OK, I’m just reporting in. I was able to find a pepper spray (Sabre Red maximum Strength, “The Runner”, 35 bursts, active ingredient: Oleoresin Capsicum) for $10 at the local sporting goods store. Wal-Mart doesn’t carry it.
The one in the picture says I would be fighting breast cancer if I bought that one, and I’m in favor of that, but another package in a more manly blue & green said it had 10 more sprays for the same price, so I bought the he-man version. Sorry, ladies.
The package says, “Not to be purchased or possessed by minors, felons, anyone addicted to narcotics or where prohibited by law,” so I guess I’m OK there.
No quantity is given, although it might be covered up by the store’s price sticker. The package says, unapologetically, “Making grown men cry since 1975!”
I am going to play this test as safe as I can. The weather forecast is for rain today, so I plan to put off the test until tomorrow afternoon, as I want to do it in the open.
My plan is to use the tiniest amount on some bread first, and see how much is detectable in the open by smell and if I’m not overwhelmed, by taste. If it is not overpowering, I might put a little on a slice of pizza I have in the fridge (I’ll warm it first) and keep it in a cardboard box for a few minutes to simulate what might have happened to the teens. For all we know, the smell might evaporate over time.
Film at 11. If I don’t post for a few days, send the ambulance.