My roommate wants to be pepper sprayed like I was, need advice!

[GuyWithQuestions]

I need some advice from those who train with pepper spray! Since testing pepper spray is recommended by self-defense experts, I posted this in Strategies & Tactics.

I now have different new roommates than from when I filmed that video of me getting pepper sprayed that I posted in this forum, during the summer they move you around the complex while most students go home. One of my new roommates saw the video of me getting pepper sprayed with FoxLabs and he said, "I want to get sprayed sometime. I'm just really curious what it feels like." I've never sprayed anyone or seen anyone being sprayed in person, just have tried it on plenty of rottweilers and pit bulls, and volunteered myself to get it directly in the face.

If you could set up the ideal situation for a "do it at home" for someone who wants to get sprayed, what would you recommend? If I could do it again, I'd use dawn dish detergent instead of baby shampoo, 2 five gallon buckets of water instead of 1 (so it doesn't recycle the pepper oil so much), a gallon of milk to slowly poor over the eyes (I heard it helps the heat more than regular water), and a portable fan (I discovered very quickly that breezes are your friend). We'd do it in a grassy field about 1/4 mile from our apartment so we don't have to get the pepper residue in the car. How would you set up the experience, while still giving him a direct hit to the face?

Also, I know that in rare situations some people are allergic to pepper spray. He says that he is allergic to some plants: allergies from weeds, trees, pollen, and grass. Would this be an indication at all that he would be allergic to pepper spray? He said that he's never had a problem when eating peppers. He's also on the University track team, so if he does get it in his lungs, it probably won't be too bad. I recommended doing a preliminary spray where he could spray fog into the air and then walk into it. Then if he's okay, later on he could do it directly in the face. He said that he wants to start out with the real thing, directly in the face like I had. Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[kingpin008]

Have him spray himself with a fogger or other type. I've been pepper sprayed before, and it messed with my breathing. If anything is going to happen, let it be his own doing.

Or, get it in writing that he absolves you of responsibility. Then have it notarized. Chances are he'll be fine, but if it were me, I'd err on the side of caution and have my bases covered.

 

[Durruti]

I'm trained as a street medic for potentially violent protests and I've treated pepper sprayed folks a couple of times. We use a thing called LAW, or liquid antacid and water (leave your lightweight anti-tank weapons at home). Just mix a 50/50 solution of Maalox or some other brand (original flavor, nothing fancy) and water into a small bottle with a squirt top. Have another similar bottle with just water in it.

When your friend gets sprayed, have him kneel down and tilt his head up towards you. Do one eye at a time. You'll have to hold his top eyelid open with one thumb (I'd recommend using latex or nitrile gloves), because pepper spray causes your eyes to spasm shut. Using the bottle with just water, squirt directly on the eye in a direction that won't splash into the other eye. Grab your bottle with the LAW solution and, holding the top eyelid back again, put three or four drops into his eye. Tell him to blink a few times. Wait a couple of seconds and do it again. Then go ahead and do the water and LAW thing with the other eye. Repeat using the LAW until he mostly feels better.

After it's done, he'll need to take a cold shower (a warm one will open up his pores). He'll need to be careful not to let any pepper spray enter any of his body openings (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and nether regions).

Obviously, he should wear old clothes doing this. Additionally, since pepper spray is soluble in oil, he shouldn't have anything oil-based on his face at the time (he might want to scrub his face before doing this, too). Also, if he wears contacts, take them out ahead of time. It's difficult to get contacts out of a spasming eye. Pepper spray trapped under a contact lens for a period of time can cause retinal damage.

If he's ever had trouble with asthma, I'd skip the whole thing.

Most importantly, shoot video of it. He'll want to see it later

Have fun!

 

[buck00]

This reminds me of the time back in college we began tasering each other.

If you could set up the ideal situation for a "do it at home" for someone who wants to get sprayed, what would you recommend?

I would actually recommend this. Go out and spray pepper spray on the driveway in one concentrated spot. Then have your roommate immediately kneel down, stick his face an inch from the spot, and hold it there. Allow the fumes to rise up in his eyes, nose, and mouth. If he says "Hey that was fun, I want more!" then immediately give him a full blast in the face and video tape him as he rolls around in the front lawn like Nancy Kerrigan, sobbing and yelling out.

 

[Cosmoline]

One thing's for sure--this will all end in tears.

 

[obxned]

Tell him to watch "Jackass".

 

[buck00]

I meant the first part as a real way to do it. When I was younger our neighbor (a cop) did this. He simply sprayed some on a flat stone in his yard, and allowed me and his son to put our faces near the fumes. So we just got a whiff and breathed some in- didn't even get a full shot but it still was bad.

Just doing that- my eyes were burning horribly, my nose running, and I was coughing. Getting a full blast in the face would be much worse.

But as I said- if your roommate still wants more, then just spray him down without mercy and roll tape- don't even offer him water.

 

[hso]

Pepper spray trapped under a contact lens for a period of time can cause retinal damage.

Perhaps you meant cornea?

 

[Durruti]

Oops! Yeah, that should be cornea.

 

[BullfrogKen]

colt1911a2,

One portion of an Officer's certification course in chemical agents often consists of getting sprayed with it. The lesson it teaches is learning what to expect, to learn its limitations and its usefulness. I don't think its childish for those who decide to carry it to want to discover that knowledge first hand. Of course, it may be the case here, but it isn't always so.

 

[Quiet]

POST standards in CA requires you to get pepper sprayed during chemical weapons training. It's so you know how it'll feel like and have a better understanding on how it will work on a suspect.

I prefer a hose instead of a bucket to get the pepper oil off of you.

 

[Nicky Santoro]

If you could set up the ideal situation for a "do it at home" for someone who wants to get sprayed, what would you recommend?

Do what I did. Have him take some outdated spray out onto the deck and spray it to see if it still works. Have the wind change and blow it back in his face. After he finishes choking and gagging, have him sign a release so you can post that video.

 

[GuyWithQuestions]

I'm glad I asked my roommates to pepper spray me last semester. Now I know what pepper spray does, its strengths and limitations. I know what it would feel like. Since I carry it, all of these lessons learned are probably valuable to me.

On the other hand, I have a stun gun. I've tried it on myself, a roommate a year ago, and the same one who wants to get pepper sprayed (they both volunteered, most roommates won't). I know that I'd never carry a stun gun no matter how powerful it is; this one was close to a million volts. However, I might carry an air taser later on. I've heard that air tasers work while handheld probe stun guns don't, but not until I try it out firsthand on myself (I'm sure my roommates will be excited the day I ask for a volunteer to shoot me with one and will probably be fighting over who gets to use it on me). I wouldn't try a firearm on myself, for obvious reasons If it's not supposed to cause permanent damage that's one thing, but different if it does! It just seems like it's the smart thing to do. Try something out before you trust your well being on it, instead of relying on all the media hype out there.

 

[Geno]

When I was in about the 9th grade, my brother -in-law had just started road patrol (county LEO). He had his new Mace and was practicing their basement. The basement was about 45 to 50 feet across. This Mace was weird. It shot two ways simultaneously...a jet, and a fine, fine mist. So, he had me walk across and affix a target to the far wall. I came back and he sprayed three shots. He smiled and said, "I wonder if I hit the target..." I did hear what else he was saying as I sprinted across the basement to get the target. I made it about half way back before the Mace really took effect. Even the lingering mist felt like a really bad sunburn. I can't say that I have ever desired to take a spray of Mace head-on to the face. To each his own.

 

[Striker]

One doesn't have to practice to be miserable.

Having said that, if he still wants to, I'd recommend that he spray a bit on a cotton ball or pad and wipe under the eyes. Won't get the full effect, but it will still get his attention.

 

[CWL]

If you do go ahead with it, I'd be great for you to arrange them to have rubber knives/rolled newspaper in their hands to see if they would be able to stab/slash the sprayer after getting an eyeful.

Might as well get some useful data out of your testing.

 

[Kentak]

Dumb idea, IMO.

 

[ETCss Phil McCrackin]

When I got sprayed for Naval Security training, it messed me up so badly that if any cop in a 100 ft radius starts shaking up his can, I'll prone out just to be safe!!

And for a quick sea story,
One of my first noteworthy Chiefs was also a worked with the sheriff dept part time, and he said that when brother officers would leave their cars idling (SE Georgia in August...) for a quick run into the office, they would give the AC vents a quick squirt with the OC, and sit back to watch the resulting merriment...

Just remember, you should always try to rub the OC out of your eyes

 

[W Turner]

As long as he has no history of asthma or severe allergy to pepper or pepper oils, go for it.

As far as a set up I would have Dawn dish detergent/baby shampoo handy along with a garden hose if possible. If the garden hose isn't an option, then your two bucket idea would work fine.

He's seen the video so it's not like he has no idea what he's setting himslef up for.

BTW- Shoot video of both him getting sprayed and him giving you verbal permission to do so.

W

 

[GuyWithQuestions]

Question about allergic reaction

I just want to make sure he wouldn't be allergic to it. He said that he's allergic to quite a few plants: allergies for weeds, trees, pollen, and grass. He said that one time he entered a pond and he had got so itchy afterwards that he went to a doctor and found that he had an allergic reaction. He said that he's never had a problem eating peppers, except for one time he took a $5 dare to eat a haberno just by itself. He felt like he was going to die, but other than that no problems with peppers. I guess everyone who gets sprayed directly in the face from pepper spray believes that they're having an allergic reaction at the moment they're sprayed. I'm just wanting to make sure.

 

[don_hamer]

Make sure you get his permission in writing before doing this. And make sure you follow the procedures Durutti has given. Why does he wanna do this anyways, sounds crazy to me, anyone else?

 

[trueblue1776]

I have seen more than 100 folks get sprayed, never seen an allergic reaction.

 

[realmswalker]

Sometimes you can get burns on the skin from the OC, guy in the last academy has a pretty nasty on on his throat, nothing permanent though.

as for wanting to get sprayed, just tell him to imagine somethin that reeally sucks bad, and multiply it by 20x. rather be stabbed than sprayed again.

 

[gezzer]

So many masochists, who’s in control?

Seriously do you need to be shot with a .40 and a .45 to see what it s like?

Training in our Dept stopped making officers get sprayed when 3 were put on job related retirement injury from it. Yep spray me, 72% Tax free for life with contracted base of the position in the bargaining unit.

 

[offthepaper]

Just spray some on an old towel and have him lay down and place the towel over his face and tell him to open his eyes and take a couple of deep breaths. If he still wants more, then give him a full blast to the face.
But, be sure to get his permission in writing FIRST. He may decide maybe this is'nt so much fun and wants to file assault charges on you (as you stated he is a new roommate, not someone you have known a very long time).

As they say..........Once burnt, once learnt.