Open carry of a tazer in trails (hunting, good)

[thepinksquid]

Originally Posted by sdlife619

Someone needs to develop a little mini taser that looks like a pen or something that's not so noticeable especially after what happened to Chelsea King.

I know what you're saying, but it's not Chelsea King's disappearance that should suddenly "spark" something; awful abductions/assaults/killings like this happen all over the country from time-to-time.

There have been MANY assaults on female joggers (even ones that don't end as horribly as in Chelsea King's situation) that would warrant a better, smaller, more portable Tazer.

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by thepinksquid

There have been MANY assaults on female joggers (even ones that don't end as horribly as in Chelsea King's situation) that would warrant a better, smaller, more portable Tazer.

They do exist.

The taser the OP is talking about is an air-charged stun gun. It shoots barbed hooks 200 feet and can put enough charge into a person to completely incapacitate them for several minutes even once the charge is stopped. It is basically the non-lethal equivalent of a firearm.

hand-held tasers require the defender to actually be able to touch the attacker, and as such, require a completely different level of skill to operate successfully.

[thepinksquid]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

They do exist.

The taser the OP is talking about is an air-charged stun gun. It shoots barbed hooks 200 feet and can put enough charge into a person to completely incapacitate them for several minutes even once the charge is stopped. It is basically the non-lethal equivalent of a firearm.

hand-held tasers require the defender to actually be able to touch the attacker, and as such, require a completely different level of skill to operate successfully.

Yeah that's the type I was thinking of too (I should have clarified). I think, logically, it would be difficult to make a smaller version of that type of taser due to the size of the air cartridge necessary to make it "shoot" the barbs. I'm not very well versed it the mechanics of it, though.

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by thepinksquid

Yeah that's the type I was thinking of too (I should have clarified). I think, logically, it would be difficult to make a smaller version of that type of taser due to the size of the air cartridge necessary to make it "shoot" the barbs. I'm not very well versed it the mechanics of it, though.

I think anything smaller than a pistol, and without a handle and a trigger, would be very hard to shoot straight.

[PharmboyinNC]

I went to some police and firearms forums for more info. Even went to a store to look at stun guns and Tazers. For reference, the Taser does have a handle, is only 6 inches long, has a laser dot and one shot, but can be used as a stun gun at close range. Each Tazer is registered for a certain person and can be traced back to the owner. If the owner ever uses the Taser, ID tags get released and the prongs has a dye to mark the attacker. Also,the owner needs to get a police report and the company will replace it for free. Max distance is some 15-20 feet, since most attacks are close and personal.

Visible carry might be useful as a deterrent, as attackers typically look for the most vulnerable ( I assume), but the biggest cause of concern is that you have to be aware of your attacker or break free. Cops say that if an attacker is some 10 feet away, most people will not have enough time to react and draw. SO physical self defense may be the first line of reaction. Once the element of surprise is gone, a Tazer is effective...but so is pepper spray.

After reading more, open carry is what she would have to do, since concealing it would be illegal. Seems that she could not carry it in federal parks and open public areas, or she will get arrested.

My conclusion is that California has many laws that take away self defense rights from law abiding citizens, decreasing their ability to protect themselves. It is impossible for citizens to get concealed carry permits for even Tasers. It's worse when I read reports of lawsuits from CA too. It is no wonder that individuals to respond to people in need, for fear they might get sued or arrested while being a good Samaritan. So this is a no win situation.

Common sense, awareness, self defense knowledge (which she will take as exercise), and pepper spray will be her weapons. Still, I wish there could be more...

[thepinksquid]

Being a female that runs alone, the best thing that I think can be done is to avoid situations as much as you can is to run where they would be other people to witness an attack. In short, I run where there's lots of people (even if that means having the annoyance of dodging others). I also always send my husband a text message right before I begin and immediately after I'm done. He knows I run around 45 minutes, and I let him know if I'm going to be longer. I will NEVER trail run alone. I don't really even like running in dense, quiet neighborhoods--I prefer major roads with sidewalks like PCH and as well as busy parks like Balboa Park and Shelter Island. I never run after dark.

I love running, and I'm not going to stop because of the (honestly slim) chance I could be attacked. Just like I'm not going to stop driving because I could be killed in a car accident. It's all about being smart, aware, and making logical choices, IMHO.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

There are a couple of pepper sprays good to 20 feet. What you want is separation.

I tested one to see if it was still charged by going into the back, giving it a lil tap and seeing it come out.

I then proceeded to open the garage door without knowing there was a breeze. The spray hit me and about knocked me down just from that little bit.

[Bobbruce]

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

There are a couple of pepper sprays good to 20 feet. What you want is separation.

I tested one to see if it was still charged by going into the back, giving it a lil tap and seeing it come out.

I then proceeded to open the garage door without knowing there was a breeze. The spray hit me and about knocked me down just from that little bit.

I had to laugh a little bit at this image...mostly because I have done the exact same thing when trying to show someone how to use it properly

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by Bobbruce

I had to laugh a little bit at this image...mostly because I have done the exact same thing when trying to show someone how to use it properly

Unfortunately that seems to be most people's experience with pepper spray. Unless you can spray it right in someone's eyes, it's almost useless.

[akiratam]

I am just curious: do you guys know whether it is legal or illegal to carry a knife while hiking on a trail in San Diego or in San Diego County? I have a 7" fixed blade--wanted to carry the knife for self defense or whatever. Appreciated if you could cite the legal source. I have only found this on the net. Thanks in advance:

[url]http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dllf=templates&fn=default.htm&vid=amlegal: sandiegoco_ca_mc[/url]

(a) It shall be unlawful for a person to possess any of the following in a County park: "explosives," as defined in Health and Safety Code section 12000, "fireworks," as defined in Health and Safety Code section 12511, a "firearm" as defined in Penal Code section 12001, an air gun, bow or crossbow designed to shoot arrows, slingshot, paintball gun, blowgun or throwing knife .