Posts
Hello Ferfal.
Let me join everyone in saying how absolutely useful is your advice. I'm in Australia and everyone here seems to think that SHTF is totally improbable but that makes me more deternined to work out my exit strategy - or actually my stay in place and not drown strategy.
So can I ask you, with your real estate, was it near you, or did you travel out to collect rent? How did it work in the day to day sense?
Also, how about stun guns? What are your thoughts?
William
Hi William.
Preparing is only a reasonable step given that sooner or later something happens, you need to cope, deal with some emergency, even grow old, or suffering an illness. You prepare for that as well.
Regarding collecting rent, I still do that and try to be careful about it. If I can, I prefer having the people do a bank deposit, and quickly withdraw. Even if the person lives 2 blocks away I prefer to do that for safety reasons, and a lot of people, at least those that are somewhat careful, do the same thing.
For other cases I try to be careful, if picking large amounts of money I have a car waiting (remis).
I try not to have a fixed routine in case anyone starts noticing .
Other than those things there’s not much else to do, I just try to be careful and alert.
About stun guns, I can only give you my opinion but I’m no expert or anything close to it.
I have a stun gun and think its pretty intimidating, and gives away one heck of a shock.
Having said that, those old stun guns are nothing like the Tasers you see today that fire a couple darts.
The old stun gun wasn’t as effective at putting people down, and you needed to be at contact range unlike the Taser.
I see you’re in Australia, so I suppose a handgun isn’t an option. Then yes, a Taser’s range, even though limited, would be a nice bonus and I’d consider it seriously if I can’t carry handguns.
Again, just my humble opinion.
Fernando
13 comments:
Knives and handguns are banned from being carried on ones person in Australia. Stun guns and capsicum spray are banned and it is illegal to own them. Also possession of a knife without a valid vocational use can get you two years and heavy fines (above $100 000)
In Australia your pretty much screwed from defending yourself in a legal manner. Granted Australia is one of the most stable western nations in the world, but if the the shit did hit the fan I would stay in the cities and avoid the country and rural areas as much as possible. Australia is a huge, sparsely populated country and you can easily find yourself isolated and at the mercy of anyone wanting to do you harm. (Wolf Creek)
Getting a handgun is possible but justifying its use for home defense would be difficult considering the gun needs to locked in a steel closet unloaded with the ammo kept in a separate locked container. Its possible to defend ones home with it, but I would get a really good criminal lawyer first. Also if you have a gun, one needs to attend mandatory shooting competitions to maintain ones sporting gun licence. Its pretty expensive and is an ongoing cost. If your worried enough it would be cheaper and easier to buy a handgun on the black market and dumping it asap after using it to defend yourself. Just showing should be enough for most close encounters, it beats a knife and their illegal too.
ps
Imitation firearms or anything that looks like a firearm are illegal too.
Anon, that's a sad situation.
I'm thankful for our Second Amendment in the constitution. I'm not sure how long that will stand though. I just don't know anymore.
Best of luck to you though!
1) William might also look at the Big Picture re survival in Australia.
I discussed this a few years ago on James Rawles survivalblog.
2) Basically, Australia only has a population of around 20 million --yet is is overhung by almost 3 BILLION potential invaders to the north in Asia. (Counting India) Separated from Australia only by a short island chain.
3) If the US Navy withdrew from the western Pacific due to a US economic collapse, then Australia could be overwhelmed by invasions within 10 years. Plus, Australia's mineral wealth (she has about half of the world's reserves of uranium) would attract military powers like China and India.
4) In reply, an Australian who worked on Navy studies of this scenario said he would not locate a retreat anywhere within 60 miles of Australia's Northern Coast. He
also gave some locations in the southeast that would be more viable yet some distance from the hordes of Sydney and Melbourne.
5) But I am sure that the bureaucrats who disarmed you would protect you.
See http://www.survivalblog.com/retreat_locales/
and http://www.survivalblog.com/2007/03/letter_re_selecting_a_retreat_1.html
6) Note that some people think the Australia can only support HALF of its present population if it had to be self-sufficient in agriculture. Food had to be imported during the recent drought, for example.
7) Men in the American Navy that I have spoken to have all praised the competence of Australia's Navy. But the numbers are simply against you. The British Navy has already greatly shrunk and Australia's technology advantage over Asia has greatly declined from 100 years ago.
8) When Rome had financial problems circa 400 AD, she withdrew her legions from Great Britain. Within a generation, Roman subjects in Britain were having to learn how to speak German.
Maybe Australia can use that huge fleet of empty cargo ships that are anchored out at sea there as an expansion of their navy? It is supposed to be the biggest fleet of ships in the world, too bad they are useless.
Being unable to defend yourself is hard enough here in the USA, I couldn't imagine living in places like the UK or Australia, the people are sitting ducks and sheep amongst wolves ruled by wolves, how much scarier could it get?
If I lived in such Midevil places I would at least try to carry a screw driver, but then I suppose that would be considered a weapon too if I didn't have a reason to have it.
Tools are fast on their way to being outlawed, where only specially licensed union workers can have tools?
If the US ever withdrew from the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand would be Chinese protectorates within 6 months at the most. I'm sure we all know how China has treated conquered peoples in East Turkestan (Xinjiang) and Tibet (Xizang) to get an idea of what Aussies would be in for. Australia is frequently mentioned as a refuge for Americans, I doubt it is because all weapons are banned and a governmental collapse would be followed by a brief period of gangster rule and then a Chinese takeover. It's better for Americans to just stay put.
In the early 1930s, thousands of Americans emigrated to the Soviet Union because they were promised jobs. By 1937, they were banging on the gates of the US Embassy, begging for a trip home to avoid the Purges. They were turned away, and were rounded up and executed by the NKVD. Being an expatriate is not without great risk. Americans caught behind enemy lines in wartime have usually been killed.
If they are the same ethnicity as the conquerors, they have usually been forced into the conquering army or forced to make propaganda broadcasts. Japanese Americans who were trapped in Japan by Pearl Harbor were drafted into the Japanese Army. A few females were forced to make propaganda broadcasts. There were reports of Iraqi Americans being drafted into the Iraqi army after they were trapped in Iraq after the invasion of Kuwait.
California also requires guns to be kept locked up and unloaded. I very much like the taser as a weapon to carry lawfully (the one designed for women fits easily in a pocket, slips easily out of a pocket, and is available with a laser sight and flashlight fitted to it). At home, it is a backup that can be stored unlocked, useful if one can't unlock the gun fast enough.
I believe that some construction equipment can be useful for self defense if nothing else is available. One might consider whether having the ability to rebuild/remodel one's home is worth an investment in equipment. If I were facing an armed attacker without weapons of my own, I would evaluate the defensive potential of my tools. Frankly, even paint sprayed at the face can disrupt an attacker.
Also, think about medieval weapons. There are things one can make at home that can turn common materials into useful weapons.
If one gardens, there are noxious garden sprays that ought to be legal in Australia, which would be rather miserable sprayed at the face. There are home recipes for pepper-and-soap pest repellents one can make from habaneros - only for use in the garden, of course. One must be careful not to step into the sprayed area, though, so this would only work as a spray-and-retreat strategy, but it could buy time for unlocking a gun.
oh yeah, that comment reminds me of using a lighter to turn a spray can of hairspray into a blazing torch to light a wet fire, a mini-flame-thrower? Kind of awkward-ish, but better than nothing I suppose.
I say the best thing to do in anti-personal defense countries like Australia and Britain, is to contact a lawyer and ask him the legal penalties for carrying, owning and using capsicum spray or a knife or a gun/imitation gun. Once you know the risks you can then make your choice on what you are willing to carry.
On certain late night walks I often carry a shiny, nasty looking, fixed blade knife in my pocket and am extra careful. I figure if something happens I'll pull my knife out, act a bit crazy and then make a run for it, should dissuade people enough not to chase me. Another option I've thought of is wasp spray as a dodgy replacement for capsicum spray. I could claim I was defending myself and thats what I had at the time. Its legal to own so you shouldn't get any blowback.
Also that invasion talk is nonsense. If Australia was invaded the situation would be similar to WWII occupied France or post war Germany. The situation would be similar to Ferfals argentina the only difference being soldiers and the police will almost be as feared as criminals.
For those people who live in countries where practical self defense weapons (guns, knives, nuclear-pumped x-ray lasers, etc) are banned, here are a couple options.
http://www.real-self-defense.com/unbreakable_umbrella.html
http://www.canemasters.com/
In many ways, they are better than knives since you can carry them everywhere without anyone looking twice at you and you have a significant reach advantage over someone with a knife. Getting training in cane and/or stick fighting would significantly enhance their effectiveness.
I like the umbrella because people often use umbrellas to protect themselves from strong sun in Australia. The cane on the other hand would only be suitable for old people, young people like me would just look like I'm carrying a big stick around. (which I am).
They are nice options, and they are slightly better than using your fists. (especially if you don't know how to use them) The only problem is, if you did use them for self defense on an unarmed foe they would qualify as a deadly weapon due to their weight and strength.
So unless your lawyer can justify that you feared for your life and that the use of deadly force was necessary, (bad guy had weapons or there were 2-4 of them) your looking at jail time. Another bad thing about them is they have almost zero intimidation, deterrence effect, unlike a knife, gun or pepper/wasp spray. Keep that in mind. And finally lets be honest, if one is being attacked by 2-4 guys at full speed your going to need more than an umbrella/cane but nonetheless it certainly can help especially if well trained. I think its a great option for the elderly, who are physically at a huge disadvantage.
Another option is a small Maglite or similar torch, and using it as a kubotan. With a little bit of training it would be a devastating weapon. And because its a torch there's no problems carrying it at night and little chance of lawyers trying to make it look like a deadly weapon.
But I say whatever you carry, a knife should always be with you. If things get deadly quickly, a knife is incredibly intimidating and incredibly lethal and effective when used viciously, even against guns. Also since they are cheap and easily wiped for prints they can be thrown away at a whim, so its unlikely you will get caught with it. Extremely concealable and light too.
Here is an example of a guy in the USA who held a knife thinking he was being followed by bad guys who turned out to be armed undercover cops and he got jail time for doing so. Just F.Y.I. that simply carrying a knife can be illegal:
“Guilty” of Scaring Undercover Tax-Feeders
http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/42834.html
Thats pretty stupid, why would you pull out a knife if you thought someone was following you?
In those situations you just go somewhere where there are a lot of people and call a taxi, or just outrun them. Whats a knife got to do with it?.
My advice would be if you are carrying a knife or a gun don't do stupid things with it. This is real life not a movie, there are consequences. If you happen to get into fights regularly, recognize your violent nature, and make sure that if you do take out a knife you plan to use it to defend your life, not just as a toy to intimidate people and make you feel good about yourself.
If I felt threatened, or was simply scared of two or more scruffy looking guys my size following me at night in an unusual manner, or if I was responsible for a woman or children in my company (day or night) dang right I'd take out a knife to be in the ready. I do believe the cops following the guy were intentionally trying to intimidate him and cause him to be fearful, some messed up "training" that.
Of course the best thing would to never be in that position in the first place, but sometimes life doesn't work out the way you plan it.
My understanding is, criminals are like dogs, if you turn and run they will chase you down and they are often times faster than you are. It's also a bad idea to show fear, or to act like a coward, criminals and dogs can smell fear on a person (science proves this) which often causes them to feel even more prone to attack.
Just as with a gun, perhaps, sometimes simply showing a knife will cause criminals to go elsewhere, where the prey is easy. Taking a stand and defending your ground has worked for me when facing criminals and bullies, no TV fakeness there.
Often times crowds suddenly thin out or are nowhere to be found and a criminal isn't going to veer away from attacking you because you called a taxi, if one is even available.
Criminals attack or rob people in crowded areas too I've heard (some guy named Ferfal sometimes shows examples of this on his blog) and criminals probably find the enclosed area of the back of a taxi cab to be an excellent place to rob people, but I've no proof of that.
Post a Comment