Do you ever feel vulnerable with the top down?

[luxury1]

Clearly one of the best things about the box is the top down experience but it sometimes makes me a little nervous when drivng around. I definitely feel this more in the city (Pittsburgh) as opposed to the burbs. There are bums, drug dealers, crazy drunk people at night, general shady characters, etc. It can be a little unnerving sometimes. Even on a regular suburbian street when a few teenagers pull up in a thugged out POS it makes me think a little. The good thing about a top is that it protects you a little more and isolates you from these elements.

Anyway, my solution was to purchase a nice big bottle of pepper foam spray to help diffuse any possible threats that jeapordize my security. I keep it in the drivers door compartment although it is not quite as accessible as I want it to be. Do any of you guys carry a defense device for the same reason? Have any of you had any scary experiences?

[aBsOlUt]

I understand completely what you are saying.

I get the same feeling too when my top is down and a bunch of thugs or teanagers approach me at the stop light and start calling me names.

Of course, they do that because I am 21 and they are jealous. I look very young for such a car (truth is I am). I tend to never respond, if I do I have more to lose. That's what they want me to do, respond something and make them pissed off so they get out and break my car or start beating me up.

As for defense "Weapons", I got none, I hope that in the society we live I dont have to carry a "weapon" everywhere I go and I should not, just because I drive a Porsche? What can I say, life is unfair, its not that I went to each one of them and told them "hey guys I drive one and you dont".

[delastrodmen]

Do you ever feel vulnerable with the top down?

A: Only when I'm buying crack at my local corner. Those situations can get kind of tense.

Kidding. But considering weapons, I would recommend enrolling in some form of Martial Arts program. I practice Muay Thai kickboxing and a little bit of MMA (UFC stuff). It's a great confidence booster. And that confidence comes from knowing that if needed, you will be able to at least maintain more control of a situation. It's been my experience that most people know a great deal about talking the talk. Yet when it comes to skill level, most people resort to primative arm flailing. I'm not saying that you should go out and start working on your black belt or anything. But consider this, our body language expresses more than we know. So if you look uncomfortable or fearful, others will be able to pick up on it and exploit you. I'm not just making this up. And after all, we are all just recently advanced group of mammals, so there is a certain primal instinct involved.

You'll find that the more you know how to fight, the less you'll actually have to use it. Hard to believe, but it's true.

[luxury1]

A few years ago I took some martial arts (Taekwondo) and made it to green but I never want to have to leave the car. Spray and go is my philosophy (or better yet just GO depending on the situation). Plus at an early age I realized that street fighting is very different than tournament fighting especially if there is more than one opponent. I just want to drive in peace

Also, aBsOlUt I know what you are saying about being young. I am also in my 20's and I think that this contributes to the chaos for the exact reason you stated; jealousy.

[Brucelee]

Consider what my namesake said in Enter the Dragon...
\

Why don't you just get a gun and .......POW!

Seriously, I have been in the Martial Arts for many years. For the situation you are describing, I would pack heat assuming the local laws allow it.

If not, a stun guy would be my next move, ie a TASER if it is allowed.

With the MA, it will take you some serious time and training to allow you to deal with the situations you are describing.

Or, you could move to a nice town!

[Brucelee]

"And that confidence comes from knowing that if needed, you will be able to at least maintain more control of a situation"

This kind of confidence may get you killed in certain circumstances. Frankly, many folks who train in MA are WAY OVER THEIR HEAD in a street situation. Way too often, the other guy is armed or will simply kick the living **************** out of you!

Moreover, if you are stupid enough to get out of your car in a ghetto situation, man, that is the end of the line.

Either hit the gas or hit the trigger.

IMHO!

[docdyh]

Cleveland is similar to Pittsburgh..Fortunately I live in the suburbs, but am always cognizant of what part of town I am in...haven't felt the need to protect myself, but I do stay away from certain areas...esp. in a porsche..that is when its time to pull out the daily driver-my chevy truck...

[delastrodmen]

Originally Posted by luxury1

A few years ago I took some martial arts (Taekwondo) and made it to green but I never want to have to leave the car. Spray and go is my philosophy (or better yet just GO depending on the situation). Plus at an early age I realized that street fighting is very different than tournament fighting especially if there is more than one opponent. I just want to drive in peace

Also, aBsOlUt I know what you are saying about being young. I am also in my 20's and I think that this contributes to the chaos for the exact reason you stated; jealousy.

I also started out with Taekwondo, but found it to be, as you said, unrealistic when related to an actual combat situation. That's why I much prefer Muay Thai and MMA. MT has great "stand-up" aspects, whereas the MMA allows more of a focus on "groundwork" to include grappling, joint locks/breaks/submissions, and control.

Pepper sprays are effective, however, therein lies the problem with using it. Spraying someone while sitting in a car, namely a convertable, wouldn't be a wise decision due to factors such as wind speed and direction. The wind could easily blow the spray back towards your own face. If you're behind the wheel when this happens, one of a few things will happen:

a. you will panic and run over people/plants/animals/unsuspecting street signs
b. you will anger your attacker, who will proceed to beat you up
c. while your attacker and yourself are incapacitated, someone will jack your ride.
d. your attacker may enjoy foods that are very spicy. He/she will think your self-defense attempt is a friendly gift. To thank you for your kind gesture, they will take you under their wing and show you all that a life on the wrong side of the tracks has to offer. You become enticed by the seedy yet glamorous underworld of carjacking. So enticed that you begin a never ending downward spiral of crime and mischief that will end only in your imprisonment or death. (insert montage here)

Sorry, I'm a little wary of pepper spray and tear gas since i was exposed to it in the military. We went through what's called a "confidence chamber" where the whole idea is to learn to appreciate and utilize your protective equipment. The stuff isn't life threatening, but it is highly incapacitating.

But seriously, you could just drive away. Or leave the top up. But by living in fear, you are allowing yourself to be dominated by the lowest form of primate: the arrogant bully.

P.S., Luxury1, you mentioned jealousy, I agree. That, and immaturity.

[mtch]

Aother important point made earlier was the false confidence that MA and MMA instill in participants and students. I studied under a champion (why is it that all instructors are champions?) instructor until I was 12. I quit when I saw my uncle, who was 19 at the time, beat the snot out of my champion instructor. This was not a controlled or sanction match, but a fight in the parking lot. My uncle broke the instructor's arm, nose and a rib. I'll concede that my uncle was a nationally competitive (jr. olympics) high school wrestler and had spent some time on the wrong side of town, "honing his skills". However, I had seen my instructor win tournies and other competitions, so I lost a lot of confidence in American instructional combatives and MAs when I saw him go down like that.

I know that there are many factors that determine the outcome, and this may have been an issue of dumb luck, a bad day or fatigue. But, after I saw that, I realized that most MA training is controlled and it will not prepare someone for a real, uncontrolled street fight. It simply provides enough confidence to stand and take a beating instead of backing down and running.

[bigislandboxster]

I don't think there are too many states that allow you to drive with a concealed weapon in your vehicle....Texas may be one....But if officer friendly pulls me over for speeding and finds a gun inside, I'm screwed......I don't think I want that on my record!

[binaryc]

I love Texas

You just have to hand any officer your concealed weapons license when you hand over your drivers license.

[rbennett]

Originally Posted by luxury1

Have any of you had any scary experiences?

Not yet, but I do share your feeling with feeling uneasy driving around town with the top down, in the moutains or the coast, it's all diff!!!