When I was in college, I was walking to the train station. I passed by one of those electronics stores that is perpetually running a going out of business sale in Fordham Road. The man who was outside trying to bring people in asked me, “Hey, do you want a stun gun? Defend yourself, good price for you.” I thought those things were illegal, how is this guy offering me this in NYC? I asked him, “Is this legal for you to sell?” He gave me a look that said it all. So, naturally I decided to take a look. It’s a stun gun, hello!
Lo and behold, in a “back” room, this dude had quite a few stun guns. They came in different styles and sizes, but I’ve always favored the smaller, more concealable types when it comes to weapons. If I recall correctly, I think he charged me anywhere between $15 and $30.
Of course, let me restate, stun guns are not legal within the New York City limits. None of them, under any circumstances. I have a firearm permit, and even so, I don’t think I can own a stun gun here. But, I wanted to protect myself, and I didn’t care about the stupid laws designed to make us victims. Besides, how much trouble could I get into for having a cheapy $30 stun gun? Hah, I know better now! Lots of trouble! But I didn’t know this back then.
I had the stun gun for a few years, and it eventually ended up breaking. It wasn’t exactly the most secure or safe piece of equipment either. The power switch would sometimes give me a nice jolt when switching it on. For some reason, I just remembered this today, the memory came back to me out of nowhere.
I’ve always been pro self defense, yet, have always lived in a anti self defense city. You can see how I would be conflicted in life. But that’s the story of how I became an illegal stun gun owner while I was still a teen living in NYC. One day, I’ll tell the story of my spiked nail baseball bat and the blue hair.
Just a life long New Yorker sharing the journey through my lens. Please take note of a post’s date. The views I express here are subject to change and evolving as I grow and learn.
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