(no subject)
For any of you out there who think pepper spray works, I've got a story for you.
The other night my family was over at a friend-of-the-family's home for a dinner. (My mother's birthday, actually.) Over the course of the dinner, my aunt's pepper spray came up. My father was, as he has before, relating how he once tested his pepper spray and found it to have become non-functional. I, buoyed by a bit of wine, volunteered to go outside and test my aunt's pepper spray.
I go outside, go a distance away from the house and everybody who followed me out, I feel for the wind, get it at my back, and make sure no-body's downwind. I hold the spray at arm's length and push.
A long stream comes out of it, carried by the wind away from me. I spray for maybe half of a second and let go. No sooner do I let go than my nice stream of pepper spray balls up and heads right for me. A sudden gust of wind had come from the opposite direction. I, stupidly, turn away from it, but not fast enough. I ended up just so that the thickest part of the cloud hit my open left eye.
It wasn't too bad. It's worse when I rub my eyes after eating a jalapeno dish. My lips tingled a while and my eye watered a bit, but it wasn't so bad. So much for it doing anything. Frankly, I'm something of a wimp when it comes to pain, but it really wasn't that bad.
I think I'll write a bit about the big story in the news tomorrow (that is, later today) when I'm more awake and can do it justice.
The other night my family was over at a friend-of-the-family's home for a dinner. (My mother's birthday, actually.) Over the course of the dinner, my aunt's pepper spray came up. My father was, as he has before, relating how he once tested his pepper spray and found it to have become non-functional. I, buoyed by a bit of wine, volunteered to go outside and test my aunt's pepper spray.
I go outside, go a distance away from the house and everybody who followed me out, I feel for the wind, get it at my back, and make sure no-body's downwind. I hold the spray at arm's length and push.
A long stream comes out of it, carried by the wind away from me. I spray for maybe half of a second and let go. No sooner do I let go than my nice stream of pepper spray balls up and heads right for me. A sudden gust of wind had come from the opposite direction. I, stupidly, turn away from it, but not fast enough. I ended up just so that the thickest part of the cloud hit my open left eye.
It wasn't too bad. It's worse when I rub my eyes after eating a jalapeno dish. My lips tingled a while and my eye watered a bit, but it wasn't so bad. So much for it doing anything. Frankly, I'm something of a wimp when it comes to pain, but it really wasn't that bad.
I think I'll write a bit about the big story in the news tomorrow (that is, later today) when I'm more awake and can do it justice.