For the purpose of urban self defence.

In Canada it is not legal to carry pepper spray. Spraying someone in the face with bear spray, although most likely highly effective, is something that may land you in jail longer than actually spraying someone with the illegal pepper spray.(the cans are usually too large to conceal anyway)

If someone were to buy a small concealable/non suspicious looking spray bottle, and fill it with.....um..I don’t know....... Tobasco sauce or cayenne pepper mixed with water perhaps, I bet it would serve a person well if used for some self defence purposes. Furthermore, I bet you could be very creative in the type of spray bottle and even conceal the secret liquid in a hairspray bottle to be given to a friend who is a waitress at a local nightclub and who is constantly harassed by eager young gentlemen, It could be argued that she had the spray as dog repellent and only used it against a person out of desperation..

Not that I was considering this, but.......... if I was..............Do you think it would cause permanent damage to a person’s eyes? What common household stuff would hurt like hell but not cause the person physical damage? The intent would be to temporaily blind the person without burning a hole through his face. I have some super hot wing sauce that would probably blind the devil himself but something a bit milder may have the desired effect against the average drunk person.

I really don’t feel like testing it on myself tonight, but maybe someone out here in cyber land has already tried it and thus could offer some tips for a (theoretical) homemade self defence pepper spray substitute that a guy could give to a friend to protect herself on the way home from work.

If not I guess the test mixture of bleach, gasoline and mad dog 57 sauce will have to do.

Right Guard..The small can (sampler). Also good for making a "James Bond torch". A bit aggressive, but effective. Actually, you could use eye drops. They sting like mad in a large dose. You could also put vinegar in the bottle. Remember you only need 1-2 seconds of distraction to exit. The natural thing to do is protect the eyes if something is pointed at them. Similar to spraying "Great Stuff" expanding foam at the groin of a guy. He'll put his hands down to protect his junk. Next thing you know his hands are stuck to his zipper. Cops are using this tactic in some areas.

My guess here is that you are going down the wrong road. Probably the safest way to get the effect of OC is... to use OC.

Anything else is likely to:

1) Be less effective.
2) More likely to cause harm.
3) Have the same (if not worse) legal repercussions as using OC.

-john

Hi Priest,

The Criminal Code of Canada is very broad when is comes to classifying what is a prohibited weapon and I think a spray bottle of nasty liquid carried for the purpose to spray someone with, would contravene the "Possession" laws for carrying it and the more serious "Use" laws if it was actually used.

To illustrate how broad the classification of "Prohibited Weapons" like pepper spray are here in Canada the following was copied from the Criminal Code, Regulations Pertaining to ... Prohibited Weapons, Part 3.

PART 3

PROHIBITED WEAPONS

Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 1

1. Any device designed to be used for the purpose of injuring, immobilizing or otherwise incapacitating any person by the discharge therefrom of

(a) tear gas, Mace or other gas, or

(b) any liquid, spray, powder or other substance that is capable of injuring, immobilizing or otherwise incapacitating any person.

My intent is not to fuel a debate here on the ETS Forum about Canadian Laws and the Right to Self-Protection; just in Canada you have to be very careful to stay firmly on the right side of the law, or be prepared to pay the penalty.

My 2 cents.

Mike

Greetings, priest, from a fellow Canuck.

I believe SwampDonkey is correct in cautioning you about improvised weapons. Aside from prohibited items, anything used for offensive purposes can be considered a weapon under Canadian law. (If you use an item for legitimate self-defence, that of course is legally permissible, as long as you stop when the immediate threat is ended.)

It seems to me the solution to the problem needs to be a bit deeper than a bottle of spray-on goo.

If the club owners and bouncers aren't providing adequate security for their staff, that is a serious matter under your province's occupational health and safety legislation. If someone lays hands on you, that's assault, and it's actionable under law.

At least, ensure the lady has a safe route home. And get her into a less nasty job situation if you can.

That's my 2-cents' worth anyway.

You could get a colour-marking spray, something like this: http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120258791890&indexURL=

how about skill. You know, learning martial arts or self defence sports. Once learned it will always be there and you can't get in to trouble with the law when you use it properly.

If nothing else, I would help her find a surefire-type flashlight (instant, momentary high output) and a whistle. Blinding a would be attacker with 100+ lumens might give her those few critical seconds to get away from the situation.

Dougwalkabout has the right idea for a waitress at work. Using a weapon there in front of a crowd of witnesses, is going to be hard to justify and it's difficult to see how she could explain carrying a bottle or spray of anything while waiting tables.

Canada sounds like here in the UK, where you can't carry a weapon and that is anything manufactured, adapted or intended to be a weapon. Walk across the room and half way across decide 'I could hit someone with my pencil' and you became a criminal half way across the room.
Course if you are carrying something that could be used as a weapon but 'never thought I could use it as a weapon officer'. You are innocent. Admit you would use it as a weapon and you just admitted a criminal offence.
So a mini-maglite on a keyring (kubotans are for people who like prison food) a walking stick or umbrella, a long maglite torch in the car, lemon juice in a squeeze bottle 'because i put it in my tea officer' are not weapons. Use your imagination and check the law locally.
As P2CK says a few self defense moves. Peel their hand off your leg by grabbing the little finger and wrenching and they won't be keen to do it again.
The Sock

Dougwalkabout, Nicely said about Workplace Safety being the responsibility of the employer.

The other trouble with Pepperspray comes after you use it. It is not a "pinpoint" weapon, especially the type that comes out in a mist or cone shape.

In a confined space like a bar you have few problems:

First you have the bad guy to deal with, he will usually be a very angry, slobbering idiot for a while. Who remembers he has a cousin who is a lawyer, just about the time he regains the ability to speak.

Then you have the bad guys friends who want to stick-up for there buddy, and may have caught a hit of pepperspray themselves.

Finally you have everyone else in the building, pepperspray can be dispersed throughout the room and even through the air conditioning/heating system. I have seen an accidental discharge of pepperspray clear out an entire office building. This is especially bad for people with any type of breathing disorder.

Using pepperspray in a crowded enclosed area will cause a significant disturbance that I am sure the management of the establishment will not welcome.

Your friend needs a more tactical, precise and effective tool to combat harassment in the workplace, I suggest some verbal-judo training, a big mean bouncer and the police on speed-dial.

Mike