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Old 05-10-12, 02:42 PM
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breezybikes
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Thanks for all of the responses! Much of my argument against carrying a gun with my family and friends has been reinforced! Fore the past few weeks, I've been flipping back and forth, back and forth, whether or not carrying a weapon is a good idea. Many times I would beat myself up over the fact that I didn't consider this aspect of tour sooner, thinking things like "if only I learned how to shoot guns 8 months ago." I feel like all the pressure from loved ones to carry a weapon has really clouded my original stance on the situation.

I've intended to carry pepper spray all along primarily in case of aggressive dogs, but the idea of a gun or a taser never once crossed my mind until about a month ago. (My mother's husband is a police officer, so we've had many a "what it" discussions.) For me, cycling is such a huge part of my every day life (commuting, exercising, etc) that all of the safety precautions is second nature and I just do it: super bright lights, helmet, light/reflective clothing, safe routes... Like teacherlady said, it's about meeting new people and that's one of the reasons that makes touring so attractive to me. I think my biggest fears are the headwinds and dogs! In addition to that, I really do pay attention to the routes that I cycle on and maintain an awareness of my surroundings.

Part of what I've been struggling to communicate to family and friends is that I don't intend on putting myself in bad situations. If I have to choose between a sketchy camp site and a hotel... well of course I'll pick the hotel. It's worth the extra money to me to ensure a safe evening. However, I didn't consider the fact that impaired judgement can occur due to exhaustion. I can look back on previous (much shorter) tours when I could have been pretty vulnerable because I was bonking at the end of a day. So, thanks for bringing that up!

When also made a good point about the legality of carrying weapons across state lines - which was the first thing that I researched and found out that over half the states that I will be riding through do not honor my home state's carry permits. The same goes for tasers as well.

I think I'm going to "stick to my guns" (hehe) and go with my original plan: just pepper spray in case of aggressive dogs.

Thanks again for all your opinions! I can't wait to see what others think about the issue, especially from other ladies out there!
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