This is exactly why a firearm needs to be one of many tools you have in your self defense tool box. Look into OC spray, and some hand to hand skills that will help balance out the threats.
What part of NC are you in?
Well, I do have about 12 years of martial arts training in total...a black belt in TKD, trained at 2 schools, and various levels of training in other martial arts including aiki jitsu, brazilian jiu jitsu, kung fu, bagua, wing chun kung fu, and fencing. Given my training, I could probably hold my own against most people my size or slightly larger, but I'm not a big guy by any measure.
And, honestly, any situation I could fight my way out of I could probably also run my way out of, since I'm a pretty good runner and I go jogging every day...unless of course I had to defend my SO. Carrying a knife might not be a bad idea, but I could never bring myself to carry OC spray!
I'm living in Raleigh, BTW...and there is quite a lot of crime here.
A friend of mine came to visit and his first time walking on the street, some thug held him up at knife point. My friend laughed at him and said, "what, are you going to stab me here in public? F** off." And he did!
I have never been accosted, but sketchy people approach me all the time...several times it has happened while I have been on a date so I may have had to protect the person I'm with. Usually desperate people asking for money, and they make me uncomfortable. One guy just wouldn't leave me alone one time while I was trying to gas up. He tried jumping in front of my car -- I just slowly pushed him out of the way with my car because I wasn't about to stop and talk to him.
In my previous apartment, which had a lot of families, there were several missing child reports. I hear about people held up and robbed at gunpoint in my immediate vicinity (within 1 mile radius) on a weekly basis for the past 5 years.
As I was walking home one day, I noticed my bike lock on the sidewalk chopped in half. I was thankful when I got home and found that my bike was still there. The next day, my bike lock was also chopped in half and my bike was gone. Doh!
I'm not a native here. I was born and raised in VT. The gun laws there are amazing. Anyone 18 or older can CC without a permit (even on school property I think...), and you can shoot for free just about anywhere outside! I never took full advantage of these rights because there was so little crime it didn't seem necessary. My parents never even bother to lock the house or their cars when parking in the city...
However, there have still been times while I was living in VT where I would have liked to have a weapon on me. Once, when I was 18, my parents went on vacation leaving my brother and I home alone. We live in the country on a long dirt road so unusual people don't usually come by. Well, a black van pulled all the way into our driveway and 4 men got out with black trench coats. The walked onto our lawn and started smoking. I got my brother and we hid inside the house under my bed...they eventually left without trying to break in. That was pretty scary.
Yes, and there has been for several years. The problem is that the bills get tied up in committees and never see a vote. Then they die till next time someone starts the process all over again.
Blah... :hand1: