Wasp spray vs pepper spray

[shesulsa]

I received this in my email today:

A receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead.

The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection. Thought this was interesting and might be of use.

On the heels of a break in and beating that left an elderly woman in Toledo dead, self defense experts have a tip that could save your life. Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School. For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed. Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them."

Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says "spray the culprit in the eyes." It's a tip he's given to students for decades. It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray.

"That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out." Maybe even save a life. Please share this with all the people in your life.

I'm seeing this pasted in a number of different places and can't really originate the article, so I feel I can't attribute it correctly.

While I'm a big fan of improvising when you have to - grasping whatever is within reach, etcetera, etcetera ... I can't get behind carrying insecticide as an intended self-defense weapon.

There is the obligatory snopes article, of course, outlining the obvious.

Has anyone else had this one come across your email?

 

[shesulsa]

Ah - here is a link to Glinka on the news giving this advice to Toledo residents.

 

[Touch Of Death]

It sounds like attempted murder, but I guess that's the point. I can see lots of legal issues springing from this tactic of self defense.
Sean

 

[Tez3]

If it's going around in an email and people here keep such a can by them it's going to be more than obvious what it's for as we don't have wasps or hornets (which are rare anyway) here in the winter!

 

[shesulsa]

Yeah, I don't have too many wasps or hornets in my bedroom ... nor in my car ... nor in my purse.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Yeah, I don't have too many wasps or hornets in my bedroom ... nor in my car ... nor in my purse.

What's your mailing address?
Sean

 

[shesulsa]

What's your mailing address?
Sean

100 Smith-Wesson Way
Apartment .45
Kickurass, Comengeddit, 12345

:wuguns:

 

[Carol]

100 Smith-Wesson Way
Apartment .45
Kickurass, Comengeddit, 12345

:wuguns:

Next time we have a chance to train together, I may have to share a few tricks of my stealth martial art, Aishu-Tibeta.

No bad guys bother me because Aishu-Tibeta. It doesn't matter whether your gun is bigger than mine, because Aishu-Tibeta. :lol:

 

[Andy Moynihan]

I received this in my email today:



I'm seeing this pasted in a number of different places and can't really originate the article, so I feel I can't attribute it correctly.

While I'm a big fan of improvising when you have to - grasping whatever is within reach, etcetera, etcetera ... I can't get behind carrying insecticide as an intended self-defense weapon.

There is the obligatory snopes article, of course, outlining the obvious.

Has anyone else had this one come across your email?

I guess the cops forgot to advise them about that little warning on WD-40, Raid, and all those other aerosol cans( go on, check, they've all got it) that states it's a Federal crime to use them for any but their intended purpose......

 

[Carol]

I wouldn't keep this in my office, and there is no way in hell I'd carry it as a defensive tool. I'm not even that sure it would be useful at home.

I have a cat that I have already had to rush to the animal hospital after he ingested a small amount of of the oil-based bug repellent that I use when hiking in the mountains. I'd hate to see him get sick if he accidentally paws something and sprays the spray, or if I use it spraying across the room.

I suspect that if I have to defend myself in my own home, I would prolly need something stronger than bug spray.

 

[MA-Caver]

I guess the cops forgot to advise them about that little warning on WD-40, Raid, and all those other aerosol cans( go on, check, they've all got it) that states it's a Federal crime to use them for any but their intended purpose......

Exactly... there are a LOT of things with that warning label on them... also the possibility that the wasp stuff could cause permanent blindness, or destroy vision to the point where a person is legally blind, or any other harmful effects... hey you defended yourself pretty good with that wasp-spray... now lets see how you defend yourself against a lawsuit... remember these animals DO manage to win such cases.

I wouldn't keep this in my office, and there is no way in hell I'd carry it as a defensive tool. I'm not even that sure it would be useful at home.

I have a cat that I have already had to rush to the animal hospital after he ingested a small amount of of the oil-based bug repellent that I use when hiking in the mountains. I'd hate to see him get sick if he accidentally paws something and sprays the spray, or if I use it spraying across the room.

I suspect that if I have to defend myself in my own home, I would prolly need something stronger than bug spray.

Right... a S&W .45 should do the trick.

 

[ELLEN]

great idea, and wasp spray would work....except for one little detail...it's illegal in ca, as it could permenently blind someone, so here, pepper spray is the way to go. (unless you want a massive law suit on your hands....).
ellen

 

[shesulsa]

great idea, and wasp spray would work....except for one little detail...it's illegal in ca, as it could permenently blind someone, so here, pepper spray is the way to go. (unless you want a massive law suit on your hands....).
ellen

This seems to be the most common contraindication to using it - lawsuit and prison time.

Don't forget - what you can use on others can also be used on you.

 

[Flea]

Of course there's also bear spray. I got a first-hand demo of this on my road trip last month. As I checked into one hotel I commenced to clearing my throat at the desk; the attendant said some one had discharged a canister of it in a room several hours before. I thought I could tough it out, but checked out after only half an hour. Damn stuff stayed with me for four days.

On the plus side, I didn't see a single bear anywhere in the hotel during that time.

 

[sgtmac_46]

More importantly, we are only assuming that it is effective........does anyone know of someone being sprayed with Wasp spray? Have we seen this tested against someone in a self-defense situation? Doubtful........so as usual it's someone talking out of their backside.

I've been sprayed with several different OC sprays.......some of them are extremely effective, and I know they are effective because I have experienced them and seen them work.........don't know anyone sprayed with Wasp spray.

As for Val Glinka.......he's the PE teacher at Sylvania South Highschool.......http://www.ratemyteachers.com/val-glinka/44648-t/1

 

[frank raud]

I wouldn't keep this in my office, and there is no way in hell I'd carry it as a defensive tool. I'm not even that sure it would be useful at home.

Wasp spray usually comes in a 20 oz spray can, I doubt you have room in your purse for something that size, and you can't discreetly carry it in a holster.

I doubt any police officer would reccomend wasp spray over pepper spray for the many reasons already mentioned in this thread.

 

[MJS]

Personally, if a woman had the choice to carry wasp spray or pepper spray, the latter is the best choice, for obvious reasons, one of them being size. Has there been a study of what happens if one is sprayed in the eyes with wasp spray? No idea, but given the fact that on any chemical, there is a list of suggestions, should it be sprayed in the eyes, ingested, etc., I'd imagine it'd have some sort of effect.

Legality...well, that could apply to anything we do, empty handed or with a weapon. Permanently blind someone...well, I could permanently remove someone from the planet, were I to shoot and kill them, so its 6 of one, half dozen of another.

So, would I run out to the store and buy a can of wasp spary for my wife? No. If I did have some in the house, and were someone to break in and start attacking her, and that happened to be the only thing within her reach, would I encourage her to grab it and use it? Yes.

 

[Archangel M]

Using wasp spray as an improvised weapon? Sure.

Buying wasp spray INTENTIONALLY for this purpose? I don't think that would work out so well for you.

PS-While that fed warning is on the can...I really haven't heard the feds making too many "federal cases" out of muggers being sprayed with wasp killer.

 

[shesulsa]

More importantly, we are only assuming that it is effective........does anyone know of someone being sprayed with Wasp spray? Have we seen this tested against someone in a self-defense situation? Doubtful........so as usual it's someone talking out of their backside.

I've been sprayed with several different OC sprays.......some of them are extremely effective, and I know they are effective because I have experienced them and seen them work.........don't know anyone sprayed with Wasp spray.

As for Val Glinka.......he's the PE teacher at Sylvania South Highschool.......http://www.ratemyteachers.com/val-glinka/44648-t/1

His self-defense credentials aren't mentioned in any article I've read about him nor in any new story I've seen in my research for this thread.

Wasp spray usually comes in a 20 oz spray can, I doubt you have room in your purse for something that size, and you can't discreetly carry it in a holster.

I doubt any police officer would reccomend wasp spray over pepper spray for the many reasons already mentioned in this thread.

I would have to agree. The email circulating states a "local church receptionist" got the idea from "local police officers" who allegedly state it's more accurate than OC spray and sprays a longer distance.

Either the advice is old or it's bunk.

You can obtain OC spray which sprays up to 30 feet away which is the typical distance wasp spray is designed to propel.

**EDITED TO ADD** Just found this on a sherriff's blog!

 

[MJS]

One more thought regarding the laws and what is moral and what isn't. Reading this thread, I started to think back to one that I started a while ago. It was about people who train, but are afraid to defend themselves. Now, I may seem like I'm being 'macho', cold hearted, whatever, but, the bottom line is this...there are proven cases of people complying fully with the badguy, and still getting their heads blown off. If there is a chance that I'm going to die at the hands of this POS anyways, I may as well die fighting.

That being said...the #1 thought going thru my mind, at the time of an attack, is the safety and well being of me, and anyone with me, be it my wife, mother, sister, anyone! I dont feel sorry for the supposed 'bad life' that the guy who's trying to rob me of my personal belongings, had. I DONT CARE! He is violating me and I'm not going to feel sorry for anything that happens to him. I wonder if the bleeding hearts, would feel as sorry for me, as they seem to, about the bad guy. So, if this guy gets shot, stabbed, blinded, crippled, whatever, if its him or me or my family, I'm going to do anything and everything to make sure that I and my loved ones are safe. I'll deal with the political BS later on.