From the COLlive inbox:
I was commuting from work (my regular route) in Williamsburg back to Crown Heights last night at 5:30pm and was transferring from the J train on Broadway and Kosciuszko Street (a block walk) heading towards Bushwick Avenue.
I soon realized I was being followed by 2 hooded males that caught up to me, surrounded me and demanded money.
I had pepper spray on me, which I started to carry ever since Rabbi Moskowitz was attacked on Shabbos last year.
When I realized I was being followed, I triggered it on in my hand and prayed for everything to turn out alright.
Once I was sorrounded I veered sideways into the street and simultaneously aimed the peper spray at their eyes and stated “Yo, Back off.”
I think they thought it was a gun, since they froze, but then, if am correct, one said to his partner in crime, “I think it’s pepper spray,” and they turned around and started walking away.
When they saw me making a call to 911 and then Shomrim (Williamsburg Shomrim, thank you for showing up so quickly), they started running and I lost sight of them when they turned the corner.
Shomrim came first due to a miscommunication of the dispatcher and the 81st Precinct that classified my case as transit crime (not street crime).
The police took me out to canvass the area to see if we could spot the perpetrators on the street, but to no avail.
We filled out a description, and there is camera footage that police and Shomrim can obtain from the block.
The detective showed me pictures to try and identify them as well.
Thank you Shomrim and 911!
This pepper spray is called Mace we have it at our chabad house
many single girls living in CH..they must protect themselves walking around fri night and other times..buy pepper spray
For anyone interested, there’s a place licensed to sell pepper spray not far from Crown Heights. They carry the best and most reliable type, Sabre Red. The stuff outperforms all it’s competitors by far in every aspect, don’t settle for any other brand (just remember that all pepper sprays have an expiration date by which time they must be replaced, they should also be tested using a quick spray into the ground right after purchasing and semi annually after that to ensure that the spraying mechanism works). The place is Meyer’s Uniforms, 63 Flatbush Avenue. There are some stores in… Read more »
Any drug store/licensed pharmacist can sell you one.
Don’t bother with Amazon.
You’re absolutely right. Laws restricting one’s ability to self protection only affects law abiding citizens. Criminals don’t care. If they did, they wouldn’t attack people because that’s also illegal. If they didn’t attack people, pepper spray (or guns if you support the 2nd amendment) wouldn’t be needed.
But alas, the powers that be restrict your ability to protect yourself despite their lack of ability or requirement to protect you (it’s true, police have no obligation to stop an attack).
Welcome to tyranny
let me understand…a person who wants to protect him/herself has to obey a bunch of big-word rules…the mugger can do as he/she/it pleases??
Go to Amazon.com and search “pepper spray”. It’s just $10!
Unfortunately, you can’t ship this to NY (e.g., Amazon). I like the idea of someone (Community COuncil?) buying bulk and making available for sale on the avenue. If not, (according to a commentor’s legal snippet) maybe local pharmacies can stock it (but not price gouge). This seems best bang for buck – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007VM8UC/
The only thing that is cheap and can easily stop a bad person without killing him or needing years of training is pepper spray. Thr stuff is powerful and anyone can use it just push the button. Many ebay sites will not ship to NYC.
So by your logic, what are you going to do if you live too far from a shul and can’t walk the distance? Are you gonna just stay home, or do you think that in that case you can drive?
(By analogy, if you can’t carry pepper spray on Shabbos where there’s no eruv – and I’m no rav, so I don’t know whether you can or not – then if you’re afraid of getting mugged, just stay home.)
When I was about 10 years old I was walking next to my brother while he was riding his bike when a number of teenagers came over trying to start up and steal my brother’s bike, thank G-D my brother had pepper spray on him which he pulled out and the second our would be attackers saw what it was, they ran for their lives! Not long after that, I started carrying pepper spray as well and a few years later when I was 13 there were a group of African Americans who were running around knocking people over (the… Read more »
Are you serious?
So if someone tells you you cannot carry it what are you gonna do go home and get mugged and cry like a baby
Amazon.
Every boy and girl should carry this
i read a long article from a real gun advocate. after all his research he found that pepper spray if al that is needed (don’t quote me) 90% of the time.
seems to be a very good deterrent that will take care of most problems
YY A real dugma Chaya
when goyim are rodef us chas vshalom it means we must do teshuva
I’m an out of towner, and a local Rabbi reasoned that when visiting CH, one is allowed to carry concealed on shabbos provided they are legally allowed to carry said object (be it a gun or pepper spray).
I won’t put their name out there, and you should probably ask your Rabbi… but the opinion that it is not only justified but obligatory with halachic justification behind it exists.
So that the community may be able to help?
§ 265.20 (14) and (15) The possession of “self-defense sprays” by persons who are not felons or who have not been convicted of an assault, 18 or over for the protection of person or property and its otherwise lawful use is legal. “Self-defense spray” is defined as “a pocket sized spray device which contains and releases a chemical or organic substance which is intended to produce temporary physical discomfort or disability through being vaporized or otherwise dispensed in the air or any like device containing tear gas, pepper spray or similar disabling agent”. There are certain labeling requirements. Sales require… Read more »
1. Let them see that it’s not in their best interests to mess
with this community. That we are prepared and there will
be consequences.
2. Call for assistance the ones who are responsible and
caring enough to get things right. They’ll be there first.
Pity that those who should will never bother apprehending the criminals, enabling the cycle of unpunished crime.
Can it be carried on shabbos without an eruv? Just in case?
You can buy it on amazon or Walmart or target, really anywhere, and it’s not expensive. For people who walk alone at night, I highly recommend. I’ve been carrying it for a few months now and I hope never to have to use it but it does make me feel safer.
So how about if the Community Council buys it in bulk & sells to us all at their price ? Statistics show pepper spray works.
Pepper spray is the way to go.
Where can one buy pepper spray?
in wienstiens