Some personal lessons learned re: tear gas and pepper spray.
I took the tear gas course back when it was required for civilian carry in California. Part of the class was to experience the stuff. No fun, but it did give me a good idea of what to expect if I accidentally discharged it.
Lesson 1: You need to always have it ready.
This is mainly on the job, it will be ready.
Lesson 2: You will get so used to it being there that you forget about it. You WILL find yourself at a airport or other checkpoint where you will have to throw it away or take it back to the car.
I may EDC this outside of the job, but that is a secondary consideration here...
Lesson 3: Some businesses consider it a weapon and prohibit your having it at work.
Not at my job, it is encouraged...
Lesson 4: It does not necessarily work on crazies and those on certain drugs
And that applies to guns too, I'm not interested in guns...
Lesson 5: (the big one) The idea is to slow down an attacker so that you can run to safety. It's not to fight, It's not to incapacitate. It gives you a head start, sometimes as little as a few seconds.
Already applied such wisdom, and I got away. And a flashlight had nothing to do with it, I laugh so hard at the "self defense" threads on flashlights...
Daniel
