@CaptainMan251@lemmy.world , if you’re hoping to get good input from this thread you really gotta elaborate on the situations you’re worried about in order to differentiate between useful and useless advice.
A barky dog is good advice about some types of home security. It’s no use if you’re worried about walking down the street
I’m not looking for any particular advice. I like hearing what others think, which is why I left it open ended
As a person who volunteered input, I think that’s a great way to hear bad ideas.
You either don’t know that and are going to have no filter between what’s useful input that should be internalized and what shouldn’t, possibly putting you in a dangerous and unnecessary situation or you do know and you are interested in what used to be called pot stirring and is now more often referred to as engagement farming.
But it’s not just a great way for you to hear bad ideas, it’s a great way to give bad ideas somewhere to be heard!
No matter if you know that you’re soliciting bad input or not, since the forum is public, the question by its very nature deals with safety and security and the input is solicited in an unfocused way, the results will not just be heard by you but also by everyone who looks at the thread, which is in the front page of some bigger instances.
Now rather than benignly hearing what people think or creating engagement you’re providing a space for any kind of suggestion to be given equal time, Wolverine claw keyrings get to stand alongside “speak to a lawyer about your local laws” because there is no greater context or detail that can be used to weigh one against the other.
The point of this reply isn’t to make you feel bad or call you out, but to make clear the effect that Just Asking Questions has when applied outside its usual political argument territory.
You in particular could, as the op, take action to change the state of the thread by providing more information, a jurisdiction, some specific details you’re interested in knowing about or just delete the post.
I can run real fast.
I can’t, but I take my brother with me who’s even slower.
An umbrella built to be a defensive baton, no I am not kidding.
If you aren’t in an enclosed narrow space and having an umbrella/parasol this is by far your best option besides pepper spray type options.
Something like this (not recommending this site specifically just using as an example).
Even better: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgarian_umbrella
Although that might be more of an offensive umbrella…
Training.
People already commented about running. Best answer. There are plenty of martial arts that can help too.
Whether it’s a gun, a blade, a club, a spray, your own body, an alarm… they all require consistent training to actually function in the crisis moment.
If you haven’t been practicing and can’t execute the defense without thought, it’s not likely to serve you when the time comes.
I’m gonna take from this thread that most people are both heavily armed with random dangerous shit in their pockets including knives and guns, very skiddish and ready to fight, severely untrained, while also being willing to use anything else in your immediate vicinity as a weapon including water bottles and wooden walking sticks fashioned with dangerous sharp spikes on the end.
I am keeping a safe distance from all of you until further notice
Probably the best defense.
Shoes you can run in.
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Roll of nickels.
shovel to dig a trench
Yourself, along with some martial arts training.
You won’t be doing any Bruce Lee moves with basic training, but even basic training can make a big difference.
One of the first things you learnt in most martial arts is how to balance and move. This, combined with some basic blocks, is often enough to disengage and retreat quickly. It also helps train your brain to drop into defence/combat mode when required. This stops you freezing up for a critical few seconds.
Any weapon is mostly useless without the training to use it in the heat of an encounter. If you’re going to train with something, it might as well be a weapon you will always have available.
My preference is Tae Kwon Do, but any general martial art will be hugely beneficial.
Oh, and as a side effect, martial arts often help train a mindset change. You know you can defend yourself, and so subconsciously project confidence. It makes you less of a target to begin with.
The best defense is being able to run.
pocket sand
Not trying to be a smart ass, but a good pair of running shoes or being in relatively good shape to run.
Even if you do have a firearm, for example, I live in a “duty to retreat” state, and in most cases, if you don’t attempt to retreat where reasonable, before using deadly force you can get charged
Yea I second that. Unless you’re cornered in a dead end like in the movies, running is bound to help.
Happy cake day!
I saw a show about self defense for women in NY city. The instructor said to always carry a sucker. One of those tootsie pops or the like. If in trouble, hold the ball in your hand, turn the stick outward, between your middle and ring finger and punch at something soft and fleshy like stomach or face (eyes, mouth). It’s nice because it works everywhere. Even the TSA will let you board a plane with a sucker.
I thought this was a stupid idea, so I punched myself in the tummy with a sucker.
can confirm that it hurts like a motherfucker
A lot better than that horrible “use your keys like Wolverine” idea.
