I didn't/couldnt' take the time to read allllll 24 pages of ramblings of weapons carried on a ride. I remember when I was riding at a younger age, a guy we rode with thought a log truck passed too close so he flipped him the bird. The logger stopped, got out, the guy got off the bike and they faced off, and the cycling lost because he didn't use his head. Some of these posts are really amazing the ignorance that one uses in their life. Where I ride, there are many cyclists that I see that I laugh and thank god they are not like the guy I remember from when I was younger. Not only can they not stop at signs and lights, but they also can't ride a straight line. If you put a gun in their hand they are going to kill someone. Guns were made for a specific purpose, and think about it! They are made to destroy or kill. Weapons need to be shown their due respect for what they stand for. When you are riding, your pulse rate is high. When you feel threatened, your adrenaline kicks in. Look at a really stressful situation and notice how the body reacts. Your body has to deal with the adrenaline. All of these factors combined into a situation could also affect the judgement of someone that is not properly trained in dealing with such a scenario, and without proper training/safety procedures, most would probably pull the trigger. And like I have seen in quite a few posts, you will be dealing with jail time. Think about it!
Now, a comment for the canadians. I am going to have to agree with some of the posts I have seen. YOU are not living in the U.S. Just because your country does not allow for certain things that we have the freedom to do here, do not judge that. We don't judge you for not waging war on your enemies. We do not judge you for not carrying weapons. We are all not warfighting babykilling gun totin rednecks down here. Many americans are veterans. Veterans of foreign wars, combat veterans that believe in the freedom that we have gained through history. I am not going to give a history lesson here, but keep in mind that we have a short history, but a very rich history. And that is truly what we believe in.
I know that based on traditional forums, I will probably have some rebuttals to my thoughts. But remember, they are mine. I own them. I said them. And yes, I fought for my freedom of speech. Just remember that weapons don't win the war, necessarily. The mind does. The mind is your best tool that you can use. When a situation arises, do NOT be ignorant. Consequences to quick decisions sometimes are lifetime.
I have to just sit here and shake my head at some of the things that were said, and how many people don't care about what is lawful. I respect some of the thoughts that were passed, as they are strictly that: Thoughts. Just remember, there are laws out there that you are 'supposed' to abide by. But your mind and the way you use it can get you out of many stressful situations. Trust me on this. Also, on the O.C. spray....or CS as some of you have referred to, you should check your state laws on that and see what the legal percentage you are allowed to carry before you buy that one off the internet and carry it.
Touching on the scenario of some guy passing too close to you, then stopping, and you pulling out your .280 or .22......or your shotgun for that matter! Just remember that your actions if you both escalate the situation or no better than doing the same in YOUR car and both of you pulling over to the side of the road to discuss the problem. It's called...hmmm...road rage. Granted, I have had some close calls from ignorant people. Those are the ones that are usually on the cell phone, driving too fast, not paying attention...etc.......But I do NOT carry my firearm with me while riding. OC spray, yes. I am trained with both items for my job. I DO carry a firearm at work, and spray. Do I know how to read a situation? Yes. Do I carry off duty in other situations? Yes. Do I carry while riding however? NO. About spray not warding off 4 attackers: ****. I have seen situations where one person is in a situation where there maybe be 48 would be attackers. The officer is protected with JUST spray. And a radio. But his mind is his tool. So to ward off 4 punks passing by in a car: Yes. Spray is efficient. You don't empty your can on one guy. 1/2 second bursts are sufficient.
I've rambled enough now to feel like I am preaching here. And remember, I did not pick out and single out anyone's personal ID. So don't take things personally and feel the need to bash me in rebuttal. And just remember: The truth only hurts those that KNOW it's the TRUTH!
OUT.
