Same advice applies, get your legal advice from a competent local lawyer. She's in Illinois. The Governor is blathering about sending the state police and national guard to help control crime in Chicago. The state and some of it's cities have some of the most repressive gun laws. Make a mistake following the laws that are supposed to protect you (or ignoring them) and they will be felonies.
If you decide to take a more active role in protecting yourself, seek out competent training. Avoidance and awareness is always important. Slipping anything, even keys, out of a pocket or a holster when you've been surprised while carrying $5K-$8k in gear is not an inviting prospect.
Hmmm. It is a personal issue, but from experience, having a weapon (like a taser or gun or pepper spray) didn't make me feel better. Maybe a little, but it also made me nervous to think of being overwhelmed by someone and having said weapon used on me. In my opinion, having a weapon on you will only make you fell better if you are sure you would be effective with it. Which is either being in a situation where you had to use it & it turned out well, or learning how to use it properly & trying out your skills that way.
Going to a self defense class, coupled with pepper spray, makes me feel better.
Though... I am loving the hunky strong assistant idea!!
tell me .... nut uhh.... you didn't do it did you? you brought The Norris into this...
and to speak of such nonsense!
Chuck Norris could still whoop up on someone with a gun and if he got shot it'd just kill the bullett and probably not even break skin ! Do you know the Norris ?
I live in the same area code as Oakland, CA (unfortunately). And near my studio there is a strong-arm robbery fest of storefront businesses currently going on.
I've just re-registered my equipment insurance with Hill & Usher. This is the only worthy protection. I believe in responsible gun ownership but that has no effect if you're not around.
-m
Edited by mauriceramirez on Aug 26, 2008 at 05:27 AM GMT
mauriceramirez wrote:
That said, I've just re-registered my insurance with Hill & Usher. This is the only worthy protection. I believe in responsible gun ownership but that has no effect if you're not around.
I would assume that if the OP is thinking about a taser, perhaps some personal protection/martial arts training along with the pepper spray would be most appropriate. I would hate for her to hesitate while holding that can or missing a fast moving perp.
Also, it shouldnt be about the gear. Get insurance. Drop the gear and run. Your life is worth more than that 40D.... after all, it's just been replaced.
snegron wrote:
If that person has a weapon, even Chuck Norris can't get out of it without getting shot!
please dear sir, that is inane and uncalled for. Blasphemer. spread your filth elsewhere. we know chuck norris has been shot 534,343,643 times. its impossible for him to have an MRI.
I actually am trained in disarming armed opponents, but really- if someone is going to shoot you and take your items then they are going to do so. and no gun/dog/redwhiteandred/taser will stop them. this situation is 90% planning and preparation. make yourself look less like pray.
-hold you cell phone to your ear even if your not on it
-hold your keys in a defensive and aggressive manner
-walk purposefully and direct
-dont look around alot
-avoid opportunistic areas
-- i could go on, if you want pm me and i can give you loads of easy tips to make yourself a hard target. i may even tell you about the wushi finger hold.
or the patented K. Anderson throat chop.
Umm... Cell phone with quick dial 911 programmed into it You can open your phone up while it is in your coat pocket and dial 911 (secretly) faster than do anything else... If I lived or worked in an area that was really bad on crime, I would carry around my old backup (CCD seems to be going out of it) with a cheap/broken lens on it. Throw that at them, and run If you have to carry a weapon... I kinda like the looks of the battery operated cattle prods that you can get at feed/western stores You also wouldn't have to be as close to the person (as you would with a regular taser) - and I have a feeling that they might be pretty powerful (but I don't know for sure - I'd have to research that). I would think lethal weapons like guns are a bigger risk (hurting yourself and/OR hurting someone else) than there is of you getting robbed for your camera equipment. I live in a very small town, and I know of 3 different "acccidental" fatal shootings that occurred when I was growing up. One was a father accidentally shot his son. His son forgot his keys, and after a night of drinking, attempted to 'break' into their house. Father thought the son was a burgler and shot him - killed him. Super tragic stuff. I don't mess with lethal weapons.
o.k. I know that I may get shot down for this but...
THIS THREAD IS IDIOTIC!
It's just equipment. Your life is way more important.
I'm not sure what the exact numbers are, but I do remember hearing somewhere that even if you are the one with the weapon, merely taking it out during a fight will drastically increase the risk of you getting harmed (I could be wrong, but it makes sense in my head)
I mean really.
Scenario #1: Some guy runs up and grabs your bag, you see him do it, and pull a gun on him and he keeps running. Are you going to shoot him? I think not...
Scenario #2: Same as one, only this time when you pull the gun (without intention of shooting) the assailant feels threatened and pulls out a gun of his own, and you better believe he's more willing to shoot than you are.
If someone steals your equipment, it sucks, especially for the bride and groom, but man, it's not worth risking your life.
My assistants are hired more for their menacing physical presence & martial arts knowledge than their ability to put a strobe on a light stand. So hire big ex convict assistants with lots of badass tats. That alone keeps 80% of the thieving riffraff away.
Plus I got in the habit of carrying a sawed off 410 in my bag during my landscape shooting days .. moose & bears can become pretty aggressive during mating season and often you may see small packs of dogs in some of the northern communities. Knives are used on persistent smaller threats like wolves, etc. The 410 stays with me but I no longer keep it loaded .. but I will take it out to bring some bridal parties under control, particularly if they have difficulty smiling on the count of 3.
But forget all this girlie 911 cell phone, pepper spray, & taser nonsense .. you'll just piss the perps off.
Wow, I can see the headlines:"Thief shot dead by wedding photographer". That'll get you lots of bookings of people wanting their weddigns turned to a funeral...
I certainly wouldn't want anyone carrying one around me.
panos.v wrote:
Wow, I can see the headlines:"Thief shot dead by wedding photographer". That'll get you lots of bookings of people wanting their weddigns turned to a funeral...
For sure .. a marketing nightmare. Which is why we carry those memory-erasing gizmos used by the Men-in-Black. No witnesses.
Oh man I just invented the pepper spray monopod. If you have problems just point the monopod at said assailant and pull the trigger. It also works at weddings for that annoying uncle or little tird that insists upon touching your lens with his candy coated fingers. Still working out the kinks on the safety button after inadvertantly peppering a couple during and engagement shoot. -grin-
You can open your phone up while it is in your coat pocket and dial 911 (secretly) faster than do anything else... If I lived or worked in an area that was really bad on crime, I would carry around my old backup (CCD seems to be going out of it) with a cheap/broken lens on it. Throw that at them, and run