I need to get up to GT Distributors, across town: http://www.gtdist.com/ They’ve got all manner of OC and should have a size that will fit me well.

I didn’t intend to evangelize OC, it’s just kind of sorted out that way. The small, key chain sized OC is just fine. I don’t need a 8oz duty size can of it and I have never carried it on my belt. I like the slightly larger than key chain size def-tech version for the pocket clip.

I had a personal experience that changed my mind on OC. It was interesting because its occurrence so happened to coincide with your previous 2 postings about OC:

http://hsoiblog.wordpress.com/2009/07/26/oc-dogs/

We tend to view things in “worst case scenarios”, but we don’t often accept that there’s a wide range of things that could happen between 0 and 100. So for instance, dogs… there’s no way I was going to shoot one of those dogs, not unless it got VERY ugly. But like you wrote above, OC is a step above strong language. In my case, I brought my wife’s OC outside with me to deal with the dogs… dogs didn’t respond to verbal commands, so in my head I was prepping to use the OC if the dogs raised the bar. So there’s a place for OC, and not just with humans either.

It made me think back to my Street & Vehicle Tactics course from InSights Training. Greg was telling some sort of story… I’m foggy on the details… but something to the effect that he was sitting at a stop-light in traffic, someone was walking down the cars I think asking for money or some such, Greg pulled his OC out of his car door and kept it out of sight but ready to use coupled with a “don’t mess with me” look on his face… the dude hit the car in front of Greg, walked right by Greg, hit the car behind Greg. Something like that. That sort of thing makes me think about the vagrants here in Austin, some a little too aggressive in trying to obtain money from people especially at stop lights. Verbal commands can only do so much, a gun would be wholly inappropriate, but a shot of OC in the face if they opt to stick their nose in your car or start to beat on the windshield and refuse to listen… well, OC becomes an answer.

So, while it may seem frustrating that a lot of people aren’t “getting it” regarding OC, well… I can at least say I’ve had a epiphany. Only trouble is, my waist is starting to look like Batman’s utility belt. ;-)