Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

BurkeyTurger t1_iydsz0n wrote

Awful, hopefully someone will recognize them and do the right thing.

I know you can't carry on VCU property but can you at least have pepper spray? Or do they completely leave their staff to the wolves?

20

[deleted] t1_iydv23l wrote

[deleted]

26

10000Didgeridoos OP t1_iydvhsg wrote

It's nuts that VCU has metal detectors at the emergency room entrance, but not for any other MCV building entrance, as if the people coming in to the emergency room and the people coming in to the other departments are somehow totally different.

21

momthom427 t1_iyeunbx wrote

I worked for ten years for another hospital system, and though we obviously had arguments in the ER, we had almost as many incidents on the Mother Baby/Delivery floor. Ridiculous stuff. Three times when I was on duty, we had a baby daddy with two different baby mamas in the hospital at the same time. And the baby mama families would fight each other over the piece of crap baby daddy. I never understood why the two families didn’t join the same team and fight the daddy instead. It’s a crazy world.

13

WhalerBum t1_iydwqbv wrote

I illegally carried my entire time at VCU. Wasn’t taking that risk.

19

onewayover t1_iye2hw2 wrote

Recalling the time me and another dude realized we both had the good ol’ pocket-rocket in the MCalc bathroom. Worst case scenario for students is expulsion, you can’t be arrested for violating a “policy”.

9

Tylerjb4 t1_iye7l0j wrote

I believe it’s also a crime. Let me look real quick.

−2

WhalerBum t1_iye8xz7 wrote

I’m pretty sure they can escort you off campus and hit you with a trespassing charge. As the say, I’d rather be judged by 12 for a trespassing charge than carried by 6 lol

3

onewayover t1_iyelk4e wrote

They can ask you to leave campus because you are breaking policy. If you refuse that’s why & when you get trespassed.

6

Tylerjb4 t1_iyem16n wrote

I mean, I agree. I just also think there’s legislation

0

FalloutRip t1_iyechpe wrote

Concealed is concealed, after all. Part of the reason I left ODU was because carry on campus was banned, and yet Norfolk PD was going jack shit about muggings, assaults, etc. and I had a few night classes in buildings without close parking.

7

BurkeyTurger t1_iydvm08 wrote

Well yeah concealed means concealed.

That's still a little harder, and with more repercussions if caught, for a staffer to pull off than someone visiting or walking through.

2

[deleted] t1_iydxf7z wrote

[deleted]

24

BurkeyTurger t1_iydye2k wrote

Thank you, the weapons policy page I got from googling didn't mention pepper spray either way so I wasn't sure.

6

10000Didgeridoos OP t1_iydwai3 wrote

TBH I wouldn't risk trying to pepper spray two men who for all you know might have guns. You're not going to win that fight by yourself even if they don't. Just let them have what they want and hope that's it. If they already got the jump on you there isn't much you're going to be able to do. Pepper spray needs to be pretty accurate since it's a liquid designed to not mist into the user's own eyes. The odds of you taking down two grown ass dudes with accurate pepper spray shots are not great. The second you pull that out of a pocket to point at one, you're getting beaten down by the other one.

Unless you're John Wick.

22

BurkeyTurger t1_iydwzwu wrote

To each their own, it is still better to have the option to have it if you want to try to spray and run. Not just in this case, but just in general.

Never been a fan of the "just bend over and take it mentality".

Edit: They do sell both gel, foam, and mist types. The latter you're likely to get some blowback but you get a bigger cloud.

14

10000Didgeridoos OP t1_iye2o7s wrote

Wild how many internet tough guys up voting this comment think they have the fighting prowess to take down two men who had the jump on them already...and with pepper spray? How do you plan on taking down two guys with a pepper spray vial? Please detail how you'd do that for us. Again, you're not John Wick.

I only meant in this particular instance it wouldn't have helped, not that carrying it was pointless in all cases. You aren't pepper spraying your way out of a robbery when it's you vs two guys your size or bigger. So you're saying if you were this victim who was suddenly assaulted by two dudes without warning because you thought they needed help, you'd be able to pull pepper spray out of a pocket and hit both quickly enough and accurately enough to get away without them beating you to death? Good luck with that, sorry. If you're already outmanned and don't have time to react like this, trying to fight them is a good way to go from simply being robbed to being killed.

It's not "bending over and letting them have it." Spare us the assrape metaphor, please.

It's the correct decision to maximize your chance of getting out alive and without severe injury because you decided you, a hospital employee caught by surprise, were capable of subduing two male attackers inside a parking garage despite the fact you have zero hand to hand combat training or experience. Again, good luck with that. This isn't a movie. You'd get your head slammed into the concrete, or if they have guns, get shot and killed over your car keys when simply giving them up was an option. No self defense expert anywhere advocates trying to fight back as a first option.

But real talk I don't see what the point of pepper spray is in a state with concealed carry. If you're that afraid of being attacked, you'd be much better off with a CC gun than trying to flail pepper spray into someone's eyes, and someone attacking you is much more likely to run and leave when seeing a gun pulled than a pepper spray device. Why would you carry pepper spray instead of a handgun if you want a self defense weapon? That makes no sense.

9

BurkeyTurger t1_iye4lbt wrote

None of us know the exact details how it went down, what floor, how close to an exit, etc. but don't pretend that spray and run is never a viable strategy, especially in a relatively well trafficked part of town in broad daylight.

Who is talking about fighting them? Pepper spray isn't for subduing it is literally just to disorient to give you a chance to get away.

Obviously a gun is better but the point of pepper spray is if you are forced by your employer/state to otherwise disarm yourself it is better than nothing.

19

reebokhightops t1_iye78yc wrote

Well said.

It’s another tool in your tool belt, plain and simple. Better to have it and not need it, and all that.

12

choicebutts t1_iyedd5r wrote

In addition, some pepper sprays are UV marking so the attacker can be identified later. Even if you don't score a direct hit to the face, the attacker is marked and won't know it until the cops shine a black light on them.

10

reebokhightops t1_iye6b2x wrote

Going by your logic, you would really have to hope that all they want are your possessions.

It’s important to assess each situation and make the best decision you can with what little time you have, but you can bet your ass that my wife, who parks on D deck every day, is carrying pepper spray going forward. If you want to give the benefit of the doubt to potentially violent criminals, then I wish you the best of luck with that.

6

Tylerjb4 t1_iye7yd5 wrote

You should get her a Glock instead

−9

reebokhightops t1_iye8z9j wrote

We have numerous handguns, but you can’t carry on VCU properly and she’s not going to jeopardize her career to do so.

10

Economy-Maybe-6714 t1_iyefnmx wrote

Whoah, so you are saying a self defense instructor would advise not to defend if being assulted?

2