I’m on a solo camping trip across the country, and have had to leave two campgrounds because men kept inching closer to my camp and scoping me out in ways that made me feel very uncomfortable. It’s different than when men see my car or tent and want to engage with me about it, that’s a very direct and friendly approach and I’m always happy to have those conversations. This was very predatory feeling, and now I’m keeping defensive things in my pockets at all times :/
The most telling thing about this account is the reaction: pretty much everyone knows it actually happens, and doesn’t contest it. Meanwhile, if a male claimed the same the immediate reaction would be intense skepticism - not because it can’t happen, but because it’s just nowhere near as much a common, daily occurrence as it is the other way around.
EDIT: uhg, sorry - having come from the “all” feed, I replied to this post without looking at the community name. I’m admittedly male, so if you want to remove my comment I understand. Sorry for the accidental intrusion.
I live in one of the more statistically safe cities in the world, but old habits die hard and I always carry two knives in two different places on my person.
Knives are absolutely terrible for self defense. It not only takes a certain type of conviction that most people end up not having to stab or slash another, but they also do not always immediately disable an attacker. Unless you stab or slash the throat, eyes, or a tendon, you’ll more than likely just piss an attacker off. Pepper spray is a much more useful and easier to use self defense tool
Fwiw I agree with you. I had a knife one of the times I was raped and he easily overpowered me and turned the knife back on me. That time I nearly died. So I keep pointy knuckles (it looks like a cat head) and pepper spray on me now
Pepper spray is illegal here. Knives aren’t as long as you can sell it as a utility thing. Technically carrying anything for the express purpose of self-defense is illegal here.
Three comments in a thread where it is mentioned multiple times that it’s women only? It’s almost impressive how you managed to barge in here and start lecturing all of us without reading a single comment.
You have no idea how trained ZDL is at handling knives. Please don’t mansplain self protection.
Tbf if you are trained at handling knives you probably wouldnt want to use them for self defense. Knives are terrible at defending yourself without killing your adversary. Pepper spray doesnt have the issue of having to defend yourself in a lawsuit afterwards and is more legal to carry around in most places.
That’s all fine and dandy and you’re right. I still wouldn’t specifically single out ZDL while ignoring the rules of a community to give said advice like LostCarcosan did. ZDL was not saying she carries knives as advice, she was simply stating what she does to feel comfortable.
If it comes to the point that the blades enter the chat, I’m at the point where I don’t care if my adversary lives or dies. It means I’ve already tried the routes of conflict avoidance and fleeing and these have failed me. They’ve committed.
Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six, as my trainer (I called him “Dad”) always said.
I’m on a solo camping trip across the country, and have had to leave two campgrounds because men kept inching closer to my camp and scoping me out in ways that made me feel very uncomfortable. It’s different than when men see my car or tent and want to engage with me about it, that’s a very direct and friendly approach and I’m always happy to have those conversations. This was very predatory feeling, and now I’m keeping defensive things in my pockets at all times :/
The most telling thing about this account is the reaction: pretty much everyone knows it actually happens, and doesn’t contest it. Meanwhile, if a male claimed the same the immediate reaction would be intense skepticism - not because it can’t happen, but because it’s just nowhere near as much a common, daily occurrence as it is the other way around.
EDIT: uhg, sorry - having come from the “all” feed, I replied to this post without looking at the community name. I’m admittedly male, so if you want to remove my comment I understand. Sorry for the accidental intrusion.
Thank you very much for that edit and apology.
I live in one of the more statistically safe cities in the world, but old habits die hard and I always carry two knives in two different places on my person.
Knives are absolutely terrible for self defense. It not only takes a certain type of conviction that most people end up not having to stab or slash another, but they also do not always immediately disable an attacker. Unless you stab or slash the throat, eyes, or a tendon, you’ll more than likely just piss an attacker off. Pepper spray is a much more useful and easier to use self defense tool
Fwiw I agree with you. I had a knife one of the times I was raped and he easily overpowered me and turned the knife back on me. That time I nearly died. So I keep pointy knuckles (it looks like a cat head) and pepper spray on me now
Pepper spray is illegal here. Knives aren’t as long as you can sell it as a utility thing. Technically carrying anything for the express purpose of self-defense is illegal here.
Quite ironically, pepper spray is illegal for me to carry here. Knives are not.
Three comments in a thread where it is mentioned multiple times that it’s women only? It’s almost impressive how you managed to barge in here and start lecturing all of us without reading a single comment.
You have no idea how trained ZDL is at handling knives. Please don’t mansplain self protection.
Yikes
Right back at ya
Tbf if you are trained at handling knives you probably wouldnt want to use them for self defense. Knives are terrible at defending yourself without killing your adversary. Pepper spray doesnt have the issue of having to defend yourself in a lawsuit afterwards and is more legal to carry around in most places.
That’s all fine and dandy and you’re right. I still wouldn’t specifically single out ZDL while ignoring the rules of a community to give said advice like LostCarcosan did. ZDL was not saying she carries knives as advice, she was simply stating what she does to feel comfortable.
If it comes to the point that the blades enter the chat, I’m at the point where I don’t care if my adversary lives or dies. It means I’ve already tried the routes of conflict avoidance and fleeing and these have failed me. They’ve committed.
Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six, as my trainer (I called him “Dad”) always said.
Most people don’t know. This is a good thing. 😇