Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Thieves Use Bear Spray in Robbery of Vancouver's Oakridge Centre Apple Store
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
- Status
Unfortunately the Fathers of Confederation were not as foresighted as our American cousins, and didn't enshrine our right to bear bear-spray in the BNA Act of 1867. After all, a well regulated hunting club is the best defence against marauding predators and a tyrannical nanny government that sends in the Mounties to impose their will on freedom loving hosers.
Well you could still ban it though. If you have a problem with bears, the government can keep bear spray with local or national wildlife and pest control services.
No need for private citizens to be engaging in such dangerous activity. If you want to hunt, go bow hunt a deer I say.
Like you're going to be able to react fast enough to spray a bear with bear spray. If you're in that situation at all than you're already in trouble.
Actually, Bear spray is regulated in Canada. You can not bring it across the border, and it is illegal to use it where it may impact any other person. If used near people it may be classified as a weapon. Pepper spray, mace, etc are considered restricted weapons, and may only be used by police.
I spent a couple of years in the Rockies, and this was the advice we were given. There are two types of bears in the mountains.... Brown Bears (Grizzlies) and Black Bears. Black Bears are smaller, and less aggressive and tend to shy away from people. Brown Bears - not so much.
Regardless, bears will try to avoid you if possible. So, when hiking carry a walking a stick with bells that jingle to warn the bears you are coming. Carry bear spray just in case you get charged. Watch for scat on the trails so you are aware you are in a bear's territory. Black Bear scat is usually made up of berries or leaves and is smaller. Brown Bear scat often has bells in it and smells of pepper.
---
Seriously.... Unless you have managed to get in between a mother and her cubs, a bear very rarely will surprise you. They will try to intimidate you and will charge at you, sometimes pulling up short. In theory, you have lots of time to pull that spray off your belt... because you are using the belt holster, eh? In theory at least, because in fact most people are too busy dealing with pant-load of brown stuff to be thinking about that nice little canister on the handy belt holster.
Luckily I've never been charged, but I know people who have. And a friend of mine spent a lovely afternoon treed by a Black Bear, while he waited for help.
Now cougars are a different matter. They pounce from behind with no warning, aiming to sink their bone crushing teeth into the back of your neck.
sure that may be true, but people still do it.
There's no reason for anybody to have it. You don't need it. So let's just ban so people won't get hurt by it.
Because bear spray is a product designed to safeguard people, but that can be misused and used as a weapon instead? Just like a hammer, knives, ladders, chairs, ottomans, tiles, house-cleaners, string, forks, trowels, etc etc.
It is, of course, too simple to label all guns as being designed primarily as a product designed to kill people. However, there are most categories of guns (like assault weapons, the vast majority of handguns, etc) are designed as weapons to shoot people. So leaving the few guns made for target shooting and hunting small animals when guns are used to shoot people, it may be illegal but it is not an unintended use of the product. Guns shooting people are what guns are made for, for the most part.
The US constitutional amendment that protects your right to bear arms does so with the intention that you will shoot people, if needed. The amendment does not protect your right to go hunting... that is just a byproduct. The amendment protects your right to shoot at a people who form a government you believe to be tyrannical. Except that if you start and lose that shooting match you may then be accused of treason since attempting to overthrow the government is also forbidden by the constitution.
Go act utopian somewhere else, you're not fooling anyone here.
I've had guns pulled on me several times. Realized the police are cleanup crews not personal protection. I am now licensed to carry. The only hard to this is the hard understanding of how to take care of yourself. Calling 911 is not a personal safety plan, being armed is. I feel for those of you that aren't allowed this right of personal protection where you live.
Then we should ban spray paint and hair spray, both of which have also been used in robberies.
True words!
The intent of the 2nd amendment is to add to idea that the citizens are to be protected from the government first and foremost. We can deal with each other and protect our schools and movie theaters on our own. It's only when the government steps in and passes no gun gun laws that our schools lose the protection that it should be afforded by our citizens as was the case in both Colorado in the movie theater and at the school in Connecticut. Both "gun free" zones.
Until we are a police state with 100% police supervision, gun free zones will always be a failure and should be more accurately called criminal hunting preserves. Reality or Utopia, you cant have both.
Contrary to what those Michael Moore films tell you, Canadians do lock their doors to their house and people do own guns.
In fact, it is legal to check in guns and ammo for checked luggage onto flights within Canada as long as you declare it beforehand, the ammo is packed properly and is within the weight limit (5 kg (11 lb) per passenger) and the guns must not be loaded.
In fact, it is legal to check in guns and ammo for checked luggage onto flights within Canada as long as you declare it beforehand, the ammo is packed properly and is within the weight limit (5 kg (11 lb) per passenger) and the guns must not be loaded.
And that is why I like living where I do, where being shot is near the bottom of the list of ways to die. Of all the ways to die in my community, guns is probably right near the bottom - along with being hit by a meteorite. I live in a population basin of just about 3.5 million people, and I am more likely to get attacked by a cougar or a bear than someone with a gun.
So, please give me as many gun-free zones as possible. I sleep much better at night.
While some communities in Canada have a gun culture and the associated problems .. and that is tragic ... thankfully those places are few. I can rely on my police force to 'Maintain the Right' ... though it sounds better in Latin.
----------
Yes, some do. But like all stereotypes it is bit broad. Lots of people don't.
I'm pretty sure bear spray does have social utility for those living in North Vancouver where some people have bears visiting their neighbourhood on a regular basis.
Last edited:
I fully agree. It's tragic to see how many innocent lives were lost at that Apple store.....oh wait...
I'm pretty sure bear spray have has social utility for those living in North Vancouver where some people have bears visiting their neighbourhood on a regular basis.
Hell, my mom had a summer place in the Poconos, PA and bears would routinely come by to check out what you were grilling.
People were injured. Preventing pain is right along with preventing death.
I'm pretty sure bear spray does have social utility for those living in North Vancouver where some people have bears visiting their neighbourhood on a regular basis.
And the local government can just handle it. No need for private citizens, who will end up letting this stuff get in criminal hands, try to take matters into their own hands. They aren't trained bear experts.
Let us also bar citizens that sky dive, scuba dive and drag race from their dangerous activities as well. Where would it stop? Criminals will always find a way. Disarming law-abiding citizens is a horrible approach to fighting crime.
But if nobody has bear spray, it'll be harder for criminals to get in the first place.
Take a hiking trip through the rockies, come face to face with a bear, wolverine, or cougar, then tell me that you don't need bear spray. Up here it's not used for hunting (they don't go blind a bear and shoot it), it's for self defense when hiking the back country and if you look at the map you'll notice we have a lot of back country up here. It's not called "bear spray" because it's used to hunt bears, it's because it was developed to DEFEND against a bear attack (or other animals).
----------
Perhaps you meant curved sticks?
A curved stick with a Maple Leaf's logo on it? That's hardly what I'd call dangerous. lol!
Of course they don't count. Stormwind is full of drunk dwarves and Orgrimmar is full of smelly orcs, taurens and undeads.
Darnassus is the real Utopia. I mean, have you seen those female night elves?
- Status