Qui Custodes

"Rape Whistles" (cont. from Oct. 30)

Back in October I posted about why I'm not a fan of "rape whistles".  Someone pointed out to me that you don't have to carry the whistle on your key chain.  You could carry it on a necklace or bracelet for example.  Well, you still have the problem of getting the whistle to your lips and having the ability to blow the whistle while being threatened or attacked.  Carrying the whistle on a necklace wouldn't work for me.  In cold weather it would be under your coat so you couldn't get it.  In warm weather it would be accessible, but you still would have to get it into your hand, etc. etc. 

I suppose you could carry the whistle on a bracelet/in your hand as you walked the street but then you would have 1 hand for your purse and/or briefcase, one hand to open doors  etc. and 1 hand for the whistle.  Exactly how many free hands do you have?  OK. Wear the whistle on your wrist as a bracelet.  That solves part of the problem.  How are you going to solve the other problems?  I don't have a solution.

Don't get me wrong though:  A rape whistle is better than nothing but I don't think much of them. 

Subways & buses (cont.)

Another thought about traveling by bus or subway:  Try and sit near the driver.  S/he may not help you but they can call for help or at least be a witness. 

Subways and Buses

I didn't think I would ever have to write this particular post but I guess I was wrong.  Recent news articles in DC and NYC have compelled me to say people, please!  Just because you are on a subway or bus or in a subway or bus station does not mean that you should lose your common sense and totally ignore all precautions.  Stay aware of your circumstances, don't sit or stand where you are concealed from general observation--you are setting yourself up to be attacked and there will be no witnesses to come help.  Come on now!

Weapons and stupid

I'[ve been reading two different stories about the same event in the Washington Post  and the New York Times.  The stories seem to agree somewhat but what a difference! This is going to be a long post so bear with me.

Apparently a group of young men in their souped up cars had an argument with another young man. So they decided to go to his home and challenge him to fight.  Great!  Like he's an idiot.  Like it's gonna be a fair fight?  Right.  So they get there and are shouting insults and challenges to the young man.  They are coming up the driveway to the front door.  So what happens?  Dad gets his gun and goes out to run them off.  (This may or may not have been smart on Dad's part (see below) but ...  WHAT WERE THESE KIDS THINKING?  THAT THEY COULD TERRORIZE THIS FAMILY WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES?  These kids are lucky Dad didn't just hole up and start shooting under the belief that he and his family were in imminent danger from this small mob.)

It's not clear what happened next because the witnesses' stories differ and so do the newspaper articles description of events.  But 1 kid lunged for Dad's weapon/slapped the weapon away and got killed when the weapon went off.  It's not clear if the shooting was accidental or deliberate.   I think this happened on Dad's property, in the driveway, because  the NY Times article indicates that the prosecutors said that's what happened.   (BTW:  if you have a long-distance weapon like a shotgun or pistol, why are you in arms-length distance from your target?  If you do that you give up your advantage.  Remember what I've said so many times before about how firearms are NOT a magic wand, even though TV makes them seem that way.)

The next thing that happened is that Dad is prosecuted for voluntary manslaughter in the 2nd degree.  Now I don't know exactly how NY defines this crime, but, in essence, Dad is being prosecuted (and was convicted) for protecting his family instead of calling the cops and waiting for them to show up and shoo theses little cherubs away.  If the little cherubs stuck around to be shoo'd. 

What would you have done?  One thing I wouldn't do is go outside.  Both legally & for personal security reasons I would not go out--I would make them come to me.  I would also call the cops.  But thank God I live in Virginia where you can protect yourself against a mob of cherubs in my driveway shouting and screaming threats against my family.

O, one more thing: Would it change your mind if you knew Dad was black and the little cherub he shot was white?  Dad swears up and down that they were using the "N" word in the threats too.  Does it matter?  Would it affect his fear level and state of mind?

Cold Weather Safety kit (cont.)

17.  candles & matches
18. whistle
19. compass
20.  map.

cold weather safety kit

With this post and any comments you, my faithful readers add, I hope to help people create a list of things to carry in their car during winter travel.  Let's start:

1.  Space blanket
2.  high energy foods
3.  Cell phone with car charger
4.  keep your gas tank at least 1/2 full
5.  kitty litter or sand
6.  50 lbs. of sand or other weights in back for extra stability
7.  shovel
8.  extra windshield cleaner fluid (keeps ice of windshield)
9.  hat and gloves
10.  chemical hand warmers
11.  large plastic garbage bags (to use as rain wear or for extra warmth)
12.  if you habitually wear light shoes and socks put heavy boots and wool socks in the trunk
13.  water bottle
14.  flashlight
15.  Jumper cables
16.  Towing rope or cable
17. 
What else should you carry in the car? 

Cold weather

With winter upon us (and especially the snow & ice storms) I thought it might be a good idea to post a few tips or material about cold weather survival.  First of all, the Centers for Disease Control has a very good site for how to cope with Extreme Cold.  You should read it to get a basic idea of what goes on and what you should do to protect yourself and your family. 

Good Security is good business

Down in Florida there is another parking lot story:  a waiter was shot in one and finally received a measure of justice.   But they never found the shooter.  What happened is that the waiter sued the mall where he was shot because there had been 26 violent crimes, including a murder, in the previous 7 years.  You would think that when there are about 4 violent crimes/year, somebody would do something wouldn't you?  The mall didn't and now the mall must pay for that neglect.

So good security is good business as well as good for yourself and your employees.  Something to think about.

Parking Lots

I was reading about the Missosuri serial killer on CNN today.  He was pretty smart apparently.  One thing which caught my eye:  he stalked his victims in parking lots and then followed them until they went home.  What's the moral of the story?  Pay attention to your surroundings!  If you think someone is following you, check!  Ask for help, use your cell phone, do something. 

Rings

I'm not quite sure what brought it to mind a while ago I saw a man with several big rings on both hands.  He was wearing a thumb ring, a pinky ring and a ring on his middle finger on his left hand.  His right hand had rings on the index finger and ring finger.  These were very large rings.  I noticed he was also wearing silver bracelets.  Why am I talking about this?  Because these rings were the equivalent of brass knuckles on his hands.  So if you see someone wearing several big rings, watch their hands--their hands are now weapons.

On a similar note, ladies, you can use your rings as weapons too you know.  If nothing else, they will scratch an attacker's face.  It used to be that the scratches would heal.  But now what you are really doing is taking a DNA sample for future match. 

Just a couple of interesting thoughts for the day.