You guys need to get laid more.

You could be right there

I am all for it.

How many years have you been carrying and how many times have you had to use your gun to protect yourself or your family?

If your answer to my second question contains any number greater than zero I'd seriously consider moving.

The best weapons for commuters are things like:

-- your smile
-- patience
-- a positive outlook on life
-- a kind and gentle spirit

That sort of thing.

If you're carrying around any sorts of weapons meant to do harm, you shouldn't be on the road ... on a bicycle, or in a vehicle ... and I sincerely hope you never, ever cycle anywhere in my vicinity.

First of all some of us don't have a choice to move. Cost of moving plus the lack of a job elsewhere impedes action.

Secondly, even if you never have to pull a gun, having it can be a deterrent.

Great example:

Walking the dogs one night, had the kiddo in the baby backpack. One of my dogs, little dachsund, is very annoying and barks at everything. So, we walk by an apt. with some kids porch-monkeying, drinking beers (though they were all severely underaged) and blasting rap music. It wasn't the ghetto, but not the best place, either. The dog barks, real yip yappy, and even though we're 100 feet away the kids start laughing and yelling jibes. The 'ring-leader' comes our way, beer in hand, barking aggressively at our dog. Scared, I lift my shirt so he can see I'm packing. I didn't touch the gun, just gave him a knowing eyebrow raise as if to say "You don't want this to end up a world of **** for everyone." Kid shut his mouth, turned around and told his crew to shutup, too.

Had I not done that I feel I woulda been rolled for sure. Wallet gone at best, me and my child hurt at worst. Did I do the right thing or best thing? Well, no one was hurt and we moved on.

My dad tells a similar story in the '70s in NYC. Was in the wrong alley one night, just off Wall St. coming out of his hotel. Shoulda turned around, but he was young and stupid and kept going. A couple of thugs setup a little catch system to roll him, so he flashed a piece in his waistband. Guys let him go without a single hassle. No gun, definitely a concussion and a lost wallet, maybe death. Gun, peace.

Bad people in the world, nice to know you can defend yourself when others can't.

Machka I really truly wish you were right. I have seen people you can be kind to, patient with, and smile at, and they still stab you in the back if you turn it to them. but alas, I like your world better than reality.

I just don't associate with those sorts of people. Reality is, you can choose who you associate with ... and where you cycle.

40 years of life, and I can't say I have ever been in a situation where there was even remotely any potential of knifes being drawn and a literal 'stabbing in the back' taking place. Of course figurative "back stabbing" takes place everywhere, but those situations in particular are best dealt with using the "weapons" I listed above.

Best weapon for any situation is a brain. If you ain't got one of those, get a gun, put it in your mouth and pull the trigger...you'll not have to worry about your own safety anymore and you'll make the world safer for the rest of us.

Try working night shift in downtown Philly. Or when your car breaks down in in LA. Anyway I dont want to argue with you, you are right, stay away from bad people and you dont have to deal with it. But I like getting out into the real world, ridign my bike downtown, and refuse to stay home and surrender the rest of the world to the bad guys.

Oh believe me, I don't stay home ... see my website in my signature line below.

Rifle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz1IdG928ns

Dang, you do get around.

That's a good way to get yourself shot IMO. What if that guy and his friends were all armed and drew their guns and shot at you? You could have been killed or worse, they miss you and hit your child over what? Because he was barking at your dog?

I'm 40 now, lived in Los Angeles through the riots and even drove through an area that was being looted-had no choice, I was going to pick up my wife and the freeways were gridlocked for hours. Avoiding trouble and keeping a cool head is the best way to stay alive IMO.

I prefer Machka's world but if you really need to protect yourself, never display what you aren't absolutely ready to use...and if you do, make sure it is overwhelmingly more effective than theirs.

The great part about this is that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, the sad part is that most of you are living a fantasy where your so sure that your safe in your neighborhood that your blind to the truth, and the truth is that muggings, rapes, murder, and so on can happen anywhere and at any time even in your super nice "crime just dont happen round these parts" neighborhood I love it when you see something going on in a hotsy totsy neighborhood and you hear the person say," I just cant believe this happened in our area! This kinda stuff just doesnt happen around here!" well holy crap! it just did! also, I dont let anyone scare me away from where I live, if you want to run to the so called "safe place" its up to you, I live here although I know its not the greatest place and my kids know how to survive here if needed (yes, that includes how to safely handle, clean, load, and shoot all the weapons in my home) but they also learned how to stay in school and become who they want to become and live just about anywhere they want to live, remember, what doesnt kill you makes you stronger, hidding your children from the truth doesnt make it any less real just makes them weaker and more of a target is all.

To achieve true power over Cager one must first master the Art of the Flying Guillotine

You can be in a nice neighborhood and still have trouble.

I was a in a VERY nice neighborhood in front of a great park where they have a kiddy water park and some ****** STILL got out of his car to "fight me" after I took the lane over a narrow bridge crossing... mind you this bridge is like 50 feet long. lol

you just don't know who is going to snap or do something crazy to you ... regardless of your mental attitude.

Oh, believe me, I know that! I live in a lovely little city ... full of drug addicts, and people who break into cars, and smash car windows just for fun, etc.

But I still would NEVER even consider carrying a gun or similar weapon.

And one thing with "getting around" like that is this ... carrying a gun (outside of hunting purposes) is illegal here in Canada where I live, and I cannot take a weapon with me when I fly to other countries.

So I have to resort to other tactics ... basically Chipcom sums it up with this: "Best weapon for any situation is a brain." ... and for me I also add a bit of women's intuition. There have been many times on my travels where I have suddenly felt uncomfortable with the situation. Often I can't put my finger on why I feel uncomfortable ... I just know that something isn't right. For example, that has happened a few times when we were looking for a place to camp ... I'll have a look around a potential camping area and if something feels uncomfortable about it to me, we move on. Another time it happened while walking through a certain area of downtown Sydney (Australia) after dark. My hair practically stood on end I felt so uncomfortable. We grabbed the first bus and got into a more populated, less run-down and graffiti covered area.

I don't generally carry anything considered a weapon -- I do have a knife with me while hiking, but if I needed it for self defense I'd have to ask my attacker to hold up for a few minutes while I dig it out of my pack -- but I don't understand the attitude that it is somehow wrong or immoral to arm oneself, either. I don't see how planning for self defense by carrying a weapon is any more paranoid than planning for a house fire by carrying insurance.

If we could all be sure of avoiding violence by using our intuition, feelings, etc., there'd be precious few people being attacked. Although whacking a mugger with your brain would almost certainly throw him off his stride...

Car-sized limpet mine

Went and checked out the website and have much respect for your opinion. Have advised my son when he became of age never to ignore the feeling in the pit of his stomach...get away because something's about to go down. It's gratifying tp have him share w/me several situations that were either defused or avoided. I love these posts because this is where the rubber meets the road in being a cycle-commuter.

Years ago I started commuting by bike in West Chicago over to Rand McNally ever day and then down to th Old Town School of Folk Music on Armitage where I taught voice/guitar 3-4 times per week. I was rather timmid when first starting out...on the wrong side of the road!! Almost hit a fellow commuter head on. He hit me w/'Get ON THE RIGHT SIDE A55HOLE!! So, this whole thing's been a bit of an eyeopener. As time went on and I gained experience and confidence. My riding began to become more assertive. Then I went through a period when I was harrassed frequently. Finally, one night when I'd had enough I spoke something back to my tormentors and they responded by throwing beer bottles in my path and laughing as they drove away.

I caught them down the street about 2/3 lights. They were boxed in by a few cars. As I rode by them I grabbed my krypto-lock by the curved end and slammed it down HARD on the upper arm/elbow. Didn't plan on doing it, but just did. I heard him yell and I knew I'd hurt him, but didn't know how bad. I took off and they were boxed in and I was able to make a couple of turns, shut my lights off and I was gone.
Avoided that area for a week or two and I saw the guy getting on an El about 3 weeks later and he had a cast on his arm. He didn't know who I was, but I knew him right away. Started riding through there the same way a/t same times and never had a lick of trouble again.

I ride rural and carry and 'air zounds', pepper spray, 480 ftprsec bb gun w/an 18 shot mag, and a small sharp bowieknife. If I was urban I'd carry either a Berretta Tomcat or a 5 clip .380 instead of the pellet gun. When touring in foreign countries I've got a 3 piece spring load telescopic billy club. Use cable ties and leave it right in full view. 3 trips abroad and still have it.

Sorry, starting to get repetativre so I'll just say this: We all have to make our own decicions as to what to carry and what to not carry. Whether it's Clif Bars, Gatoraid or a .44 magnum. People who choose to NOT carry have that right, aslo. For me and my family we've decicded that the reality is that in micro time one can become a stat overwhom everyone sheds a tear and remembers fondly as a good,(man/woman)cyclyst. Or you can attend a funeral of one though foolish in life won his/her eternal salvation w/a deathgbed confession and a truly renpentant heart. At some point in our society/push will come to shove and if you aint packing you're going to need to be.

Flying guillotine pwnz guns.