“Do you know how to spray pepper spray?” Our Safely team asked this question repeatedly to anyone who passed our pop-up on Town Lake Trail in Austin, Texas. Most people we asked had never practiced spraying pepper spray. This is where our pop-up came in handy!
We had a life-sized cardboard cutout and pepper spray canisters filled with water. These two things provided pedestrians with the perfect opportunity to learn how to use pepper spray. Although pepper spray seems intuitive to use - it’s not as simple as it looks. Many individuals struggled to activate their “pepper sprays.” After a few instructions and practice sprays - spraying the pepper spray did become simple. Now over 100 Austinites are pepper spray pros.
Knowing how to quickly protect yourself by spraying pepper spray in a time of need is essential. By practicing in a low-stakes environment - you gain confidence and learn a new skill. Think about this - the first time you do anything you usually mess up. You don’t want to mess up in a situation where you only have a few seconds to protect yourself. As safety expert, Spencer Coursen says, “awareness + preparation = safety.”
You can learn how to use your pepper spray by watching this short clip. To order a Safely Pepper Spray visit this link. To learn more about upcoming events, join our mailing list.