Diary Entry : Protecting Myself

I was talking to my boyfriend over Skype about random things and then a topic about feeling secure on the street came up. I live on the east coast in one of the big cities and how when I was downtown a homeless man came up to me talking about his private part. I was so uncomfortable and tried to calmly handle the situation while on the inside I want to run across the street even though it was a red light. I had an umbrella open since it was very sunny so I had that between me and the homeless man when he tried to get close to me. The moment the light changed, I raced across the street.

Coincidentally earlier that week I watched a video from Buzzfeed on youtube about being a women walking on the street at night. This made me worry that what if this happens again. The event I wrote about happen in broad daylight and that was uncomfortable enough so what would happen if it was late at night where there's hardly anyone around? 

This is where my boyfriend suggested to buy mace. Mace is a tear gas and it causes the eyes to water and burn while the nose and mouth would feel like it's on fire. The thing is, someone who is on drugs may not feel the effect of Mace enough to be incapacitated. Similarly, people who are violent and insane may not be stopped by tear gas. I did some research and decided Pepper spray is the way to go. Pepper spray is effective against people on drugs, insanely violent or seemingly impervious to other types of pain. Pepper spray wears off slower than tear gas. It has oily effects which create long lasting discomfort, and it's difficult to wash away. 

I brought one on Amazon from the brand Sabre Red because it's a brand used by police worldwide. This one has a 10 foot range with up to 25 shots. I'm hoping I would never have to use it, but I brought 2 just in case. One to keep on my body and the other in my bag in case I forget the other one. These sprays last for about 4 years before the effectiveness wears off. 

The spray has a safety tab where you just slide the little spray handle to the left side to secure it in place. It also sprays red, I found out because I left it on my table and I came back and I saw someone used it. This is why you don't share a room with a nosy older sister. 

I really hope I won't ever have to use it, but the safety measure makes me feel safer being outside alone.