Utlity of Noise Alarms

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Recently, in our area, a guy was following an older woman in a store parking lot. She triggered one of those personal siren alarms and he left the scene. My wife was interested as she does carry an OC (no chance for a gun with her). Now, I've been through all the usual arguments, challenge the guy - help police, etc. Deploy the OC if he is a real threat, etc.

But is there any experience with these personal alarms? I could see in the big parking lots of our rather nice stores, such a noise maker bringing unwanted attention. On a trail with lions, tigers and bears, not so much. I did read a story once that in Chicago, IIRC, a little girl was kidnapped, she trigger her alarm, no one helped, and some neighbor buried the alarm to shut down the noise. She was killed.

We do get the guys who run out of money for gas in the parking lots once in awhile. They home in on the elderly or Moms with kids.

[RevolverRob]

Caveat - I am an asshole -

I have never once looked up at an alarm in a parking lot and thought, "Someone might be in distress!" - I flat ignore alarms/sirens/car horns - because they go off all the time in parking lots/garages/streets all the time.

I'd probably be more apt to look up at an airhorn screaming than a car alarm.

Proactive carry and deployment of MUC and POM would be my strong preference to an alarm, but I mean an airhorn in one hand and POM in the other might work decently well.

[45dotACP]

I just kinda figured I'd be screaming anyways so the personal alarm never registered to me.

I figured blood curdling shrieking is likely to get more attention in a parking lot than some electronic noisemakers.

Whether anyone pays attention...well I figure it'll at least end up in someone's camera phone filed under "skinny dude in a berserker rage"

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[Crashpad]

I have friends that live in urban environments that have made good use out of the audible alarms. Most also carry OC and some have more options. I don't think that the alarm is so much an attractant for help but more a reason for bad guy to deselect that person and move along. Some may take it as a signal to get violent faster but the only person I know who has had that happen was ready for it. She was prepared and capable of responding with violence and he left quickly, bleeding all the way to the ER where he was arrested.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Screaming and yelling like a mad person may not be an attractive option for an older woman:

1. They may feel inhibited in such for various social reasons. Or they don't have the vocal power.

2. OC is carried but reluctant to deploy because of side effects.

[45dotACP]

Screaming and yelling like a mad person may not be an attractive option for an older woman:

1. They may feel inhibited in such for various social reasons. Or they don't have the vocal power.

2. OC is carried but reluctant to deploy because of side effects.

1. Social inhibitions would probably prevent them from using an electronic screecher too no?. If you don't have the vocal power to scream, but you otherwise would then perhaps said alarm might help...but then so would pepper spray. Would you use that first, then hit the alarm? Or vice versa.

2. If the side effects of a pepper spray exposure might hurt and yeah that would suck, but a loud and ear piercing alarm will be uncomfortable too.

As for medical issues, I believe most manufacturers claim their product is a known bronchodilator.

Not saying you should use it for your asthma attacks, but you use bronchodilators to reverse asthma attacks.

Now there's a nasty inhaler...

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[P30]

One thing comes to my mind:

In Germany, police recommends the defender to call the aggressor "Sie" and not "Du". "Sie" is the 2nd person pronoun for a stranger and it is usually polite. "Du" is for a familiar person, e.g. a friend, but it can also express that you don't have respect for the other person. Reason: Observers should know that the defender is attacked by a stranger, it's not a kind of family dispute. Normally, I would not intervene in a family dispute. How can you make this unambiguous in English for every observer? I think this is also important.

[Default.mp3]

Caveat - I am an asshole -

I have never once looked up at an alarm in a parking lot and thought, "Someone might be in distress!" - I flat ignore alarms/sirens/car horns - because they go off all the time in parking lots/garages/streets all the time.

I'd probably be more apt to look up at an airhorn screaming than a car alarm.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Total speculation but just my opinion that triggering a button would be easier for an older woman than personally screaming. Also, they might be scared of OC. Just a guess, empirical question. The older women I know here are tough old ones, though. Ex-military, LEO wives, etc.

[CleverNickname]

How can you make this unambiguous in English for every observer? I think this is also important.

Yell "That's my purse, I don't know you!" ?