[pct-l] Pepper Spray

[wayneskraft at comcast.net (Wayne Kraft)]

I've spent the last 25 years reading police reports, many of them  
detailing in precise detail the force used to subdue a resistant homo  
sapiens. I can tell you that there are many examples of that species  
upon whom the application of pepper spray has no observable effect.   
Often these subjects are drunk, drug addled, adrenaline charged or  
all three. Furthermore, I've encountered many instances in which, for  
whatever reason, the pepper stray wound up debilitating the person  
using it rather than the subject to whom it was directed.  When these  
two product failures coincide in the same event, the result is seldom  
favorable for anyone.  Someone usually gets shot.

It would seem likely that many bears twice or more the size and  
strength of your average deranged human, in the immediate pursuit of  
a known source of, say, Snickers bars, would be just about as likely  
to back off when pepper sprayed as they would if you simply addressed  
them directly in a firm, but friendly tone of voice and said, "See  
here, you silly pudding, those Snickers are MINE and you know if full  
well!  Now off with you!" Perhaps while, waving a lace hanky at the  
lout.

Wayne Kraft