My mom says I need this for college...

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>My mom was at Target today (again, yeah shocker, she goes to Target like every day) and saw this safety alarm thing that she thinks I need. I don't know what it's actually called, sorry. It's something that you can have in your purse and press a button that makes a loud piercing noise if someone ever decided to attack you (I'm a girl)...is this a good idea or not? Yeah it would be, but I'm wondering if I'd even have time to get it out of my purse if something like that happened. It'd be for off-campus stuff, not really worried about on-campus so much. </p>

<p>Has anyone here brought anything like that with them to college? Helpful or not?</p>

<p>My mom gets REALLY worried about this sort of thing.</p>

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<p>At my college you are always within sight of a blue light (I’ve tested this). Push the button it immediately goes to the campus police department and they are required to send a car out even if you don’t say anything. I’ll bet a dollar your school has these too. TBH these are a bit of a relic now that everyone has a cellphone.</p>

<p>If you’re concerned about safety just carry pepper spray, but 99% of the time you’re not the only person walking around a given area (unless it’s a tiny school).</p>

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<p>I never worry…I know I’m a little more lax about safety and walking by myself at night than most people, but I don’t think you need that. You can get a thing of pepper spray if you really really want.</p>

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<p>Second thoughts, a piercing noise isn’t going to do anything to deter a determined attacker. It might draw attention to you but if you’re about to get raped, chances are no one is within earshot in the first place.</p>

<p>The best defense is being aware of your surroundings. And avoiding the unlit dirt path going through a dark forest.</p>

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<p>My friend brought pepper spray last year…never needed it but I suppose it doesn’t hurt to have. I personally don’t have anything but I make sure I’m not walking off campus alone at night. My college town isn’t the safest, but I’m not off campus at night too much anyway. And on campus we have the blue light system.</p>

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<p>I don’t know that it would help you. You can tell your mom you don’t feel you need it. But if it makes her feel better don’t put up too big of a fight if she’s offering to pay for it. Thank her for being concerned, take the alarm, and put it somewhere you won’t accidentally press that button while you walk/while you’re in class/at the movies/while you sleep.</p>

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<p>The school gave me a whistle for that purpose. I never used it. You’ll probably be fine as long as you make sure you’re always with friends.</p>

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<p>ROFLMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO x ∞ </p>

<p>Please be my best friend for life? LOLOLOL. This made my night haha.</p>

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I’ve made 2 today- who cares!</p>

<p>Regarding the pepper spray- she thought about that too, but have heard it can often be used against you.</p>

<p>Yeah the blue light thing…</p>

<p>Yeah I’m not so sure this alarm thing would really help anyways, just wanted to know how it sounded to other people.</p>

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<p>Sounds like a waste of money. Investments in a knife or a gun would be better.</p>

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<p>@MrWinter. It’s a crime to have a gun or knife with a blade > 4" on my campus. And I go to school in the most gun happy state next to Texas.</p>

<p>Re: Pepper spray. Yeah it can be used against you. This is why you don’t threaten your attacker with it…you either use it or don’t pull it out. Unlike a gun it’s not lethal in most cases, so even if you accidentally spray a homeless guy asking for change…oh well.</p>

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<p>^^Don’t think I want to have that, just don’t feel comfortable w/ it and I’m sure we’re not allowed to have those sorts of things.</p>

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<p>my uni is surrounded by some very hood areas yet crime is not particularly bad here, you’ll be fine.</p>

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<p>You can have pepper spray. This isn’t high school, you’re allowed to have whatever you want assuming it’s not illegal.</p>

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<p>@UAKId
Don’t see the problem</p>

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<p>@MrWinter. Good luck getting a job when you have possession of a weapon on a college campus in your record.</p>

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<p>how about learning some krav maga so you can snap a fool’s neck?</p>

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<p>@UAKid</p>

<p>That would imply said person gets caught</p>

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<p>Just get it to make your mom happy / get her not worry as much.</p>

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<p>Agree w/ MrWinter.</p>