Self defence

bmmb88

Following the recent murder in Tullamore do you think pepper spray should be made legal.

Obviously the Gardai cannot be everywhere and protect everyone therefore it is up to the individual to be able to protect themselves however they see fit. For some this may be physical eg self defence classes, boxing, running etc.

For others this may not be practical because of physical condition or age.

No.

IF incidents such as this were more common? Sure. But they’re not so why would you take measures aimed at preventing a problem that doesn’t exist in the first place.

POBox19

Not a good idea.

The first customers would the people who you are trying to protect yourself from. Or if you were not skilled in using it you could be disarmed and get peppered by your own weapon.

NaFirinne

People in this country should be allowed to defend themselfs.

I think pepper spray should be legal as long as proper legislation is brought in about misusing it.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118476770#Comment_118476770

You are allowed to defend yourself, you just can't go out with a weapon to defend yourself. A lot of times the weapon a person is carrying for self defence is what injuries them after the attacker gets it.

There's plenty people can carry that's not a offence which can be used to defend yourself, but that requires you being aware that you are about to be attacked or carrying it ready to use, which would then make it an offensive weapon. Everyone has keys, but walk down the road with them sticking out between your knuckles and they are a weapon.

Nice try OP but unworkable and as people have said, it’s the scrotes you’re defending yourself against that will be first in line to buy- it’s a time consuming job for Gardai to confiscate knives, knuckledusters and lord knows what else without having to respectfully hand back a pepper spray to someone you know is just gunning for a fight - A&E would also be overrun

bmmb88

Interesting replies.

As regards A&E being over run I could not care less if it meant someones life was saved by carrying PS.

Witcher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118479981#Comment_118479981

Great attitude to have, it's obvious you care less about people and more about fantasising of getting to use a weapon on someone.

And when it gets used by criminals...what will be the next step?

corner of hells

No , I've seen the results of a taxi driver getting sprayed with his own pepper spray after being disarmed by two passengers and then getting the shite kicked out of him.

Claw Hammer

People are using the Tullamore incident to promote all kinds of agendae. The last thing needed at this time is knee jerk reactions.

Peregrinus

If pepper spray was made legal, it could be used by violent men to attack and incapacitate women. And of course it would be, probably more often than it was used by women to defend themselves. Women's safety would not be enhanced overall.

TheChizler

You'd end up with gangs of scrotes spraying passers by for the laugh, no thank you.

Would the keys in knuckles thing actually be effective? I've heard so many stories of people using this as a method of defence in the last week, and my own male friends used to do it on the way home from nights out. I've always felt it would be a bit useless unless you got the attacker in the eye, not a chance it would cut through clothes and you'd probably end up ripping your hand open and losing your keys in the process.

Atlantic Dawn

CS, tazers, all bad ideas, they can be used to attack as well as defend.

Atlantic Dawn