Personal safety alarm recs (poss sens?)

I remember our university gave them out too.

The issue is that unless you are holding them in your hand at the time you are attacked, they are absolutely useless.

It's not as if you can say "just wait a second, I need to rake the bottom of my handbag before you hit me please" ?

So you need to make a commitment to walk while out and about with it in your hand - perhaps inside a pocket (not great in summer when we're not wearing coats).

Have you considered finding a self-defence course? I've done a couple and they are usually great fun- the emphasis is usually on avoiding being attacked in the first place rather than how to escape an attacker but there are some good tricks you can learn.

HTH and I'm sorry you've got to think about this.

Thanks Zebra, that's a very good point! ? That and the fact that in the panic I'd probably forget I had one!

To be honest, I try my best never to put myself in any risky situations. My OH won't let even let me go across the road to the garage without him in the dark now or he goes on his own (fine with me...<lazy icon>. If I go out without him, he'll pick me up from the station or meet me in London to travel home together. It's always been this way anyway. I guess after recent events I'm more aware of having something on my person should I need it.

Self defence classes sound good, I'll look into that.

I'm sorry you feel you need to get an alarm ?

I used to have one that was also a keyring- it was about the size of a chicken egg and coloured plastic so looked just like a wacky keyring too. It was like a grenade, in that you yanked the 'pin' out which caused an ear-splitting screech. It only cost about £5 and was from the Gadget shop (which I don't think exists anymore)

I'll have a look and see if I can spot it online for you.

Is there a chance you could pop into a police station if they were giving them out free before and see if they have any there?

Http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mercury-Personal-attack-keyring-alarm/dp/B000NVUAME

I think this is the more modern version of the one I had! Looks v similar anyway!

WZS

I went on a self defence course years ago and the instructor told us that they are really only any good as a last resort, after all how many of us pay attention to car/house/other alarms? Her advice was to throw your handbag away from you if that's what they want and run like hell in the other direction. If in a situation where you're actually being attacked try to set the alarm off close to their ears, the noise is enough to stun an attacker and even make them sick, giving you enough time to again run like hell in the opposite direction.

Cha-cha, thanks for the link! I'll have a look.

Noonie Pie and Zebra - I think self defence classes are in order.

Thanks all!