The Man Had His Penis in His Hand - How NOT to leave dance class.

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 (Photo credit: useless no more)

I know I usually post on Mondays, but something happened last night, and I thought that I needed to share this with you all, in the hopes that beyond using the information to write a good scene, maybe it will help someone stay safe.

I'm just going to tell you the story, then I'll break it down and give you some insights.

Last night fairly late, tired and ready for the day to be over, I left the dance studio with my daughter, and her medical alert dog, T. My arms were full. I had T. on his lead, his "place" which is a large quilted pad, my backpack with my computer in it, and my car keys. I moved into the parking lot with my teen yammering about her costume fitting, walking behind me. We walked toward my mini-van that was parked nose in on the side of the lot next to the woods.

As we moved forward, away from the studio and the lights, my focus was on a man that I saw easing quietly to the side of my van. I stopped short. I hadn't seen him move into the woods. There was a large black truck in the driving space just to my left. I gave myself a second to assess. Did the truck belong with that man? The truck's door popped open, and I took a step back to gain distance. I immediately recognized the man emerging as one of the other dancers' fathers.
      "Where'd he go?" he asked.
      "To the right. The light hasn't come on, so he's not in my vehicle."
We moved cautiously together to see. And there was the stranger in all of his glory, leaning against my door, 6'4", out of his freaking mind on some drug, penis in hand.
      At that point I wanted out of there. I hand unlocked the door, shoved everything in, including my kid and her dog. I hit the lock button and peeled out of there with Crazy-man holding on to my door handle and explaining to me about his penis in a very loud voice. I had a window-breaker, a very nasty tool that would easily crack a skull, in my hand by this point and thought,  "Wow, I'm doing everything wrong."
      I drove home and had a rum and coke.

This did not go well. And as a trainer, I would say I did not perform well. I want to break this down so if this is you, you can do better than I did. And if this is your character? Well, good luck to her.

Parking Lot at Night (Photo credit: VinceFL)

1. I ALWAYS park pointing
   outward, (first mistake was to
   break my rule) because in an
   emergency
   you don't want to be backing up
   (ask my friend Cathy who blared
   her horn, so I didn't smash into her
   new car in my haste).
2. Park under a light/camera and
    away from landscaping that can
    obscure your view.
3. No matter how tired and
    distracted you are, you must
    remain vigilant. I make a habit of
    scanning every time I'm out in
    public. For decades I have been
   scanning, but this night, it made the
   difference. My daughter didn't
   walk, alone, around to the passenger side to find the crazy man with his dick in his hands when mom was
   out of reach.
4. Develop a strong arm. Your non-dominant arm should have your carried items, your keys should be easily
   accessible, and your weapon should be in your dominant hand. I have several blog articles about weapons
   that are easy to carry, as well as their pros and cons.
   * Kuboton
   * Asp batton
   * Stun Guns and Tasers
   * Pepper Spray and Mace
   * Conceal carrying a gun
5. Move with focus to your car. Everyone in, doors locked immediately, and pull out. This is not the time to
   text and read mail etc.

What does it mean to move with focus?

Parking Lot at Night (Photo credit: David H. Chu)

1. Scan the area to get a good feel for who is there and
    who is moving in a way that your paths will cross.

2. Be aware of the cars that are parked beside you.
    If someone is sitting in the passenger seat next to
    your driver's door, you may want to get in from
    your passenger side or go get someone to escort
    you.
3. Be aware if the cars beside you, or your car
    allows enough space for someone to easily lie
    underneath. Glance under the vehicles as you
    approach.
3. Briefly check the floor boards front and back for
    unexpected visitors. and get in quickly.

God forbid something go wrong for you, but if someone tries to abduct you in the parking lot here is a LINK with some strategies.

As you drive home, be aware if anyone is following you. This happened to me once, so I drove an extra block and visited the fire station.

Now as you go through a list of possible weapons, everything from concealed guns to knives, from electronic weapons to mace, you may feel uncomfortable with any or all of them. Babies in arms, curious children, and pets, as well as a willingness to use a weapon and having the training to do so effectively come into play.

At night, I am now carrying (except for last night - when it would have been the perfect weapon) a high powered handheld (4") flashlight with enough lumens to blind a person if it is dark outside.
* A lumen is simply the measurement of a light's brightness.
* A high-powered tactical flashlight is easy to find on the web. I happen to use Autocraft.
* In a dark environment, the light is intense enough to blind someone. They cannot see past the light to know
   what you are doing. It is disorienting and gives you an authoritative posture.

Your number one weapon is your awareness and focus.

Your number two weapon is your posture and your voice quality 

Though maybe yelling at the guy, "Hey! Get off my car!" was not the very best tactic. The best tactic at that point was to back away and go to the studio to call the police. But hey, hind-sight...

Link to an article on how a predator approaches a victim

Aggressive Body Language 101

And it's always good to have a physical weapon at the ready, something you are comfortable with deploying be it a high pitched siren or bear spray.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The dance school owners did call the police. When the cops arrived, they found the guy with his pants around his ankles, his shirt pulled up, lying in my parking spot, rubbing his belly next to a pile of poop. The crazy guy spent the rest of the night in jail.

Please let me know if you have any questions, and I will do my best to help.

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Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

A Heroine's Plan to Escape a Car Abduction - Information for Writers

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 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DISCLAIMER - This is a non-political site that is geared to help writers write it right. I am presenting in
formation to help develop fictional characters and fictional scenes. In no way am I advocating any position or personal decision.

Car abduction 

Statistically, being moved by an attacker from a primary location to a secondary location is extremely dangerous. Consider any movement to be imminently life-threatening.

Most abductions are done by someone who is known to the victim. The heroine should treat the perpetrator, known or not, as a deadly enemy and do everything in her power to escape.


Optimally, your heroine was on her toes. She was aware of her surrounding, and she was prepared
with a hand-held weapon such as a KUBOTAN, ASP, PEPPER SPRAY, or ELECTRIC WEAPON

(clicking on any of these links will take you to a how-to blog)

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But those heroines always seem to be getting themselves into trouble!

Escape Action Plan

1. Noise! Research shows that just making noise is a deterrent to a potential attack. Further, research has proven that yelling "help" is an ineffectual way to get help. When people hear help, they are alerted to a danger and move away. Screaming "fire" on the other hand has the opposite effect, people will come.

 * Video Bystander Effect


2. Resist - studies prove that resisting an unarmed assailant is an
  effectual way to thwart an attack. Unless there is a personal
  component such as a stalker or a vendetta, the attacker will look
  for a victim-personality. More on victims' behaviors at this link
  Your heroine's efforts make her too much trouble and too risky
   or the attacker.      

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3.What if he has a weapon such
   as a gun or knife? 
  That's a trickier call. The best
   advice here is to let you limbic
   system tell you what to do. If
   you feel like an action is the 
   right one - even if it seems
   counter intuitive - trust that 
   your brain is processing
   more than is on the surface.
   LIMBIC BRAIN (this
   is a link to a blog about how
   your limbic system can
   get you out of trouble)

   Somehow he got the girl in the car and is
   taking her to another location:
   She must assume that the other location
   means death, so the heroine must take whatever
   action she can even if it causes her injuries.

1. Jump out of the car when it slows or stops in a
    populated area.
2. Cause the car to have an accident by pulling on the steering
    wheel  or suddenly shifting the gears
3. If the attacker stops the car for any reason, jam something into
    the ignition so that it can't be restarted.

If she is locked in the trunk: 

1. If she has been restrained she will need to break free
    If you need a tutorial on breaking out of tie rods or
    duct tape CLICK HERE and if she is handcuffed,
    CLICK HERE.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Feel around  the trunk for a
    release latch (required
    on cars since 2000) Have her
    try to spot the
    location before the trunk is
    shut because she will be
    in pitch black. Most of the
    pulls are made of glow-
    in-the-dark material.
3. If none, search for a weapon to
    use once the trunk
    is opened.
4. Does she have her phone on her? Call 911 (This
    might have been missed if she carries it in her
    pocket or bra. Remember the attacker is
    experiencing an adrenaline rush, too.) Give as many
    details as possible about the car and the attacker.
5. She can attempt to kick in the back seat and crawl
    through to attack the driver.
6. She can attempt to kick out the brake lights to call
    attention to the vehicle, especially if this is seen by
    handy-dandy police officer who happens to be
    patrolling that stretch of highway.

VIDEO QUICK STUDY - FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE (11:27)

If the heroine is taken to a location and not killed immediately, she might try:

1. Getting a hold of a phone and dialing 911 then walking away
   from the phone so the abductor's attention is not drawn to the
   movement, and the police might have time to trace the call.
2. Clog a toilet or create another distraction that might allow
   escape.
3. At night, flash the lights in a pattern of three repeatedly. Sets of
   three - horn blasts, light flicks, whistle blows are a universal sign
   of distress. (If you hear or see this, call authorities to investigate -
   you may be saving a life.)

VIDEOS
Older car escape using the locking mechanism (1:01)
Showing the escape chord (:55)
Safety Instructor Talking Through What He Tells His Students (8:56)

And on a final note, many cars have crawl-outs from the back seat. If your heroine goes into water, the back will float; the engine will sink. The passengers can escape through the trunk, in many cars. Authors, check on this possibility for your character's car. This might be something she remembered as a safety feature pointed out to her during the sales pitch.

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Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

Self-protection in Fiction - Pepper Spray - Information for Writers

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DISCLAIMER - This is a non-political site that is geared to help writers write it right. I am presenting information to help develop fictional characters and fictional scenes. In no way am I advocating any position or personal decision.

I was alone on a moonless night, driving down the highway and rubbing sleep from my eyes. Horrifically, my pepper canister, dangling from my key-chain, had leaked. I had wiped blinding fire across my eyes and spun off the road...

Because of this incident, pepper spray and mace are not part of my EDC. But for a writer, these products in a plot line can be awesome, indeed.

Pepper spray and Mace come in canisters of varying sizes. What is Mace? Mace is a name brand for defensive sprays. The Mace canister can contain pepper spray, tear gas or both. Mace and pepper spray affect mucus membranes causing inflammation and burning sensations. The affect lasts 20-30 minutes unless washed away. Milk is effective at removing the sting of the pepper spray. Water and mild soap are also helpful.

Bush Inauguration11 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Writers who use this self-defense weapon in their writing can either use it to help or thwart a character's plight.

USE  - Aim for the eyes and spray left to right. If you missed, spray back from right to left.

PROS -

RSG-3 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

* It is legal in most areas (though, as always, check
  your story location's laws for accuracy).
* It is inexpensive, easy to obtain, needs little in the
  way of training.
* It is effective at 8 feet - 20 feet depending on your
  brand/container size, so there is physical distance.
* It can be used against more than one attacker at a
   time. Also, it is effective against animals, including
  werewolves. (Though double blind experiments
  shows these products to be ineffectual against
   Zombies.)
* Portable and easily carried on a daily basis.


CONS (Poor character, never gets a break!)

* The stream is visible and can be averted.
* Wind is not your friend. It can make the shot
   ineffectual. It can also blow the stream back on you. It
   can blow the stream towards your friends/helpers/pets.
* You can quickly run out of product - esp. when using
   key-chain sized canisters
* The attacker might be high, drunk, or impervious.
* It must hit mucus to be effective - eyes, nose, mouth,
   lungs. A hat, hoody, or other clothing often prevent
   this with a mere duck of the head.
* Aim is key - and this is often difficult in a high-
  adrenaline situation. Especially if the character is
  shaking.
* Most people buy the canisters and never test them out
  or practice (which is why I recommend buying 2).
* Some canisters have a protective clip - and this can
   get stuck or be difficult to manipulate when in danger.
* The spray needs to be in hand - bottom of the purse is
   not helpful.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

* Kids and pepper spray are a BAD combo.
* Not legal in some places - like courthouses.

Video

Video 1 (3:05) Basics -
Video 2 (3:10 start at 1:30 mark) Watch pharmacist use bear spray against robber.
Video 3 (1:50) Police pepper spraying a crowd.
Video 4 (2:36) Shows various sizes and uses. Also, gives considerations for choosing the proper weapon
or your character.
Video 5 (3:12) Getting sprayed.

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Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

Self Defense - Electric Weapons: Stun Guns v. Tasers - Information for Writers

Tasers? yep.. (Photo credit: number657)

DISCLAIMER - This is a non-political site that is geared to help writers write it right. I am presenting information to help develop fictional characters and fictional scenes. In no way am I advocating any position or personal decision.

In the beginning there was a Taser and a stun gun. And while they come from the same family of electric self defense weapons they are not at all alike.

Many writers will use the terms interchangeably.

Who would carry and electric self defense weapon?

This weapon can fit with any character over the age of 18.

Is it even legal to carry this type of weapon?

For the most part the answer is yes. Though check your characters' state codes. This link takes you to a state by state review of applicable laws.

So what is the difference between the two weapons?

The Stun Gun 

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

*A stun gun is a brute force weapon. You must make personal contact with

  your assailant.

* Though the prongs DO NOT need to make direct skin contact.

* The contact that is required is LONG 2-3 seconds
   to be precise. While this doesn't sound too bad.
   Think about the last time you were waiting for your
    microwave to ding. I know! 

   Now imagine those 2-3 seconds while someone is
   stabbing you or even punching you. 

*  2 seconds can cause muscle spasms and a state
    of shock lasting up to fifteen minutes - enough to
    get away. 5 seconds is best.

* The current will not transfer to you even if you are
   grabbing at each other

* Water is not a problem even if you are standing in water.

                                                      How does it work?

On the packaging, the manufacturer will indicate the voltage. It is not the voltage though that makes the difference it is the pulse rate frequency.

Yes, the more volts the better, but the pulse rate determines the gun's power to put an attacker down. You see, it's the frequency rate that disrupts the neural pathways in the body - and believe it or not it's a sugar thing. As the electricity pulses the muscles, they produce lactic acid and consume the glucose causing the loss of muscle control (like a Type1Diabetic seizure). Your character should look for at least 100k volts to ensure enough pulse power to be effective.

The Taser 

English: Police issue X26 TASER (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

*A Taser is a distance weapon.

*You can use this weapon from fifteen feet (5 meters)

* The Taser works by shooting out tiny metal probes that embed
   in the flesh. These probes are attached to wires that connect to
   the Taser unit.

* A Taser is HIGHLY RELIABLE and HIGHLY EFFICIENT 

* It works by interrupting the communication between the muscles
  and the brain, effectively attacking the central nervous system.
  This interruption continues as long as the electricity is
  administered.

Unlike Stephanie Plum in the Janet Evanovich novels, electrical weaponry no longer depends on batteries but is plugged into the wall to charge overnight like a phone.

Also, if you are looking for plot twists - some of the stun guns have a probe in the bottom that attaches to the lanyard around the wrist. If the attacker tries to take the weapon, as it is pulled away from the victim, the pin releases and the weapon is no longer operational. But some do not have this safety.

Electric weapons are effective on sub-creatures including Vampire, Werewolves, and Zombies - but do not have an effect on phantoms or ghosts.

Perhaps your heroine wants to be clever and arm herself with a camouflaged electric weapon - try these on and see if they serve:

       Cell Phone Stun Gun (1:48)

. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

      Lipstick Stun Gun (1:49) 

Electric weapon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tampon Taser (3:47) No, I'm not kidding

Telescopic stun baton (3:33) similar to asp    

Advanced M26 TASER Stun Pistol - The United States military version of commercial TASERs for non-lethal detainment. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

VIDEO QUICK STUDY

Video - Taser v. Knife (1:05)
The Taser Explained (7:05) Shows an experiment where a man was able to overcome the Taser showing
                                           that it is not fail safe.
Female review and demonstration of flashlight/stun gun (3:42)
Why a stun gun isn't fabo. (8:19) Excellent descriptions and explanations.

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Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.