I don't live in the US. And i'm glad i don't live in such a weapon obsessed culture. Sure, we get the occasional shooting here, usually in the same bits of London or Manchester and normally for the same reaons that it happens in the USA - drugs and gangs. But when it happens its a news story for the next two weeks...

I have to agree with Mr. ""Best weapons:
Common sense
Strong legs" "

I got hassled by some drunk chavs riding home to my main train station one evening. I was crossing a bridge with a MUP, they did that trick of yelling something incoherent right in my face as i passed, followed by a load of abuse. Being in a somewhat exuberant mood after a stressful day and a fun roller coaster ride through heavy traffic, i turned and gave them a classic British two finger salute (i believe it's due for a revival after years of the one-finger variant imported from the other side of the Atlantic) and expressed my belief that they had unsavoury personal habits. They took offence at this and gave chase. I was fully amused by this, and rode off at a sprint. As a passed the end of the path, i noticed a discarded bike chain and considered stopping and picking it up. I also thought of stopping and extending the bladed part of the leather-man type multi-tool that lives in my messenger bag (i find the pliers useful).

Instead i used my knowledge of my route to slip through a couple of back streets and disappear.

Nobody got hurt, they were a little affronted, and i got a bit of a workout. When i arrived at the station, i took out my mobile phone and dialed the first two digits of the emergency number in case they managed to work out where i'd gone (fat chance). If i had kept my adrenalin in check and my mouth shut, they wouldn't have come after me. If any of us had been armed, someone probably would have died. Producing a weapon means that you have to be prepared to use it or have it taken from you. If this had been Plymouth Massachusetts, not Plymouth Devon, its quite likely that they would have been armed, or i might have been. Instead we all got home. Well, i did. They probably picked a fight with some other drunk idiots and got arrested for drunk and disorderly...

I like it here, thanks...