real outcome of being caught with carrying the said spray?

If thats true I would avoid the towpaths in question for a while and liase with your local bobbies. Why put yourself in that particular area/ danger?

If you pulled out a pepper spray things could go badly wrong.

Some sprays can be legal in some circumstances but a racing driver did jailtime for using one in a road rage attack IIRC. Far better to have a u lock or similar handy

How about some self-defence lessons?

There’s a spate of violent assaults

Why put yourself into that location when you know theres a very high chance that someone is more than prepared to use violence guys?!

‘cos it will actually be a very low chance? how many assualts compared to how many passers by?

How about one of those telescopic baton type things? Just Velcro it to your down tube.

Fairly isolated and specific location though.

If you said ‘there have been numerous violent assaults recently in the Leith area of Edinburgh at night’ I’d advise my partner not to use/avoid this area for the moment.

OP you could always try exposing yourself to the would-be mugger 8)

OP you could always try exposing yourself to the would-be mugger

Is that what you would do hora? Show some scumbag the most beautiful penis in the world? (as well as a telescopic baton)

you’ll get a bigger penalty for carrying the spray than a mugger will get for attacking you

Go a different way.

What if the Mugger is carrying a salt condiment? Would this cancel out the pepper?

old style frame mounted pump with lead strip inside it?

at least it wouldn’t look like you were out on vigilante duty.

‘cos it will actually be a very low chance? how many assualts compared to how many passers by?

well theres no need for pepper spray is there?

What if the Mugger is carrying a salt condiment? Would this cancel out the pepper?

Ooh, let me know if this is the case, I’ll bring a few boiled eggs to the muggging party.

If you said ‘there have been numerous violent assaults recently in the Leith area of Edinburgh at night’ I’d advise my partner not to use/avoid this area for the moment.

but you’d continue to use the area yourself even although your partner shouldn’t? You must be really tough!

Telescopic baton sounds similar to an old school pump which is both useful and unlikely to get you accused of going armed and looking for a fight.

What are the muggers stealing? Are they targeting people on bikes? Might be easier not to carry an expensive phone / watch.etc on show. Safest option is usually to give them what they want.

Your not really thinking straight about this are you?

The mugger will not stand in your way and say

“Excuse me old chap, would you mind awfully if one mugs you?”

Thus giving you time to stop and remove the pepper spray from the bars.

More likely they will be hiding in a bush and jump out at you, knocking you off the bike giving you zero opportunity to get your spray.

Poly no I’m not tough but I do look like I’ve nothing of value on me.

More likely he will suddenly turn as he is walking past you, crack you hard in the jaw twice knocking you off the bike, stamp on your face three times then go through your pockets whilst you lay there spitting out teeth

FTFY

It seems then that hora and his beautiful penis is the best option put forward so far.

There’s a spate of violent assaults along the towpaths in my area

If you’re not able to defend yourself without weapons then just walk away. The bike’s replaceable, you’re not.

Erm, silly idea.

Avoid area if you’re worried, let cops deal with it. What if mugger grabs pepper spray from you?

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jimmy_fatwing/SelfProtection/cycle.htm

😯

There’s a spate of violent assaults along the towpaths in my area and am contemplating carrying a can of Pepper spray velcro’d to the handlebars.

Leamington? 😛

Ok, I have avoided commuting & recreational riding along said areas and whilst not ‘ard as in ‘bare knuckle fighter/kick boxer type’ I am certainly not submissive and would most definitely stand my ground.

The local cops have made a couple of arrests recently with regards to these muggings but feel the copy cat crims will continue the easy pickings of mobile phones and bikes etc.

Just interested in actual procedings against those with having pepper spray on them.

Oh yes, Mrs Toast, Leafy Leam.
I read the Courier online daily.

P.S. their not jumping out on the victims but stop you to ask for a light or time etc.

What a great link! 😀

From Bruneep link

Nearly every cyclist carries a weapon on his machine which, under many circumstances, he may use with great effect: a strong, long, heavy metal pump offers as convenient a weapon as one could desire. Let the rider who is threatened by a foot-pad flourish his pump in his assailant’s face, and he will be surprised how quickly and precipitously the assailant jumps back. A formidable blow could be delivered in a man’s face with a heavy pump, especially when riding at speed. If the pump is carried in spring clips attached to the top bar of the machine — or in the case of a lady’s machine to the handlebars — it is ready to hand in case of emergency, and may be detached in a moment

there maybe something there – a bit of lead wrapped around / under the handle end. ” who me officer?”

Cheap can of srpay deodorant in a quick draw holster should do it.

“Sorry, Officer, but I carry this to deal with my terrible BO mid-ride. Nothing at all to do with spraying it at thieving scrotes, oh no….”

Heh heh, we used to cycle down the canal towpath every day when we lived in Leam, used to leave it near Princes Drive. Moved house now so we don’t ride down by the canal (which I actually miss, I liked the ducklings :(), but I noticed the number of reports of cyclists being mugged on the towpath. At first I kind of shrugged it off as the first ones I noticed were later in the evening, but then I saw the ones that were happening at 8-9am. :/

It’ll be anarchy in Jephson Gardens next!

Nahh … get a pepper spray if you are worried.

Police usually get involved after the incident and you definitely do not want to be the one that reports it after the incident. Prevention is better than cure.

Spray it straight into the nostril … see if the person chocks … then give it a good kicking … after that continue to cycle as usual.

Cheap can of srpay deodorant in a quick draw holster should do it.

“Sorry, Officer, but I carry this to deal with my terrible BO mid-ride. Nothing at all to do with spraying it at thieving scrotes, oh no….”

Impulse is quite good for this, and if you’re lucky they might present you with a bunch of flowers instead of mugging you.

pepper spray is indiscriminate though;

wwaswas – Member

pepper spray is indiscriminate though;

Better still try it on yourself to see the effect … I would as it’s harmless.

I’m 6ft2(?) circa 210lbs (with a beautiful schlong) yet I wouldn’t go near ANYWHERE that has a current rep for violent muggings.

There are some bloody nutjobs out there. Why put yourself into harms way.

I think common sense should be employed in this situation.

What hora said … avoid the cycle path if possible. Vermin are all over the place this day.

it’s harmless

certainly seems that way;

The US Army concluded in a 1993 Aberdeen Proving Ground study that pepper spray could cause “[m]utagenic effects, carcinogenic effects, sensitization, cardiovascular and pulmonary toxicity, neurotoxicity, as well as possible human fatalities. There is a risk in using this product on a large and varied population”

(from Wikipedia, I admit but there is a citation)

wwaswas – Member

it’s harmless

certainly seems that way;

The US Army concluded in a 1993 Aberdeen Proving Ground study that pepper spray could cause “[m]utagenic effects, carcinogenic effects, sensitization, cardiovascular and pulmonary toxicity, neurotoxicity, as well as possible human fatalities. There is a risk in using this product on a large and varied population”

Nahhhh … they are just exaggerating and the best way to proof it is by spraying on those vermin.

A cyclist with a small can of WD40 close to hand, for his squeaky chain perhaps, would not attract the same raised eyebrows from the local constabulary and bench that a cyclist with an illegal can of pepper spray would.

I would have thought that it would be just as effective in giving you the few seconds you need to get away from the miscreant.

In case of attack why not carry both deodorant and a lighter? You can then oblige said would be mugger with his light whilst spraying Lynx over the flame, should prompt them into a quick exit via the canal.

Have you ever felt the effects of pepper spray?

Chance are you will get it in your eyes too & that will limit how fast you can cycle/run away from the situation 😉

Avoid all the hero talk here, avoid the location if its not safe to ride.

As above, you’ll be pretty incapacitated by it too – especially if the wind is in the wrong direction…

If you’re determined to go through with this, carry a can of Nippon Wasp nest destroyer – it sprays a stream of pesticide foam about 4 metres.

It’s nasty stuff and I certainly wouldn’t want a face full of permethrin and tetramethrin. There’s some pretty unpleasant side effects from ingesting or inhaling the stuff.

Personally though I wouldn’t do it myself as I’d simply avoid the area like the plague.

a top tip i heard was to carry a “fake” wallet with expired credit cards etc in it.