by Ciji Parks

Created on: August 04, 2009   Last Updated: August 06, 2009

I bought my first pepper spray in college, and I am thankful that I did. A retired highway patrolman spoke to the girls in our dorm about self-defense. He highly encouraged us to buy pepper spray because it is very effective when sprayed in someone's face. He explained that it can temporarily blind a person and cause much difficulty in breathing.

The cayenne pepper-derived chemical compound causes massive dilation of the capillaries in the pupils, and acute inflammation of the lining in the bronchial tubes. For this reason, it is effective against attackers who are immune to pain such as psychotics, druggies, etc. The person who is sprayed usually falls to his knees and writhes in blindness and pain for a while, giving the sprayer plenty of time to escape.

The first time I used my spray was later that year. Some friends and I decided to ride the city bus to a downtown mall where I made an exchange. Afterwards, I carried the large bag in my left hand as we walked down a little road to the bus stop. A friend was holding my pepper spray.

She heard a car approaching from behind, then turned around just as one of the car's passengers opened his door and readied himself to snatch the bag out of my hand. When she saw this, she aimed the spray right at him. Instead of snatching my bag, he promptly shut the door, and the car full of hoodlums sped off.

I'm embarrassed to talk about another incident when my spray was useful because it was extremely careless and stupid on my part. It occurred when I took my handicapped mother to the mall. She has always been extremely cautious and, I've often thought, overly so. The truth is though, that she's usually right. At times, I've been stubborn or naive and ignored her warnings.

This incident was one of those times. As we were looking for a handicapped parking spot, she pointed out a man lingering in the parking lot quite a distance away. Nearby, we had seen a mall security guard patrolling the lot, so I wasn't worried about the lingering man. We parked, and I proceeded to get my mother out of the car and into her wheelchair.

After I seated her, I noticed that the man was approaching quickly. He was weaving his way between vehicles, right toward us. My dear mother, with her back to the approaching man, expressed her fear and I reassured her that I had my pepper spray. Sure enough, the man headed right between our car and the next, with bad intentions, I am sure. He passed within inches of my mother and me.

As he got close,

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>