Pepper Spray indoors?

[Team American]

While riding the Light Rail train today I started to wonder what would happen if my Fox Labs pepper spray (stream) came into play during an assault/robbery/etc. inside a train car.

Would spraying someone in closed quarters also affect me and everyone in the car? Should pepper spray never be used in a closed area?

I'm hoping somebody on this board has some experience with spray in a defensive situation...I don't really want to try my spray indoors to see what the effects will be

Thanks,
Rick

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[d2thomas]

Well I can tell you this, when I was Jr High I very clearly remember a stupid kid obtaining some pepper spray from somewhere. He then decided to spray a little bit on the busride home....needless to say everyone couldn't breathe and the bus had to be evacuated - all from a little spray.

This is probably not the best information but I thought I'd share with you my experience with pepper spray in close quaters.

[d2thomas]

And for the record, I LOVE YOUR AVATAR....that movie is great. For a while there my phone ringtone was the AMERICAN "F" YEAH theme song!

[Dingle1911]

I know that while I was in college the police used the fire extinguisher size pepper spray on a crowd of students while they were trying to rush the field at a football game. The wind them blew the cloud of spray to other section of the stadium. Incidents like this have turned me off to the use of pepper spray.

[Team American]

Thanks for the reply...I was afraid that your Jr. High experience would be the general effect on the train. Sounds like indoor use might be a very bad idea!

that movie is great

[Team American]

I know that while I was in college the police used the fire extinguisher size pepper spray on a crowd of students while they were trying to rush the field at a football game. The wind them blew the cloud of spray to other section of the stadium. Incidents like this have turned me off to the use of pepper spray.

Was this the CU vs CSU game at Mile High Stadium a couple of years ago?

[QKShooter]

The STREAM or squirting mode of OC would be the best delivery pattern for said applications (than any others) as it does blow around.

[CleaningAccident]

I once sprayed about 20 fighting squids and jarheads with CS while I was on Shore Patrol. I roughly calculated the wind and stood windward of the crowd before letting the huge cannister rip. I was even walking backwards into the wind and still ended up gagging with my intended victims.
I dont know much about pepper spray but CS tear gas dont play. I would be very hesitant to use anything of the sort in any confined space.

[jarhead79]

I once sprayed about 20 fighting squids and jarheads with CS while I was on Shore Patrol.

[CleaningAccident]

Hey, I said I was on Shore Patrol. That makes me one of 'em. Sometimes I was the sprayer, sometimes I was the sprayee. Navy bases used to be a hoot on the weekends, back in the day. Drunken fighting was uniform of the day. Officer and enlisted clubs alike. Tear gas was part of the weekend ritual.

[gddyup]

If you are in the vicinity of the spray, be it fog or stream pattern, you WILL get some effect from it. It sucks to say it but the best way to know what will happen is to bone up and give yourself a shot! You don't have to whack yourself directly in the face with it (unless you want to REALLY be a man about it!), but at least fire a shot into a plastic cup and get it in close to your face. Then you'll at least have an idea of what you are dealing with. My wife and I both carry Fox Labs keychain sprays and we both took a small hit from them when I bought them. Know what you are using before you use it!

[QKShooter]

"It sucks to say it but the best way to know what will happen is to bone up and give yourself a shot!" ~ That is 100% true.
And yes, even with the STREAM there WILL be watery eyes and sensitive people will feel a choking sensation & sometimes sick. People with preexisting asthma and breathing related health issues will have extra problems.

I already have checked it out. The Fox Labs 5.3 was not very much fun at all.

I should also add that if you DO use OC in your home...then it IS residual on upholstered furniture & carpeting & so especially if you have pets & small children you'll (for sure) need to have that type of stuff cleaned.

Of course...if you are forced to defensively shoot a Bad Guy in your home (with a firearm) then you'll probably want to have the carpet cleaned (or taken up) after that situation also.

A NOTE: concerning the Fox Labs Key chain Unit...Replace After 1 year.
That would be...even if NOT used at all.
Due to the small amount of propellant contained in the FL Key Chain sized units. (which are GREAT! BTW)
They should be replaced every year.
The replacement inserts are cheaper than the complete key chain unit.

[gddyup]

"It sucks to say it but the best way to know what will happen is to bone up and give yourself a shot!" ~ That is 100% true.
And yes, even with the STREAM there WILL be watery eyes and sensitive people will feel a choking sensation & sometimes sick. People with preexisting asthma and breathing related health issues will have extra problems.

I already have checked it out. The Fox Labs 5.3 was not very much fun at all.

I should also add that if you DO use OC in your home...then it IS residual on upholstered furniture & carpeting & so especially if you have pets & small children you'll (for sure) need to have that type of stuff cleaned.

Of course...if you are forced to defensively shoot a Bad Guy in your home (with a firearm) then you'll probably want to have the carpet cleaned (or taken up) after that situation also.

A NOTE: concerning the Fox Labs Key chain Unit...Replace After 1 year.
That would be...even if NOT used at all.
Due to the small amount of propellant contained in the FL Key Chain sized units. (which are GREAT! BTW)
They should be replaced every year.
The replacement inserts are cheaper than the complete key chain unit.

Good points QK. I bought one for myself, my wife, my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law. I promised them all that I would personally make sure they all had new cartridges every year. Safety is paramount!

[Betty]

In high school, we had a similar experience when a student's keyfob can ruptured, evacuating the class.

It's amazing how many people don't check the expiration dates. In college for speech class, we had to give an "informative speech" on a topic of our choosing. Since the class was 99% female and I observed many of them with keychain sprays, I decided to do mine on pepper spray.

How many here carry one of those keychain sprays?
(lots of hands raise)

How long have you had it on your keychain, and do you know when it expired?
(Some looked, and many gasped that theirs were expired by several years. Some sounded like empty cans.)

There's a lot of people who buy self-defense tools as feel-good measures and then promptly let them collect dust in the bottom of their handbags or end tables, without consideration to maintenece, effective deployment and proper usage. But it's the thought that counts doesn't work here.

[Fjolnirsson]

I've found the foam doesn't have the area effect like spray and stream. A little bit, but not nearly as bad.