What caliber gun do you carry? (Read 1836 times)

Now I run with pepper spray in addition to my cell phone.

 

Standard advice:

 

If you carry pepper spray, practice with the pepper spray. Be sure you can find, draw, and orient the can while running. I'm serious about the orientation. Don't accidentally spray yourself. That sucks. Make sure you can hit the target.

 

Also, it's not going to buy you much time. Someone who wants to hurt you can fight through that stuff, especially if he's already got a grip on you. Don't let them get a grip on you. Run first. Spray them before they get that close. Then run again.

 

Don't run into the woods. Run TOWARD safety. Know where that is at all times. Safety = People. Safety = Light. (Obviously, I wasn't there, so going into the woods might have been the right choice in your situation. But it usually isn't.)

 

Last, the greatest self-defense tool ever invented is that cell phone. Use it as quickly as you can, and no need to be quiet about it.

Everything I know about Baltimore I learned from watching "The Wire". Apparently, it's pretty realistic. 

And I still miss Proposition Joe. 

I run with the kind that straps to my hand so it's always pointed the right way. And I recently learned that the absolute best way to get an amazing tempo run is to go through downtown Baltimore. One minute you're cruising along feeling safe and secure. One more street and you find yourself down in the ghetto with "entrepreneurs" standing on the corners yelling "Hey! Girl!" at you. Suddenly you're hauling ass with little to no effort.

 

I used to run there as my in-laws lived on the Inner Harbor for a few years.  As nice as that area is, the local paper had an article then that said 8 or the 10 most dangerous corners were within 1 mile of the Inner Harbor.  So I stuck to there and the road out to Fort McHenry where I'd run loops when it was open.

 

I ran from there to John Hopkins exactly ONCE.  One of the scariest places I ever ran.  Did you know the cops there lock themselves in bulletproof phone booths while on duty?

 

If you can get past the stadiums and a bit southwest toward the freeway (it's not quite so ghetto if you peel right around Camden Yards and not through the neighborhoods) there is a decent trail that goes for miles out to the west, and has always been safe when I was there.

 

Other than those few locations, I would never run anywhere in Baltimore.

Standard advice:

 

Run first. Spray them before they get that close. Then run again.

 

Don't run into the woods. Run TOWARD safety. Know where that is at all times. Safety = People. Safety = Light. (Obviously, I wasn't there, so going into the woods might have been the right choice in your situation. But it usually isn't.)

 

Last, the greatest self-defense tool ever invented is that cell phone. Use it as quickly as you can, and no need to be quiet about it.

 

Generic advice.  Not applicable in my case.

 

I hunt.  I run in a park that has coyotes, bobcats, hogs, etc.  All animals flee first and fight when flight is not an option.

 

I was running at 6am with another man.  Headed to the gate.  There are no lights.  It was dark.  We had on headlamps.  We were attacked by 3 guys parked at the gate.  We thought once we were past it and into the park we would be fine.  It is heavily wooded and the next 3 miles are without lights or people.  Somehow, they got around the gate.  At that point we were about a mile into the woods.  I am woods wise.  I slipped into the woods and removed all reflective clothing.  They used their headlights to search for us.  Screaming, cussing, expressing their intent to beat the F out of us.  Once I had a safe distance between us  ...  in the dark woods  ...  I called 911.  Yeah, try explaining where you are on an abandoned road in a large park to someone who had never been there.  It took 20 mins.

 

Your advice would have been bad in this situation.  There was no "light" to run to.  Using a phone when a predator is searching nearby for you is a bad idea.  Might as well be a flashing beacon.

 

This was in a suburb of a major city.  The park is within the city limits.  The reason we run at that time is because it is very hot once the sun gets up.  We normally start our long runs in the dark.  Still do.

Nice neat shots with handguns are for TV.  In real situations people, police included, are luck to hit their target anywhere, much less exactly where they want to.

 

True in combat as well. When I was on operations I was given a 9mm. I mean, seriously? You may as well just give me one bullet old chap, coz the only thing that's good for out in the desert is shooting myself. (Of course.... I also had some 155mm pieces at my disposal, but you can't take those babies jogging).

Guns don't kill people.  People kill people.

 

Guns make it easier.

Mr Izzard was stealing my thunder.