several times now, i have encountered very rude people in public places. tonight, i was coming home on the NYC subway during rush hour. the subway stairs were crowded with people going up on the left and down on the right. i have two packages and wanted to hold on to the handrail. halfway down the stairs, a woman is standing there talking on her cell phone. i say to her, "excuse me, can i get by?" she answers, "walk around me, i'm on the phone." it's a crowded stairway, there is barely room to walk around her fat body. we end up in a shouting match. finally, i have to walk around her. it never occurs to her that a busy public stairway is not the place to take a cell phone call. she could care less about causing a dangerous situation to everyone else. i walk away but am angry.

on my way home, i stop in a hardware store and ask to buy some pepper spray. i want a way to defend myself against people who would put me physically in danger with their public irresponsibility. i am told that the sale of pepper spray in NY state is illegal. what kind of place is this that i can buy a gun to defend myself by not pepper spray??