Pepper spray and me

Police Magnum OC-17 Pepper Spray in a pink carrying case with a matching pink cat self defense keychain were gifted to me in my Easter basket the spring before my first fall semester at Ohio University. When arriving at school, I had both keychains attached to my lanyard.
​

Amazon

Amazon

Walmart

Let me set the scene:
It is opening weekend and I had just moved in on Friday. The university plans multiple events for students to meet each other and bond with their roommates. These activities include a comedy show at the Convocation Center, Party at Ping (food, animals, photo booth, caricatures, etc.), academic college welcomes and the president's convocation amongst other activities.

I was going to go to the comedy show with my roommate at the time and planned to head back to the dorm after. She decided to go to a news viewing and was nervous about walking home alone, so I let her borrow my pepper spray and gave it to her before the comedy show. 

Before we were let in, security checked our bags and found the pepper spray, saying it could not be taken into the Convocation Center. I took one for the team and took my pepper spray and did not go to the show.

Every since this "event", I left my pepper spray on my desk. I figured that I rarely walked alone when it was dark out and I still had my other defense keychain. I felt safe.

Second semester starts and I feel confident in my classes, dorm situation and overall wellbeing. This all changed when I was getting out of the shower and heard a guy in the bathroom (he was not someone who lived in my dorm and apparently did not understand that it was a women's bathroom). Of course when he heard me he left, but it brought that fear that is always in the back of your mind right into the open. All I would have to defend myself was a plastic defense keychain and frankly I do not think I would have been very successful in defending myself in that situation. 

I do not want to become a statistic. I now carry my pepper spray everywhere I go. 

It truly is a sad society in which we live in where I need to carry self defense keychains in order to be safe. I noticed when complimenting a girl who had a decorative glitter can of pepper spray that girls should not have to be taught to carry pepper spray in order to protect themselves. Instead, society should be teaching others to not attack each other. ​​​