Personal Protection

I have no idea but I've never needed one in all the years I've lived here.

A stun gun might get you shot.

yeah, know where I can get a kevlar vest? (one that won't leave funny tan lines of course).

Puffer, PLEASE! I guess that Conde Nast article is going to be a "haunt" for years to come.

I 'm making an assumption that although you're posting your question on the relocation forum, you're coming here for a vacation on either STT or STJ? And you're nervous about presumably your villa rental and safety issues?

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

To answer your question, I would venture to guess that a stun gun would not get through Customs/Homeland Security very well. And because I'm just curious by nature, and on the presumption that you're coming here on vacation, why would you even come here when from the get-go you're thinking stun-gun?

Yikes. Yes, we have problems here as does every small community but the majority is insular.

This 23 year resident has no more to say right now,. needs a long and well-deserved KIP! Cheers!

As a ten year visitor to STJ, I realize the necessities of precaution one must take. You can definitely have your funny little taser, but I definitely prefer something a bit more substantial

Hi, Promoguy,
Now you're talking! But seriously, I've thought of Mace or something similar and asked a law enforcement person about it: "It just might make the perpetrator angry and then you'd really be in trouble," he said. His second suggestion was buy two or three of the sprays and practice actually being able to hit something with them.

Thanks,
PT

I think promoguy is on to something. When only the bad guys have guns, the rest of the population is in serious trouble.

Hey Promoguy and Puffer,
Can you order both the vest and carbine in a tropical pinks and greens print? I wouldn't want it to clash with my wardrobe.

LOL! Sounds like a potential new business venture. I need to design something that will fit in my thong....bad guys would be much more unsuspecting if I reach for my.......

Thong! Worse than a Speedo. LOL

"peeshooter", Puffer? Sounds like you might kill 'em with laughter! LOL

You mean you sexists just assumed I was a guy???

no. I thought I said PEE shooter, but only a guys would get offended... LOL

If you are coming from the states you do not go through Customs.....only on departure from the islands.
So if its in your checked luggage it shouldn't be any problem....about those thongs.....as long as a fairly attractive woman wears one, I can live with that. BUT....when some European guy with a hairy back wears one of those things.....eeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

pt said: "buy two or three of the sprays and practice actually being able to hit something with them."

That is good advice. I just read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, and I learned in chapter 6 that when a person is in a high-stress situation, like confronting a robber for the first time, their pulse goes way up to 175 or 200, and when that happens, they can't see or think straight, they lose their fine motor skills. Just dialing 911 is hard. A lot of people fumble with the phone, or they forget to press send, or they dial 411 because that's what they've done in the past. The advice is: practice dialing 911. Cops go through training to a) reduce the likelihood of a situation becoming stressful, and b) to practice being in high-stress situations so their pulse only goes up to 120. Then they can think and act more clearly.

My conclusions: Fighting back is not nearly as simple as it sounds. It takes practice to do it right. You may just piss off the bad guy. If he has a reasonable chance of injuring or killing you, I would just cooperate with him from the start. He can have my wallet. He'll probably be dead in a few years anyway.

I am not a self-defense expert. Your mileage may vary.

Just a side note about mace or pepper spray....not a great idea in the way of home protection...you dont want to spray that in a enclosed area. It will affect you as badly as it will your robber.

Pepper spray is useless, unless you have a death wish. I have been pepper sprayed, along side a friend of mine who was the target. It only pissed both of us off.

I would be hesitant about using a Taser. It is only good against one person, and people like this like to travel in groups of two or more. Besides, if I was hit with a Taser, the second it was turned off I would rip the electrodes out. Don't even try to get near me with a contact electroshock device, I will see it in your hand and know your intentions.

If you resist, you will get shot.

Would you care about murdering someone if you were faced with a police department that could only solve 25% of the murders in their area?

pepper spray comes in different strengths....most of the stuff people buy is low grade...go to a "cop shop" to get the decent stuff. I too have been sprayed with the weak stuff and its just annoying 🙂