Stun Guns & Pepper Spray

[Boca Boy]

Gentlemen, I know two amigos traveling to Colombia and beyond. They tell me a wise purchase would be a Stun Gun and a some bottles of Pepper Spray. I'm pro-gun so no problems there, but would my bags in the cargo area, not carry-on, be susceptible? I’m aware these days airport security x-rays luggage going into cargo. Could the stunner and bottles be recognizable? My friend says he’s yet to have any problems. My thinking is an x-ray machine could show a Stun Gun in your luggage, then you could have serious trouble, miss your flight and $70 down the drain.

Large gun: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...557842656&rd=1

Small gun: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...r4_PcN__Stores

Thank you in advance.

[gomjabber]

You know, Boca Boy, I was in the post office the other day and I'll be damned if your picture wasn't up on the wall.

Stun Guns and pepper spray, now there's a great idea. And how to smuggle them onto airplanes no less!

I could say about 50 things here, but I'll sum it up by saying that you disgust me, and I fear for the safety of anyone unfortunate enough to cross your path.

Te lo lavas

[Junfan]

So it's safe to assume you would carry a stun-gun with you while you are out in Colombia?

Terrible idea.

Sure, your risks of petty crime in Colombia are generally higher than that of your everday life here in the states. But prudent precautions and general street saavy will mitigate much of the risk.

[Boca Boy]

Cell phone guns, a safer option perhaps?

http://www.safetytechnology.com/cellphonestungun.htm

Jabber, your logic this would make trouble is understandable but statistics of street assault are higher for a Gringo than a kidnapping. Better safe than sorry.

[Junfan]

You don't need that ****...

If you get jumped, it will probably be from someone w/ a knife or a gun, in which case your "cell phone stun gun" would not be the right weapon.

Just use some common sense and you'll be fine.

[HonkyTonk]

Great idea! Get the bigger one Boca Boy. That, a couple cannisters of mustard gas, and harsh language ought to kick any Colombiano's ass who has a .38 stuck in the side of your head.

If you're serious, and a troll like I think you are, you deserve to be removed from the gene pool. If not, accept my apologies and stay home where you belong.

Bon Voyage!

[Lostagain]

B.B.
I suggest you stay the heck out of Colombia. You are a target waiting to be shot. You can bring all the arms you want but you will never be safe or even less in danger. Colombia isn't the fantasyland of the U.S. gun lobby or brain-dead survivalists. It's a place where real tragedies from all sorts of weapons are played out hundreds of times each day. Your chance of survival there is nil. DON'T GO THERE. You have no idea how deadly it can be people who want to play in their world of conflict.

For the rest of those who read this board and want to visit Colombia without bringing weapons; be they stun guns, peper spray, or bazookas; go and enjoy. You can have a really wonderful time. Try to blend in and look like a Colombian. Use good sense when you are outside. Don't carry a lot of cash or credit cards. If someone ever tries to rob you, give him what he demands as fast as you can and he'll probably leave it at that. If you resist, you will end up like one of my wife's teachers who resisted a carjacking; dead.

B.B., it just occurred to me, you could take some arms and amunition to México. Be sure to hide them well, but not so well you can't get to them quickly. When you are stopped in a reten set up by the army or auduana, you can tell those little pricks to f*ck off because you're a tough American and you can take care of yourself. I'm sure they will give you a cordial invitation to stay in their country for a while.

Lost Again

I know one seasoned traveler who pre 9/11 did travel with a small palm size stungun to Brazil along with his pepper. He said the gun came in handy on a few occasions, so did the pepper. Yours truly did take a stunner to Colombia pre-2001, but "no packing" while on the street, it was in my Hotel room at all times. I did carry pepper too. But, now I do not. Looking back at my recent over extended stay in Brazil, a small low voltage stunner would have helped me on the three assault attacks I encountered while in Rio. In a big city in any country in Central or South America, pepper is not a bad idea. My assaults were 2-3 young big Brazilian guys from the favellas. They did not have knives or guns and they tried to grab me from all sides, a group attack. A stungun would have helped me in this situation, no question. Also, a stungun when pulled and triggered can create fear in a would be attacker. Most people in LA have never seen a charged weapon, so they will probably leave you alone. For you BB, they key is getting the stunner past customs without problems and do not spray pepper downwind.

[HonkyTonk]

A Bogotana I dated for awhile told me told me what happened to her brother the night before near her home. He was accosted by an older very gruff looking dude with a kid about 13. While the punk laughed nervously, the older dude pulled a gun and smiled. Her brother is in the military and was legally armed. Before the bad guy knew what happened, her brother pulled his gun and aimed it at the guy's chest. The dude dropped his gun and her brother held them for the police.

The robbers got a lawyer and tried to bribe her brother to drop charges. When he wouldn't, they upped the ante to about $500US. No. Now where do you thing they would have gotten the $500 from? Robbing about 50 other people, that's where. If you even had to think about it you don't belong in Colombia.

I asked her why he didn't shoot the dude. She frowned and said "No, in Colombia you can't just shoot a robber. You can get in a lot of trouble for that".

You pepper or shock someone in SA and don't get shot in the process, there's a chance you'll have charges filed against YOU; that is if they can find you.

Leave your and stun gun/pepper spray along with your attitude at home when travelling abroad. What seems like common sense laws up here are not down there, and you can find yourself in some deep Colombian ****.

"you can tell those little pricks to f*ck off because you're a tough American"

That brought a smile to my face because it reminded me of the tough guy from the US who flipped off the Brazilian authorities when they went to fingerprint him upon arriving at the airport. Up here they let brats like him off with a scolding. Let's see...down there they arrested the guy, stuck him in a hole in the wall cell for his entire vacation, and he had to pay about an $18,000US fine before they'd release him. You should have seen his sorry ass apologizing to the Brazilian authorities. Tough guy my ass! I loved it [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Lostagain]

More often than not fighting back with weapons, and often without, only escalates the situation. Yes there are some success stories, but chances are, the robbers are much more experienced with this kind of confrontation and, unfortunately, have little regard for life, especially their victim's. Tonk raises a good point as well. Remember you are the foreigner and when it's your word against the corpse, who, when he was a person not a cadaver, tried to rob you, they are going to believe the corpse.

You are going to lose at any violent confrontation, whether it is with the robbers, the cops, or the courts. We have uniquely individualistic ideas when it comes to self defense issues. They are not such a good idea here and just plain insane there. Don't bring them with you for your own safety.

Remember in most L.Am. countries even a car accident can land you in jail until you have paid off the other person's damages. Keep telling yourself that you are foreigner in a foreign land and there, just like here, people don't trust foreigners in a conflict with their own countrymen... or women for that matter.

L.A.