Try as we might to avoid them, there are times when most of us are faced with non-permissive environments. Before I embarked on a full-time career as a wordsmith, I spent about 15 years working as a private investigator. Among other things, this meant that I was in and out of courthouses just about every day. Trust me when I say that you’ll only ever forget to keep your pocket knife in your car once.
Heck, I once got in trouble for having one of those AAA Mini Maglites in my coat pocket. I’d been working on my car the night before and completely forgot about it. Courthouse security told me to either take it back to my car or surrender it to them. My counter-argument that many attorneys in the building were using Montblanc pens that were larger and heavier than the flashlight was ignored.
Whether it’s because of where you work or where you play, you might need to be a little creative when it comes to defensive weapons for non-permissive environments. Fortunately, there are several options available.
John Wick Style
I always thought that Ticonderoga missed the boat by not coming out with a special edition John Wick pencil set. But the folks at Kopis Designs and Midnight Oil Company teamed up to fill that gap. Check out the Blackout Pencil Pusher.
Looking to all the world like a regular #2 pencil, the red oak hides a solid core of G10 composite material. Each one is handmade by the team at Midnight Oil Company, which results in a unique look for each one. Few people working in non-permissive environments would give it a second glance.
A Truly Sharp Sharpie
Nick Huffman is a master spikesmith, if I might be allowed to coin a term. If it’s sharp and pointy, he can make it. He’s built a great reputation for sharpened Sharpie markers. He’s done them with G10, steel, and other materials. I particularly like the retractable models, just click and stick.
Flailing About
I picked this one up from my friend Kevin Estela. If you regularly use a backpack or bag of some sort, this is a great option for non-permissive environments. This weapon is carried in two pieces, each of which is innocuous.
The first is a padlock, which many people carry to use when they visit the gym, so they can secure their belongings while they exercise. The other element is a short dog leash, the type that’s pretty much just a handle with a snap closure at the end. If you keep them in separate compartments in your pack, nobody would blink an eye at them.
However, if you attach the lock to the end of the leash, you’ve instantly created a formidable impact weapon, one that doesn’t require immense strength or even moderate finesse to use. Grasp the leash and swing the lock at the target. It will definitely get their attention.
It should go without saying that these are absolutely weapons of last resort. Discretion is the better part of valor, as they say. If you’re able to avoid danger and flee the area, that’s definitely the route to take.
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