[quote]Varqanir wrote:
Nothing illegal about a D-cell Mag-Lite. When an English-speaking person outside of the United States says “torch”, just imagine they are saying “flashlight”[/quote]
Known in Detroit as the Malice Green light
lol @ British people saying torch
That one always bugged me a little bit, because the thing is, torch also means torch to them, but torch also means flashlight. Just not a good system imo.
[quote]csulli wrote:
lol @ British people saying torch
That one always bugged me a little bit, because the thing is, torch also means torch to them, but torch also means flashlight. Just not a good system imo.[/quote]
Wut?
[quote]RATTLEHEAD wrote:
[quote]csulli wrote:
lol @ British people saying torch
That one always bugged me a little bit, because the thing is, torch also means torch to them, but torch also means flashlight. Just not a good system imo.[/quote]
Wut?[/quote]
“Torch” means a stick with fire on the end of it AND a flashlight.
In the USA a “torch” just means a stick with fire on the end of it.
Confusing stage directions for Frankenstien play, I suspect.
Not sure what you mean csulli - I looked up the definitions and torch seems to just mean a “flashlight” and also a stick on fire which is just really the old-fashioned version of a “flashlight” lol so it makes sense to me.
[quote]Jewbacca wrote:
[quote]RATTLEHEAD wrote:
[quote]csulli wrote:
lol @ British people saying torch
That one always bugged me a little bit, because the thing is, torch also means torch to them, but torch also means flashlight. Just not a good system imo.[/quote]
Wut?[/quote]
“Torch” means a stick with fire on the end of it AND a flashlight.
In the USA a “torch” just means a stick with fire on the end of it.
Confusing stage directions for Frankenstien play, I suspect.[/quote]
No I know, I am british lol.
I just thought it made sense considering one of the main purposes for a stick with fire would be to illuminate.
[quote]mwiersma wrote:
Don’t underestimate the power of bear spray, bear spray is EXTREMELY powerful and potent. If you spray the bear spray at this man, you are vastly mistaken in thinking that you would need to do any further damage. Even spraying the bear spray would affect you negatively as well. If you get stopped by police and you have bear spray on you it won’t be good. Hypothetically if this guy came at you and you hit him with bear spray, it would look premeditated on your part, and then you’re the bad guy. Bad idea [/quote]
Do you have a better idea? I’d rather look like a bad guy than be on the wrong end of a baseball bat. To my knowledge, carrying bear spray isn’t illegal. They might think I’m nuts for carrying it around for wild animals that may have rabies, but they couldn’t actually do anything, could they?
Make no mistake, my first intention would be to walk/jog/run away while calling the police. I wouldn’t plan on actually using it. It’s just there in case I need it. If I run a block or two and he’s still pursuing me, I don’t feel like that would look premeditated. By all means, let me know if you disagree with that, though, because that’s the point of this thread.
[quote]MartyMonster wrote:
[quote]Eielson wrote:
What is it you think I’m overreacting about? I know I’ve asked a lot of questions, and that may seem like I’m freaking out, but it’s not like I’m losing sleep or anything. I just haven’t been in this situation before, so I have a lot of questions. He made the threat, so it’s appropriate to prepare for it’s potential fulfillment, correct? I should also try to prepare myself in a legal way, correct? I’ve been stopped by police before (they checked my ID, saw my record was spotless, and let me go), so the odds are high that I’d be stopped again if I had an illegal weapon.
I ordered some bear spray online yesterday. It will arrive on Tuesday, so I’ll start walking again at night when that comes in. I don’t think I’ll need anything else. I’ll keep walking around the neighborhood, but I’ll avoid walking past his house. As much as I’d like to provoke him to come outside, spray him with bear spray, and then beat him with his own bat, I’m trying to outgrow the revenge mentality I’ve grown up with. It’s dragged me down more than anything.[/quote]
He swore at you and your response is Bear spray and revenge fantasies.
Overreacting … I think you just answered your own question.[/quote]
Strongly understate one side and strongly overstate the other? I have such a dislike for that style of discussion that I usually don’t even gratify it with a legitimate response, but since there was some confusion about torch I will go ahead.
I thought you were psycho for suggesting a baton torch. I had no idea that meant flashlight, and I thought you were suggesting I light him on fire. I’m not having revenge fantasies. I’ve grown up with a chip on my shoulder, and found myself fighting over quite a few things. I’ve always sought revenge, but I’m saying that isn’t what I’m after this time, and then gave an example of the thing I might have done when I was younger. As for bear spray, that’s what many other people on here suggested.
Also, to say he just swore at me is a major understatement. I’ve been cussed at many times, but this was different. This was a threat. One of my older friends said he recognized him because they worked together for a few months, and he said he’s the kind of guy who might actually do it.
So to use your overstatement/understatement strategy…A guy with a deadly weapon threatened to violently kill me, so I took minor measures to use as a last resort for non-lethal self-defense.
What size of a maglite would you guys suggest? I see that they come anywhere from about 3 inches to 20 inches. I’d imagine 20 inches would be a bit cumbersome and suspicious. I’d probably use it mainly for it’s light purposes, because I don’t have a good flashlight, but if I’m getting one, I might as well get a potentially dual-purpose one.
[quote]Eielson wrote:
[quote]mwiersma wrote:
Don’t underestimate the power of bear spray, bear spray is EXTREMELY powerful and potent. If you spray the bear spray at this man, you are vastly mistaken in thinking that you would need to do any further damage. Even spraying the bear spray would affect you negatively as well. If you get stopped by police and you have bear spray on you it won’t be good. Hypothetically if this guy came at you and you hit him with bear spray, it would look premeditated on your part, and then you’re the bad guy. Bad idea [/quote]
Do you have a better idea? I’d rather look like a bad guy than be on the wrong end of a baseball bat. To my knowledge, carrying bear spray isn’t illegal. They might think I’m nuts for carrying it around for wild animals that may have rabies, but they couldn’t actually do anything, could they?
Make no mistake, my first intention would be to walk/jog/run away while calling the police. I wouldn’t plan on actually using it. It’s just there in case I need it. If I run a block or two and he’s still pursuing me, I don’t feel like that would look premeditated. By all means, let me know if you disagree with that, though, because that’s the point of this thread. [/quote]
The thing is, once he is no longer on his property, he has absolutely no right to touch you. You are both two citizens in the street, if he comes at you with a baseball bat then you call the cops, and then you can press charges, you said that he was a fatty, since you are on TNation I am assuming that you have some athletic ability and would be able to outrun him.
Cops will get there quickly if you are in the process of being “attacked”, cops get there see the crazy guy with the bat chasing you, you have nothing on you, no weapons, no equipment that would help you break into cars, the cops have no reason to believe that you provoked him or was indeed breaking into his car, they will believe you.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, let’s say that he comes at yuo with a bat, off of his own property and you’re ready with bear spray. You spray him and he would most definitely be incapacitated, the cops come and they see a guy writhing on the ground with a bat next to him, and a guy with bear spray. The guy who threatened you is going to tell the police that you are the guy who broke into his car, and then yuo’re going to tell the police that you’re just the guy minding his own business who walks around at night with bear spray.
What I’m getting at here is that from a police perspective, you look more or less like the bad guy in the situation because you knowing left your home with something that’s only purpose is to cause harm. It may not be illegal, but in doing this you are immediately elevating any situation.
The most important thing I want to encourage you to consider, is that this is just an empty threat. This guy is not going to follow thruogh on anything, he is just busting your balls and trying to be a tough guy.
[quote]Eielson wrote:
What size of a maglite would you guys suggest? I see that they come anywhere from about 3 inches to 20 inches. I’d imagine 20 inches would be a bit cumbersome and suspicious. I’d probably use it mainly for it’s light purposes, because I don’t have a good flashlight, but if I’m getting one, I might as well get a potentially dual-purpose one.
http://www.maglite.com/productline.asp[/quote]
The 3 D-cell is what most cops carry but I don’t think this is an effective weapon against a bat unless you are going to shine it in his eyes to make your getaway. They are good lights but fairly cumbersome. I have two that I have received as gifts and I rarely use them because of the weight, although I do keep one on my desk at work.