Any use for a personal alarm?

[Alex8056]

Could there be any usefulness in carrying one of those ~130dB personal alarms, that are about the size of a small thumb drive? It looks like you either push a button, or pull on an end of it to activate. This could be for a child, or a spouse who doesn't want to carry a firearm but carries pepper spray. Or in addition to carrying a firearm and pepper spray. I'm currently doing the firearm and pepper spray carry.

This idea came from a YouTube video of a guy who says he is a former CIA spy and he recommends a personal alarm for children.

I watched the video mostly for entertainment, but also in case he had an interesting idea. This person sounds like they are uncomfortable carrying a firearm, due to safety concerns with their children around, and is comfortable with a baton. He is entitled to his beliefs about children and firearms, though I'm guessing he comes from a limited firearms background based upon the children & firearms safety stance.

[Utm]

I can't imagine that being better than them screaming their head off while fighting

[LOKNLOD]

A small child can be manhandled and mouth covered, it’s still a commotion but not as much as a grown up fighting. A noise maker that can’t as easily be muffled might have some utility there. Although that’s also a very tempting noisy “toy” for a smaller kid to try out at least once…

[cosermann]

The ones that also sound when the strap/pin is pulled out can also make decent perimeter alarms.
Secure the alarm to an object, tie the trip wire/cord/etc. to the strap, and ta-da, perimeter alarm.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

People are reluctant to scream. I was wondering if they have an effect on dogs or other animals.

[Beast17]

The ones that also sound when the strap/pin is pulled out can also make decent perimeter alarms.
Secure the alarm to an object, tie the trip wire/cord/etc. to the strap, and ta-da, perimeter alarm.

This. I used one over the years to attach to a hotel room door when traveling overseas and staying in hotel rooms that weren't secure. Useful also if you are staying in group sleeping quarters and want to secure a bag or whatever from theft while you are sleeping. I find their utility in a confrontation to be uninspiring, but they have a niche use elsewhere.

[willie]

This gizmo would detract the bad guy's attention and might motivate some to retreat. I see its usefulness when set off during an attempted mugging. Common sense dictates not pushing the button when the other guy is close by and has a gun pointed at your head.

I must drift by joking. I was a spy too, and I never heard of this thing.🤔

Where can I buy one? I wore out my rape whistle.🤭

[dogcaller]

I can't imagine that being better than them screaming their head off while fighting

Thinking of my teen and tween daughters, I think there is a greater likelihood that the girls would pull a pin than they would "make a scene" by screaming. they are also difficult to quickly turn off, which is a good thing. The older girls can now carry pepper spray (not that they always do), but for the tween going to the mall or movies with friends, I like this option, along with a high output light.

[valian]

I think there could be some circumstances that it would be useful, especially for those who for any reason are not carrying other weapons or cannot. Of course it is dependent on having other people around to hear the sound. In places and cultures where no one, even upon hearing the alarm, is willing to help the personal alarm may be of much less utility. I have been in some places and countries where a person calling for help will get no reaction from others except to get as far away as possible. A lot is going to depend on the attitude of the criminal too.

I saw the same podcast. I do not think that the man's CIA background and experiences qualified him much for self defense against violence and found his reasons for not using a firearm for home or outside defense to be naïve at best. He thinks that having a firearm available in or out of the house would put his children or their friends at risk of being shot. I hope that someone reached out to that guy to show him how simplistic his thinking is on that topic.

On the other hand I did purchase a few personal alarms to have for several reasons. It would certainly be better to sound one off in a Walmart parking lot and have some perp retreat if the circumstances permitted. I also gave one to my wife who is living abroad for now where a gun or knife is not possible to carry and darkness comes at about 6 pm every day. As others also noted, some of the personal alarms make decent perimeter and hotel alarms as well.

[feudist]

An actual whistle has value for distress signaling in a number of situations, such as being immobilized or trapped(hiking accident, vehicle rolls off the road, under tornado debris) because they're louder and more penetrating than a voice, particularly when your voice gives out or weakness sets in.
I've carried one for years on my key chain. They work amazingly well in traffic control and getting a bunch of thugs to STFU in the county jail too.