Best Tools For Dealing With Drunks

[AyatollahGondola]

I need a little advice,

I have been renting some property to keep some commercial products for many years, and throughout the time I've had a very good relationship with the owner. Recently though, a major change in her attitude has surfaced, and then she suddenly married. The new husband seems quite well addicted to alcohol. Actually he seems to be a journeyman alcoholic. I had my second encounter with him today, and this one did not go well. The yelling, flailing arms, slurring words, and beligerent attitude were just inches away from me, and it was a little scary. I'm moving right now. I will be out by the end of the month, but I expect there will be further encounters before that time. So I have a good size can of pepper spray, but from what I've been told, that's not all that effective on full scale drunkeness? Are handheld electronics the way to go for something like this, or are there different grades of pepper spray you folks use?

[cg+fd2chp]

I'm no expert, but I'd be surprised if the spray didn't deter him.




The taser definitely would. Big 5 is even selling them now.

[CTCI08Wife]

Umm, perhaps 9-1-1 on speed dial? Seems like a situation best left to "The Professionals".

[gabriel]

Umm, perhaps 9-1-1 on speed dial? Seems like a situation best left to "The Professionals".

Though I wholeheartedly agree with getting the help you need when you need it from law enforcement. A lot can happen in that 5-15 minute response time. Drunks are quite unpredictable.

Above all, do what you need to stay safe including avoiding a confrontation!

[AyatollahGondola]

Umm, perhaps 9-1-1 on speed dial? Seems like a situation best left to "The Professionals".
It's a rural area, and help is not that close. I do accept that it will be necessary soon though, as the predictable escalation in the confrontational behavior is underway. What happened recently transpired within some 15 - 20 minutes, and there was no other prior warning.
I think I'll go ahead and spend a few dollars on the electronics and keep them both in possession.

[ResQ]

safety in numbers...take a couple friends to help you move. Maybe dude will keep his mouth shut.

...hey, with all of your gadgetry Ayatollah...shouldn't you have the upper hand when it comes to evidence? You do have your vehicles wired for audio/video right? ..or at least your favorite rally catching handi-cam you could leave on the dash to capture your dealings with said loudmouth?

I am betting on wit and preparation to win over alcohol and a lack of social skills.

Let us know how it turns out (video please).

[AyatollahGondola]

safety in numbers...take a couple friends to help you move. Maybe dude will keep his mouth shut.

...hey, with all of your gadgetry Ayatollah...shouldn't you have the upper hand when it comes to evidence? You do have your vehicles wired for audio/video right? ..or at least your favorite rally catching handi-cam you could leave on the dash to capture your dealings with said loudmouth?

I am betting on wit and preparation to win over alcohol and a lack of social skills.

Let us know how it turns out (video please).
Ha! I see my reputation has preceeded me

Yes, I have taken some of the steps mentioned, and had the camera in place last time, however the remote control battery failed me. I fixed that yesterday. The camera seldom deters the inebriated though. Might just catch my last few moments on earth, but that's not the ultimate goal here.

[HonkingAntelope]

DISCLAIMER: I'm only a civilian and not a lawyer, and everything I say below should be taken with a big grain of salt.

Nothing in your original description indicates that you had no reasonable opportunity to retreat from the situation, nor do I see any indication that a reasonable person in your situation would fear for their safety enough to justify the level of force you describe. Did the drunk make any statements or act in a way that led you to believe that unlawful force was about to be used on you? More importantly, can you properly articulate the circumstances to the responding police officer and, if necessary, in court?

Just about anyone in the same situation would fear that the confrontation might escalate soon, but that alone doesn't justify use of pepperspray or stungun, let alone taser.

Speaking of gadgetry, having too many of those makes it a child's play for the prosecutor to paint a very ugly picture of the defendant to the jury if things get that far.

If you're in decent shape physically, I'd recommend some good muay thai or kickboxing lessons, and leave the gadgetry at home, instead.

[AyatollahGondola]

DISCLAIMER: I'm only a civilian and not a lawyer, and everything I say below should be taken with a big grain of salt.

Nothing in your original description indicates that you had no reasonable opportunity to retreat from the situation, nor do I see any indication that a reasonable person in your situation would fear for their safety enough to justify the level of force you describe. Did the drunk make any statements or act in a way that led you to believe that unlawful force was about to be used on you? More importantly, can you properly articulate the circumstances to the responding police officer and, if necessary, in court?

Just about anyone in the same situation would fear that the confrontation might escalate soon, but that alone doesn't justify use of pepperspray or stungun, let alone taser.

Speaking of gadgetry, having too many of those makes it a child's play for the prosecutor to paint a very ugly picture of the defendant to the jury if things get that far.

If you're in decent shape physically, I'd recommend some good muay thai or kickboxing lessons, and leave the gadgetry at home, instead.

I don't want to elaborate on my physical condition publicly because it might give someone an advantage in the future, but I think it's best to rely on gadgetry right now.
Yes, anyone else would have reasonably believed there was an immediate threat of bodily harm. There were some objects in our immediate circle that were grabbed and tossed (giant pry bar for one), and I did try and walk away at first. That was futile. Plainly, it was assault. It didn't go to battery this time.

[FlyWhiteGuy]

Drunks don't run well.......buy some good running shoes :lol: (and a helmet cam)

[AyatollahGondola]

Drunks don't run well.......buy some good running shoes :lol: (and a helmet cam)
I think I am kind of running out there at this point. I did get some video today of my encounter with both of them this time. Today he was not too bad, although fairly inebriated. He did notice the pepper spray and said I wouldn't need that, because he's not violent. But...I notice he shakes his hands in front of her face quite a bit. Today's drama started mainly because I spoke with her about what I perceived to have been an assault. He took it rather well actually, but she did not.
It's been many years since I was close to people with that level of alcohol use. Just like riding a bike though, I remember it all just like yesterday now.

[NWCYNC]

I think I'll go ahead and spend a few dollars on the electronics and keep them both in possession.

Great idea! Be careful if you actually have to use them though, and especially if you have to use both. Some OC sprays are flamable, and then you add a taser......oh yeah, you guessed it! Now you have your own burning man festival just for you. :lol: That would be bad news.

[AyatollahGondola]

Great idea! Be careful if you actually have to use them though, and especially if you have to use both. Some OC sprays are flamable, and then you add a taser......oh yeah, you guessed it! Now you have your own burning man festival just for you. :lol: That would be bad news.
Yikes! Never thought of that. Kind of like mixing medications without reading the labels

[LadyVol@330]

I'm a little concerned about my neighbor who is having his total house remodeled and does a lot of bragging about his new wine cellar. House not ready and they haven't moved in yet, but since he's bipolar, seems to me that the wine cellar means trouble. He lets everyone know that he LOVES wine! We have locked horns more than once and the last time he was blotto, so this turn of events does not bode well for him or his family. Grrrrrr. Good luck with future run-in's with the one you have to deal with. Not fun. :hitwall:

[HonkingAntelope]

I'm a little concerned about my neighbor who is having his total house remodeled and does a lot of bragging about his new wine cellar. House not ready and they haven't moved in yet, but since he's bipolar, seems to me that the wine cellar means trouble. He lets everyone know that he LOVES wine! We have locked horns more than once and the last time he was blotto, so this turn of events does not bode well for him or his family. Grrrrrr. Good luck with future run-in's with the one you have to deal with. Not fun. :hitwall:

Tsk, tsk, tsk. I've known a couple of bipolar people, and neither of them would touch so much as a drop of alcohol (aside from a single drink on a rare occasion) due to having to take 3-6 meds daily and the risk of having the alcohol conflict with the meds. Unless his bipolar is very mild, he's either off his meds or seriously playing with fire there...

[wdbates]

:hitwall:Drunks seam to be more reasonable in the AM hours so I would suggest to finish moving during that time period. Had lots of expearence dealing with this Illness.