... make sure they're fully discharged before you drop them in the bin. That, at least, is the message from a Montana garbage disposal company, as reported by Commander Zero.
I agree with his assumption that some poor garbage man got a snootful of the good bear stuff as he hoisted up a garbage can to dump it into his truck. It must have made for a more interesting circuit than usual!
I've encountered a few similar things with other potentially dangerous substances. People seem to throw them out without any thought for possible consequences. According to one garbage disposal company in Tennessee whom I had dealings with over another matter, one of the biggest problems is that fires sometimes start in garbage dumps - quite spontaneously, due to sunlight reflected and concentrated through a piece of broken glass, or chemicals mixing and combusting, or old ashes that were not completely extinguished causing a delayed fire reaction. If a partially filled spray can of almost anything is too near those fires, it can (and occasionally does) explode. Complications ensue, particularly if that makes the fire worse.
Also, speaking of bear spray reminds me of that good old personal defense standby, pepper spray/gel. It can be very useful stuff. Too many people think that household products can substitute for it. They're wrong. Lawdog shares his thoughts on wasp spray and oven cleaner for defensive use. Go read. (If you're interested, I use and recommend Sabre Red pepper gel. It sticks to your target and doesn't fog the room with pepper spray that will affect you just as much!)
Food for thought.
Peter
13 comments:
I don't remember the brand but I have pepper jell in the door pockets of both my truck and wife's car. The effective range is supposed to be 20 feet.
If, for some reason, you are restricted, (say at work) from having Pepper Spray, you can always have and use a 2 lb powder style fire extinguisher. A facefull of that will greatly change the motivation of most attackers...as will a lung full..... seeing and breathing become the priorities at at that point. (then bash him over the head with the cannister)
Not the best but a decent substitute if that is all you can have.
I'm not sure about oven cleaner, but in the USA, using wasp spray as "pepper spray" is ILLEGAL. It says right on the side of the can, paraphrasing here, "Use of this product for anything other than its intended use is a violation of federal law." Wasp spray is a NEUROTOXIN. Spraying it in an attacker's face may or may not drive him off. However, it will DEFINITELY render the attacker PERMANENTLY BLIND. At this point the ATTACKER will SUE YOU and will WIN. There is PLENTY of legal precedence for this. ...Use the right glob for the job... All that being said, staying alive is the name of the game. When it's a choice between life or death, choose life by any means necessary!
Hey, thanks for the linkage!
Sabre Red Gel WORKS! Period. And it's LEGAL!
Carry a lighter and add a whole new dimension to the can chemicals you carry.
Talking of things you should not lightly toss in the trash - do not throw away lithium ion batteries
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/lithium-ion-battery-waste-fires-are-increasing-and-vapes-are-a-big-part-of-it/
That sounds like good advice, but if you inflict burn injuries on your "victim", you're going to be sued sideways for damages. Not necessarily a wise thing to do.
If he's blind he can't ID you, can he.
In my misspent youth, I disposed of a disposable butane lighter in the campfire. Before it was lit. At Summer camp. With hundreds of other campers present.
Long ago I read a prepped blogger who lived in England and spent some time in Africa because her husband worked for a hotel and spent part of his time there. Apparently pepper spray was illegal in England and she was suggesting wasp spray ignited by a lighter for home defense in a shit hit the fan scenario. This was along about Y2K. She also discussed sharpening a rat tail comb because knives were illegal!
I remember some time in my youth hearing about a sanitation worker in NYC being splashed with hydrofluoric acid when compacting a load and died from the exposure. It was later in my career that I learned what a nasty substance it was. Some things are not meant to be put in the trash casually.
Even old dogs can learn. The can of wasp spray has moved from the passenger side to the trunk. A can of Sabre Pepper Gel will soon take it's place. The wasp spray will stay. Wasps have made homes in gas filler doors and under the hood before.
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