Discover May's Best New Reads: Stories to Ignite Your Spring Days.

Stephanie Bond

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5 comments posted.

Re: 4 Bodies And A Funeral (2:03pm April 9, 2009):

The class was taught by a rotation of instructors, from police officers to weapons specialists and self-defense instructors. They made it all sound so glamorous and exciting. But the last set of classes were taught by a female P.I., and she gave me the skinny on just how UN-glamourous the job is. LOTS of sitting, drive-through food, and hysterical clients. She joked that with all the stories she knew on people that maybe she should trade in her shingle for a pen and write her own novel!

Re: 4 Bodies And A Funeral (10:36pm March 10, 2009):

Patricia--something similar happened to my husband and I in Costa Rica. We went to the downtown area to see a concert and when we came out, the streets were practically deserted. A "taxi" pulled up and asked if we needed a ride, but we were suspect. We were also desperate, though, and got in. My husband is conversational in Spanish, but the driver couldn't seem to understand anything my husband said about where our hotel was located, and vice versa. The guy started acting nervous, which made us nervous. Meanwhile, we're careening along narrow, unlit roads in a deathtrap of a car. My husband and I were both thinking the guy was going to rob us and dump us in a ditch. As a last resort, I pulled my hotel room key out of my purse and held it up and understanding finally dawned on the driver's face. Thank goodness he was honest after all. But it taught us a good lesson--to always have the destination written in the native language to hand to a driver if necessary!

Re: 4 Bodies And A Funeral (10:25pm March 10, 2009):

Kay--Lucky for your friend that you intervened! A baseball bat is a legitimate weapon to have in your home, next to your bed or in the garage. (Practice swinging and making contact into a punching bag.)

And you made a very good point that you can't assume that a perp is sober or sane. There is no "honor among theives" anymore--when drugs are involved, common sense and reason go out the window. Drug-crazed people will kill over pocket change. And the same goes for road rage--a person driving a car who feels wronged if someone passes him or cuts him off can be as dangerous as someone with a loaded weapon! Be careful out there.

Re: 4 Bodies And A Funeral (10:15pm March 10, 2009):

Dawn--yes, if a police officer attempts to pull you over in a dark area, you have to right to proceed to somewhere you think is safe. I believe it's suggested that you turn on your inside light to signal that you know he/she's there, then proceed at a slower-than-normal speed to someplace safe. You could also turn on your hazard lights.

Re: 4 Bodies And A Funeral (5:12pm March 10, 2009):

LuAnn--so right. Bad guys look for the easiest target--don't be that person!

Vicki--wow, how scary. Depending on the vibe I got from the guy in the elevator, I might've said, "No, I'm not scared because I'm armed and I know how to defend myself." (He doesn't have to know that you're armed with a can of hairspray.) I think I would've pushed every button, though, and gotten off on the next floor. WHAT A CREEP!

(Reminds me of a time when a guy was following my sister on a sidewalk. She has a permit to carry a concealed weapon and she knows how to use it. She crossed the street and the guy crossed, too. She put her hand in her purse and removed the safety from her pistol, then turned around and told the guy he had until the count of 3 to cross the street. He held up his hands and started yelling that he wasn't doing anything wrong...and she started counting, intent on shooting through her purse if the guy came at her. Instead, the guy crossed the street.)

Kelli--good thinking on always carrying your keys in a defensive manner!

re: the whistle. Actually, they're one of the best and cheapest self-defense tools a person can have. My dad was always asking me what I wanted for my birthday, Christmas, etc. One year I told him to buy me a handful of police whistles on keyrings so I could have one for my keys, one for my gym bag, one for my nightstand, etc. I've never seen a man so happy! Now he's always asking me about my whistles, whether I've had to use them. It makes him feel like he's still protecting me, and I do feel safer.