I'd have gone with Wasp & Hornet spray, as you could always use the excuse that you're allergic.

@M O'Connell: policeman's reply would be: then you should carry an epi-pen, not pesticides

Apparently to my knowledge you can have a baseball bat in the boot of your motor as long as you have a baseball too.

Why didn't she say she kept it to keep her hair nice? How could they argue with that?

off weapon - offensive weapon - i didn't mean to abbreviate

Not really, research shows that pepperspray is an ineffective self defense weapon, which only gives a false sense of safety, causing many people who carry it 'for their protection' to get into more dangerous situations (or at the wrong end of the cannister)

@Channon Doughty If you're in a vehicle, road flares. Nothing deters a mugger like a woman wielding a 2600 degree stick of burning magnesium.

Personal alarm, keys. It is pretty rare women are attacked in the street- statistics show you are much more likely to be raped by someone you know.

Making it legal would mean it's available for attackers to use on victims too.

@Channon Nothing. It is not permitted to carry or have in your house an item that you intend to use as a weapon.

Their lungs are good running shoes...

And not are grrh

Nothing. Social responsibility in many countries forbids behaving in a self defensive manner. Even in the U.S. in some places, your responsibility is to run away, not resist.

Here in Germany nothing, due to increased attacks with knives it's forbidden to carry pocket knives (the guys responsible for the attacks of course follow those laws...)

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In the UK you're not allowed to resist.

Oh ffs, that is absurd. Men can be very dangerous and a gal needs something to feel safe. We all have tons of stories of frightening encounters with men who have bad intentions, or we do in the USA, st least. I'll admit that I went totally unharassed and unnoticed in Barcelona. Not so anywhere else I've traveled except Niagara Falls, Canada. My preference was called "Dye Witness" and it stained as well as burned, so the police could ID the perp. It was a gift from an older blue grass musician friend when I went to college.

sounds about right

there is a "but" there: in Germany pepperspray doesn't fall under the weapons-laws if it is specifically for animals. For the other variation (use on people), you need a weapon permit. Also, using the animal variant on a person still counts as assault with a weapon. source: us military garrison in Bavaria website (https://www.bavariannews.com/blog/2016/02/01/pepperspraygermany/) which also contains the link to the english version of German weapon laws.

@Tarcandor :"German law permits self-defense against an unlawful attack. If there is no other possibility for defense, it is generally allowed to use even deadly force without a duty to retreat." Only limitation: You just should not use excessive force if it is not necessary.( vgl. Notwehparagraph)This includes the use of whatever weapon you might "find". The problem is more that none will believe you carry it to keep vicious four-legged animals away here.

@strumwesen: Granted, self defense is legal, Belgium has more or less the same conditions as Germany there. But the problem then becomes: what is "excessive force"? In Belgium, if the attacker is not using a weapon, me picking up a weapon to defend myself would be excessive, unless there's more then one attacker. And usually, carrying an animal repellant is only useful in nature/wilderness, not in cities, due to the lack of uncontrolled animals according to the rules of law (dogs having to be on leashes, and such), so the statement "it's only for animal use" would be hard to defend...

You think police is enough everywhere? Is there police in a street during night when you return home walking alone? Learning self defence is good but doesn't mean you will be able to beat anyone who approaches you...

I don't think guns are the answer. Just look at US

You can’t use self defence to defend yourself either. Some women that have done have been taken to court by the attacker! Which is insane.

Wow another Lubica, hi Lubica my name is Lubica but everyone calls me Libby

Unless I happen to be holding hands with a police officer whilst getting mugged, they won't do a damn bit of good.