Just the other day I walked into my local chemist to buy some painkillers, when a man sitting in the shop wearing a monkey cap and a slurping a tiny little cup of tea began waving something triumphantly under my nose saying “Yeh dekhiye madam, ladies ke liye naya special product”. Turns out it was a bright pink can of pepper spray. So this is what Delhi has come to, where pepper sprays are flying off shelves, right from chemists to gift shops. Just because men in this city don’t know how to respect women, doesn’t mean we should be walking around carrying pretty looking cans of rapist repellent in our purses! “No thanks”, I smiled at Monkey Cap and walked out of the chemist with a resigned sigh.
What is my problem with pepper spray? To begin with pepper spray is something which an attacker can snatch and use it on you, what are you going to do then? Also in a situation of emergency, will you have the time to be fumbling in your purse or pockets looking for pepper spray? I’d rather learn self defence instead. Because from what I’ve read, a well placed kick at the right spot, with the right force can do much more and much severe damage than an entire can of pepper spray.
