Stun Guns, Pepper Sprays, Personal Alarms, Child Safety, Home Protection

This is the story of John Stone, a widower who moved to Florida in his late 60’s to spend his “golden years” in a warm climate. Before leaving the Cleveland area, his friends and neighbors held a “Survive in Florida” party to wish him farewell.

The “Survival” party invitation said for guests to bring John a gift that either pokes fun or a serious gift that will fit his needs for life in Florida.

John left the party loaded down with gifts, including a big straw hat, a fan, suntan lotion, a toy alligator, an umbrella for the daily summer showers, a snakebite kit and many other things, including something called an auto emergency tool kit, which he threw into his glove compartment without examining it closely.

After settling in, John began putting down some roots. He joined a church, he joined the local American Legion Club, he volunteered to deliver bags of food to local needy families and he gradually began to develop a circle of friends and become active.

One day John read in the local paper than a couple that he had met at church had been killed in an automobile accident. It was a one-vehicle accident that the newspaper article reported was “all too familiar an occurrence in Florida.” It seems that for whatever reason, the husband had driven off the road and into one of the many canals that criss-cross the landscape throughout the state.

In this instance, the canal was unfortunately a fairly deep one and the auto quickly sank beneath the water completely. When rescue workers got to the car, the doors were locked, all of the windows were shut tight, and the elderly couple was dead in the front seat. The article quoted the rescue workers as conjecturing that the couple could not get out of the car because of the water pressure, so they were trapped in the vehicle.

The incident haunted John’s memory for some time. He attended the funeral, then went on with his life.

But as fate would have it, about 18 months later, John was driving down a road near his house, a road alongside an adjacent canal. Out of nowhere, a car sped through a stop sign to his left, hit his car broadside, and sent it right into the canal. It sank quickly.

His mind flashed back to his friends’ accident awhile back and he feared the worst. But he knew he must not panic. It flashed in his mind that he had to wait until the car filled up with water inside to equal the pressure on both sides of the door so that he can open them. So he calmly sat there, keeping his head above the water level as long as possible.

When he felt the pressure must be evened out he started pushing on the door to open it. The door would not budge. He tried and tried, to no avail. Then he remembered the emergency tool kit he got at the going away party up north that he threw into the glove compartment. He retrieved it, opened it, and there was a hammer, which gave him hope. He started banging on his car window as hard as he could and it gave way. When there was enough weakness in it, he put his legs up and pushed the rest of the window away. Quickly, he crawled through the opening and darted to the surface.

Though he felt close to drowning, John survived. That evening, he called his friend back in Cleveland who had given him the gift to thank him. “You saved my life,” John told his friend. “No, his friend replied, the emergency tool kit saved your life.”

John asked his friend where he got it, because he wanted to buy several to give out to some of his new friends in Florida in case they ever need it. He was told to go to www.yoursecurityandsafety.com/emergencytool.htm

Every family needs a “Bodyguard”.  That’s the premise of the jarring DVD of that name,  a premise based on the fact that in today’s world people “are finding it necessary to learn how to defend themselves AND the people with them.”

            The trainer in the presentation is “one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.”  He grew up in the tough streets of south side Chicago and learned at a young age how to end fights before they became brawls.  It earned him his first job as a bouncer in a rough bar the age of 18.

            Gregg Woolridge, the star of “Bodyguard”, was a street cop for 11 years in the worst beats in gang-infested towns.  Then he joined the world of “executive protection.”  To most people, a bodyguard.  But the narrator of “Bodyguard” says don’t call him that. “They are much, much more than that.”

            Woolridge was head of security for “gangsta rapper” Biggie Smalls, who was murdered by rival gang members even while surrounded by “guards”.  Woolridge  had quit his post in vocal protest, warning his boss that he was tempting fate by not recognizing the dangers surrounding him and taking ultimate security measures.  According to Woolridge, Smalls ignored the very real threat of his lifestyle.

            The murder, Woolridge believes, is a wakeup call for everyone living in today’s dangerous world, famous or not

            “Bodyguard” is a DVD that teaches an easy-to-learn fighting style and is available right now on the website www.yoursecurityandsafety.com/bodyguard.htm .  Woolridge  teaches law enforcement operatives these very same tactics and for the first time is revealing them to civilians. 

            According to the video’s narrator, the “companion control” instruction taught on the “Bodyguard” will “simply change your life.”  He adds that it will make any viewer  “more confident, more worthy of confidence. You become the one who is going to thwart the kidnapping, stop the carjacking, remove the threat entirely.”

            In the two DVD’s that are a part of the “Bodyguard” package, the viewer learns fighting tactics, improvised weapons, companion control and ground fighting.  You will learn how Gregg Woolridge uses how a street-savvy fighter uses the “escalation of force” to overwhelm larger opponents, even when surprised from behind.  You will also lean how to make yourself impossible to strike, and how to never be without a weapon, no matter where you are. 

            “It’s a cruel and dangerous world out there,” the “Bodyguard” narrator warns, and “we are required to be prepared to protect ourselves and our loved ones.” 

One statistic that never seems to go down, is the crime rate, particularly data involving violent crimes that result in robbery, rape, injuries and deaths. 

            You tend to want to believe that most of these kinds of crimes happen mostly in the big cities.  Sure, New York City has more than 100,000 felonies registered per year – and thousands of others that aren’t reported.  But how many times in recent years have you read about horrible crimes in small town America?  And the quote that always seems to accompany the articles reporting the crimes includes the comment: “I never believed that this kind of thing could happen in our peaceful little town.”

            The average person is not expected to be able to fight off an attacker, particularly if the element of surprise is involved.  But there are some things everyone can do to help protect themselves, perhaps diminish the severity of the situation, and maybe even frustrate – or even subdue – the would-be attacker.

            One of the things that could save you is an item called the pretender-cellphone-stun-gun.  As the name suggests, it looks like a camera cell phone.  But it packs the punch of a 950,000 volt stun gun.   Blast the perp with a shot from this “phone” and he will be stopped dead in his tracks.  And the idea is that you should be able to fool the attacker because it looks exactly like a phone. 

            But you may not always have the chance to utilize this device, even if you have it.   If you do find yourself in a situation where someone obviously intends to do harm, try to stay calm.  I know, easier said than done, but a clear head can help you plan your defense. 

            If you can talk with the person, take an assertive tone.  Try to distract the would-be attacker and gain some time.   If there is an opening to run, do so if you can, and scream as loud as you can.  Try to find a place to hide. 

            Of course, if the intruder threatens you with a deadly weapon immediately, then that changes the dynamics.  You have to make some decisions on what you are going to do.  If you have a pretender-cellphone-stun-gun, of course, you should attempt to use it if you can.  One way is to pull it out and threaten to call the police; the attacker no doubt will come close and attempt to take it from you; that’s when you blast him. 

            If you don’t have the protective device, you have to take a lot of things into mind.  What are your physical capabilities, the location of the attack, the practical odds of success in trying to defend yourself.  There just are no hard and fast rules.  Your best bet may be to look for an opportunity a little later.  And who knows, someone just might come along and scare the perpetrator away.

            None of those suggestions are too comforting, to be sure, but some things you should think about before even getting into that situation, include try not to ever be walking alone in any known high crime areas.  And if you have to, be sure to walk with a purposeful, confident stride.

            Many crimes occur when people are getting into their cars.   First you don’t want to park in suspicious areas if it can be avoided.  Try to park in well-lit areas and near open businesses if at all possible.  Walk toward your car with the keys in your hand.  Get into the car quickly and lock the doors immediately. 

            In any of these potentially dangerous situations, keep the pretender-cellphone-stun-gun in your hand at all times or place your hand in your pocket and hold onto it.  Should an attacker push his way into your car, you are in a position to give him the full force of the defense device. 

            If you are ever attacked and you survive it, be certain to report it to the police immediately.  You would be surprised how many people do not, for various reasons.  And tell all you know; sometimes the most incidental facts are important.

            To take a look at the pretender-cellphone-stun-gun, go to www.yoursecurityandsafety.com/pretender-cellphone-stun-gun.htm

Millions of “Today Show” viewers were gobsmacked recently when they heard Matt Lauer report that the locks on 95% of American homes can be picked.

This is difficult news to swallow for a homeowner who may have paid  $200 or more for what was billed as an “extremely secure lock.”  It turns out there really aren’t many of those around.

After absorbing the news, the next reaction most homeowners have is “can it happen to me?” According to the FBI Uniform Crime Reports, some 1.5 million homes were broken into in 2006.  And the discouraging news is that few of these kinds of crimes are solved, according to the federal agency.  As a matter of fact, among all violent crimes reported to the FBI, less than 13% are “cleared” – tied for the lowest rate of all types of crimes resolved by officials. 

So your best bet is to prevent them in the first place, most home safety experts agree.  Home protection devices such as Homesafe, a wireless home security system, is one way to go.  Other recommendations involve making sure your home is not an inviting target to home invaders. 

Believe it or not, about 40 percent of all household burglaries are not forced break-ins, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, but the result of carelessness on the part of homeowners.  Unlocked doors, an extra key “hidden” in obvious places, easily penetrable windows, shoddy landscaping that provides protection for thieves to work and other common mistakes are invitations to home invasions.

Some kind of home security system is highly recommended.  A device such as Homesafe, for instance, detects motion, or reacts to a door or window being opened.

Security experts also recommend illuminating areas around doors, windows and

blind spots at night-time to discourage would-be burglars.  And think twice about

installing tall foundation plants or high fences, which give intruders cover.  Also,

check to see if any tree branches give easy access to entryways, such as skylights,

windows, etc.

The details of how and why picking locks is so easy are very unsettling to most

homeowners, so it’s best not to dwell on them.  The best advice is to take some

action to thwart those who would invade your home.  Consider one of many devices

on the market, such as the above-mentioned Homesafe and/or a combination of

devices that will provide peace of mind.

Bob

The U.S. Dept. of Justice reports that some type of sexual assault occurs every 2.5 minutes in the U.S.  And a person is raped every eight minutes.

            If you have a daughter on a college campus, you must be worried all of the time.  I did when I had two daughters on two different campuses. 

            But that was before so many effective self-defense devices for women were on the market.  Every parent with a daughter – or a son, for that matter – on a college campus should insist that he or she carry one or more self-defense aids.

            At the very least, every student should carry a personal alarm that will draw attention to any crisis.  It is easily activated and is loud enough to scare any sane person away.  There is also a personal alarm with flashlight, either one small enough to fit into a pocket or purse.

            The numbers cited become even more frightening when you consider that only 39% of all students who have been raped actually report it to authorities. 

            Rana Sampson, in an article entitled “Acquaintance Rape of College Students”, claims that “rape is the most common violent crime on American college campuses today.”   And it has been reported that college women are more at risk for rape and other forms of assault than women the same age but not in college.

            There is a lot of peer pressure on young ladies in college to not report what has come to be known as “date rape”.   That has led to the following from the Bureau of Justice Statistics:  “48.8% of college women who were victims of attacks that met the study’s definition of rape did not consider what happened to them rape.” 

            I’m sure that parents would not agree with that assessment; they would rather their daughter have sounded the personal alarm.  The sound no doubt would have broken “the mood.”

            Adding to parents’ concerns is the alcohol effect.  Some studies have shown that up to 50% of all college students’ sexual assaults are associated with alcohol.  This doesn’t necessarily mean the young lady is under the influence; it could be only the male, alcohol which has bolstered his courage and released some inhibitions. 

            Again, peer pressure enters the equation, but a loud blast from the personal alarm could undo that sudden burst of courage very quickly.

            There are other options to the personal alarm, such as the keychain alarm with light, a signal that can be activated with the push of a pin, and a pocket/keychain whistle, which you don’t have to actually blow, but also activates with the push of a button.

            To see more on the personal alarm, or to view any of the related items, go to www.yoursecurityandsafety.com/alarm.htm

If you’re like a lot of people who don’t think of themselves as “gun toters”, then maybe the idea of using a stun gun is something you never considered.  Maybe it’s time you reconsidered. No one needs to be reminded of the rising crime rate and the fact that druggies who are desperate for money to feed their habit will do anything.  That’s anything!  That means to you, your wife, your children, whoever you may be with at the time of an attack. 

            Drug-crazed criminals lose all sense of reasoning and also lose touch with reality.  They are terribly dangerous to all who come between them and their next fix. 

You need something to equalize the playing field.  And a great compromise to a gun that shoots bullets is a stun gun that will immobilize an attacker with non-lethal high voltage shocks. A great “starter” stun gun is the Talon Mini.  It’s only four inches tall, but it releases 80,000 volts.  That’s enough to disable a person for several minutes – time enough to make a getaway and to call police. Jeanie Adkins, who critiques these kinds of products, calls the Talon Mini stun gun “an excellent choice for people wanting a self defense product that is compact but powerful.”  She adds that women have found the Talon Mini to be just right for them because of its smaller size and more comfortable fit in their hands.

If you’re not familiar with stun guns, don’t be concerned that they cause any permanent damage to anyone.  When you place the two prongs found on the end of a stun gun against an attacker and pull the trigger, he is immediately immobilized by the 80,000 volts that affect his muscular and neural systems. There is also disorientation and loss of balance.  The attacker’s blood sugar is immediately depleted and he is unable to produce any energy for his muscles.  He is totally unable to make his body function properly.  But it is all temporary.  And don’t worry if the attacker is touching you when you pull the trigger on the Talon.  The current surging into his body will not pass into yours. 

Be aware that stun guns are restricted in some states, cities, counties and countries.  For instance, in the U.S., Hawaii, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Wisconsin all restrict their use.  There are some cities and counties that also rule out their usage, so you must be aware of local laws. There are a lot of options for self-defense products, but you can feel very confident that Talon Mini will effectively put an attacker on the ground, unable to harm you, and give you and your family time to get to safety.   For more information, go to www.yoursecurityandsafety.com/talon.htm

A good friend of ours, Sally, had not been herself for several weeks.  She seemed distracted, even frightened at times.  She was receiving a lot of phone calls and they always seemed to put her into a deep funk. 

            I thought it was time to broach the subject and to find out if there was anything I could do to help.  At first Sally was very reluctant to discuss the subject.  Finally, she asked me one day if we could talk.  I of course agreed and the story began to unfold.

            It seems that she had an ex-boyfriend who she thinks is “connected” and he is extremely upset that she broke off the relationship they had.  He had warned her that it was “not a wise decision” and that she should “rethink things in order to prevent any distasteful happenings.”

            The warning concerned her, but she thought it was simply the comments of an embarrassed suitor who wanted to sound like a big shot.  She was wrong.  It turns out the man was connected and he had a lot of “friends” who were more than willing to help him make his point.

            The first part of the process involved phone calls with messages that sent shivers down her spine.  They suggested the possibility of many “distasteful” happenings.  She reported them to the police, but since she had no recording of them and they were made from untraceable numbers, that led to nothing.

            But the campaign of terror really picked up after that; there were broken windows, scratches on the car, even a dead family pet on the front porch of her home.  Then the most frightening part of the campaign began.  She started noticing a car following her each day, everywhere she went.  When she reached her destination, it would just go on.  It seemed to be a different car each time.  It was obviously an attempt to intimidate.  And it was working. 

            Then they began calling her car phone, which was a hands-free speaker phone.   Different voices, coming from the car following her, from time to time warned her of what kinds of things could happen to her; what “accidents’ could befall. 

            The police tried to corroborate her story, but each time they attempted to catch someone in the act of following her, the “bad guys” were careful not to get caught.

            When she told me about the vehicles following her something came to mind.  At my recent daughter’s wedding out of town I had rented a high-end vehicle that included a device I had never seen nor heard of before.  It was a rearview mirror hidden camera that not only provided a great view of what was going on behind you, it could also record the activity, including any sound that was within range, such as a voice coming from the car’s speaker phone. 

            I suggested to Sally that she get the device, which I found installs extremely easily onto your current rear view mirror.  She could then get on film videos of the cars that were following her, including clear license plate numbers, over a several-days period. The camera was capable of recording day and night.  She could also get on the record the messages coming from the drivers. They would often make comments such as “I am close enough to you to give you a hard jolt that could force you to have a bad accident,” comments which helped corroborate Sally’s claims that the reign of terror was real. 

            With the videos obtained from the car’s rearview mirror hidden cameras, Sally was finally able to convince the police of the reality of the threats.  And they could trace the license plates to several unsavory characters, all of them with records, all of them “friends” of her ex-boyfriend.

            When they were all rounded up and shown the evidence, suddenly the campaign against Sally was a thing of the past. 

            Hopefully you aren’t being followed by people who mean you harm, but you will still be wowed by the versatility and the intriguing options the device offers.  See it at www.yoursecurityandsafety.com/rearview-mirror-hidden-camera.htm.

Bob

I was visiting my brother’s house recently and noticed that his 12 year old son, Jack, was not as chipper as he normally was.  As a matter of fact, he was downright sad and not communicating.  I asked my brother about his son and he made it all clear.  My nephew had lost his “best friend” the night before.  His dog, Spider.

Spider had been in the family for six years and, though there were four children in the family, Jack and Spider had created a very strong bond with one another.  They were inseparable.  Jack volunteered to do most of the doggie chores – feeding, walking and cleaning up after Spider when necessary.

Most evenings when Jack was not otherwise involved they would go for a walk in the neighborhood.  It’s hard to determine which of the two enjoyed those walks more – Jack or Spider.  That’s how inseparable they were.  Jack did not regard walking the dog as a chore, but a pleasure that he looked forward to.

That’s what made the story of Spider’s demise all the more heart-rending.  And I would not mention it to Jack right now – and maybe never, because it would do no good in this case – but the outcome could have been avoided. 

Jack and Spider usually walked for about 45 minutes.  Most of it was through parkland and well away from roads.  Jack would love to have let Spider roam free, because he knew that Spider would never run away from him.   But the law is that every dog had to be on a leash at all times when outdoors. 

Like many dogs, Spider was very spirited and curious and wanted to explore everything and move faster than Jack generally walked.  Often, Jack would break into a trot with Spider and let the dog run pretty fast.  But on this night, Jack was a bit tired from his football practice at school that day and was not in a mood to do any running.

But Spider did not know about the football practice.  All he wanted to do was move a lot faster than Jack was moving, and he let Jack know by straining, straining, straining on the leash.  But Jack was used to it and held on tight.  Until the unexpected happened.  The leash snapped.  And Spider scurried away at a blinding pace.

Jack ran as fast as he could to try to keep up and grab Spider, but to no avail.  And just ahead, a highway loomed.  Spider was not used to being near many roads and highways and did not know what dangers they held for a dog.  Before long, Jack heard the unthinkable – the loud, ugly sound of brakes screeching and a thud.  It was Spider.

When Jack reached the road where Spider lay, he came upon a very upset driver standing over his beloved dog.  “I am so, so sorry,” the driver said, “I never saw him.  I could have stopped if I had just seen him in the dark, but he totally blended into the darkness.” 

That’s the sad story, and the moral is for the want of a $7.99 pet safety light, Spider was no longer with us.  A pet safety light, called Pet Blinkie, is a vibrant, multi-colored light that attaches easily to the collar, leash or harness.   The pet safety light is waterproof and visible up to a half-mile away. 

My nephew Jack is not able to bring Spider back, but you can be sure that I am going to provide him with a pet safety light when he can finally bring himself to replace his old friend.  If you have a dog, you can make sure now that this doesn’t happen to it. 

Bob

Female joggers can find themselves at numerous distinct disadvantages when being confronted by male predators who appear suddenly in their path, particularly if the joggers are near the end of their runs and close to exhaustion.

            Relative size is the most obvious disadvantage, since males are generally bigger and stronger, and you have to add in the element of surprise.  If the intruder is carrying a weapon, of course, that increases the odds against joggers considerably.

            So some kind of defense mechanism should always be carried by female joggers.  There are many to choose from today, but one that is favored by many female joggers is Hot Walkers.

            One of the best features of Hot Walkers is that it doesn’t look like a defense weapon.  It doesn’t look like any kind of weapon.  It is actually a very practical product because it is a pair of aerobic hand weights, the kind people use to keep their hearts in good shape. 

            Recently when I gave my daughter a set as a present, she was very pleased, thinking it was going to enhance her jogging sessions….which it will, but that’s not all.  In the past, she had always shrugged off the idea of any kind of self-defense device, thinking – as so many young people do – that “it can’t happen to me.”  Well, it can, and does, all the time. 

            But in this case, when she learned that Hot Walkers also provided a measure of safety she was happy, because the “weapon” part of it is so subtle.  If attacked, all she would have to do is to press a button and hit the astonished attacker with a pepper spray, providing time to make an escape and call for help.

 Hot Walkers, then, is a multiple-duty self-defense device that offers even other conveniences.  There is a storage compartment for keys and money.  And there are elastic hand straps for support. 

            There are many alternative self-defense devices from which to choose, and all of them have a place, but Hot Walkers seems to be winning over a large number of female joggers who want to double-up with their jogging exercise program and have the self-confidence of knowing they also have a means to defend themselves.

            Check out www.yoursecurityandsafety.com/hotwalkers.htm

Bob 

When I was a young child, about 7 years old, I came face-to-face with death for the first time in my life.  It was awful.

            A friend from my local Catholic grade school was killed by an automobile right in front of the school at night.  He did not have any lights on his bicycle and the driver of the automobile claimed he just did not see him.

            My friend’s picture was on the front page of the local paper, the Washington Times-Herald the following morning.  It was so eerie staring at that picture of a smiling young boy who was no longer to be seen smiling – or to be seen, period. 

            I had to go to the site of the accident and gaze at the ugly accident stains on the road that this kind of incident always leaves behind.  I tried to picture what happened, how it happened, the moment it happened.  I couldn’t

            Would bike safety lights have made a difference?  The newspaper story seemed to say that, without trying to blame the parents or anyone else.  I remember a quote in the newspaper article from the investigating police officer: “Unfortunately, too often these horrible accidents happen when bicyclists have no bike safety lights to alert drivers.”

            I never forgot that smiling, handsome little face staring out at me from the front page of the newspaper.

            The statistics help fill out the story line.  “Children ages 14 and under are more likely to be injured riding in non-daylight hours (e.g., dawn, dusk or night).  The risk of sustaining an injury during non-daylight conditions is nearly four times greater than the daytime.”  That’s from one child safety organization.

            No doubt bike safety lights should be on children’s bicycles if they are allowed to go out in the evening, whether it’s dusk or night-time.  I made sure that they were placed on my three children’s bicycles when they reached the cycling age.

            But parents’ responsibility for their children’s safety on bicycles doesn’t end with adding bike safety lights.  Children have to be carefully taught the rules of the road and constantly reminded about the importance of following all of the safety rules. 

Unfortunately, too many children either haven’t been taught or don’t pay attention, according to a report on bike safety.  “Among children 14 and under,” it states, “more than 80 percent of bicycle-related fatalities are associated with the bicyclist’s behavior.  The most common crashes include riding into a street without stopping; turning left or swerving into traffic that is coming from behind; running a stop sign, and riding against the flow of traffic.”

Parents represent the most important influence on children’s bicycling habits.  Yes, do apply the bike safety lights, but never let up on reminding them of the critical importance of the safety rules of the road.  You don’t want your child’s photo on the front page of your local newspaper. You can find the proper safety lights at www.yoursecurityandsafety.com/bikesafetylights.htm

Bob