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Pepper Spray Information
Pepper
spray (also known as OC spray from "Oleoresin
Capsicum", OC gas, or capsicum spray) is a lachrymatory agent (a
chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and
even temporary blindness) that is used in riot control, crowd control
and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs. The active
ingredient in pepper spray is capsaicin, which is a chemical derived
from the fruit of plants in the Capsicum genus, including
chillis.
The
HPLC (High Pressure Liquid Chromatography) method is used to measure
the amount of capsaicin within pepper sprays. Scoville Heat Unit (SHU)
testing is also used to measure the hotness of pepper spray, but this
is a subjective test which changes from person to person and does not
measure the actual chemical percentage within the product.
Pepper
spray typically comes in canisters, which are
often small enough to be carried or concealed in a pocket or purse.
Pepper spray can also be bought concealed in items such as rings.
Pepper spray is an inflammatory agent, not an irritant like Mace. It
causes immediate closing of the eyes and coughing. The length of the
effects depend on the strength of the spray but the average full effect
lasts around thirty to forty-five minutes, with mitigated effects
lasting for hours.
Parking
Lot Attendants Aid In Kidnapping Plot
Lisa is a customer service
representative for a large retail store. She is use to hearing all
kinds of complaints from different types of people. Most of the people
make their position known and move on with their lives. There are some
who take things to the extreme. They sometimes use profanity and on
rare occasions threatens to become physical.
All in all, she
likes her work. It is a chance to help people and make a small
difference in their lives. She is the focal point of lots of customer
activity. Lisa a vital link between the company and the public. She has
customers that come to her every once in a while. She also has
customers that seem to be there everyday.
There was one guy
who she dreaded seeing. She did all she could to avoid him. Some how he
always ended up at her counter. He was a real jerk. It seemed like
everyday there was something wrong. He would rant and rave and call all
the representatives names. He had a particular dislike for Lisa and she
knew it. They mostly tried to ignore him because they did not want to
cause a scene in front of the other customers.
They even called
management a few times to try and calm him down. They received the same
treatment. He would eventually leave only to comeback in a couple of
days and cause the same scene. Frankly they were all growing very tired
of him and were thinking about banning him from the store. As
predicted, a few days later he came in with the same attitude.
The managers were
fed up, so they called the police. He was escorted off the property
with an order not to return. He was furious and blamed the hold thing
on Lisa. She had not personally initiated the complaint, but she was
glad somebody finally did something about him. About a week later, Lisa
was about to go home for the evening.
She saw the guy in
the store parking lot. She thought, what is he doing here? When he saw
her he made a beeline towards her. He said, you got me banned from the
store. Lisa felt there might be trouble, so she kept on walking. The
guy kept badgering her. She kept trying to avoid him.
He reached out and
grabbed her arm and tried to drag her toward his vehicle. She fought
and screamed. This got the attention of some parking lot attendants.
They came to lend a hand. They grabbed the guy, pinned him down and
called the police.
The guy was
arrested for attempted kidnapping. Lisa eventually left her job out of
fear that the guy might return. She always thinks how much worse it
could have been if he had succeeded in getting her in the car.
If possible, you
should fight to keep from leaving the scene with the criminal. A
criminal trying to move you away from the scene has more on their mind
than just robbery. If they get you away from the scene they are free to
perform other heinous acts.
If they get you to
an isolated area your chances of coming back alive are significantly
decreased. They do not like to leave witnesses. Use what ever is
available to keep them from moving you from the scene. You may get hurt
in the process, but you may save your own life. Have a plan to defend
yourself and use it when the oportunity presents itself.
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