I have actually done this:

Use Everyday Items for Protection: Car Keys

If you're walking across a parking lot by yourself, always have your car keys out. Not only will this allow you to jump into your car quickly, but this turns your car keys into a form of protection. Should someone grab you, you'll be able to use your keys to poke and prod them. Just get a key in between your index and middle finger and secure with your thumb. It's not deadly, but definitely painful. If you have to, go for the eyes.

You've probably gotten the email at one time about keeping wasp spray beside your bed. It shoots a straight line for several feet, unlike pepper spray where you have to be in fairly close proximity.
Depending if she wants to carry a large aerosol can, wasp spray might be the answer.

I'd get a loud whistle to keep around my neck whenever walking by myself. (purchased from a sporting goods store)
You can always call the local police station, and see what they recommend now. I've also read about having a really bright flashlight, (light a small spot-light) and direct it into their face. It will prevent them from seeing, temporarily, so if needed, you can run. That's if someone is nearer to you.

I carried pepper spray when I lived in CA and had to walk from a carport to my apartment. I bought it at a store that sold police uniforms and accessories. I had it in my hand before I got out of my car at night.

Try the sporting goods stores. I know I have seen it at Academy Sports.

Linda

When I'm out walking my dog, I carry a stun gun - never have had to use it, but ya never know! It was recommended to me by several policemen who are neighbors. I purchased it on an online firearms/defense site.

I think stun guns are illegal in some states but not in mine. I've thought about getting one but just never have. I've read too many books where the bad people have the stun guns so I guess it would be a matter of who was the quickest.
Thanks for the link. I'm going to check it out.

Why don't you check with your police station--some of these things are illegal to carry in some jurisdictions. They can let you know what is and isn't legal. And more to the point, a professional can let you know what does and doesn't work effectively.

When my sister worked for the Post Office as a letter carrier, they gave her cans of Mace to protect against dog attacks. when she retired, she took several cans home with them. But I went to a Police lecture on using defensive sprays, many times the criminal will pull them away from a woman and spray her with them. I am all for carrying keys as a weapon. Plus, remember to park your car in well lighted areas, if you walk alone keep your eyes open and pay attention, be able to respond if you're grabbed. And you have plenty of weapons-your teeth, fingernails, knees to kick in the groin, etc.

Don't forget, anything you may have as a weapon, may be used against you. However, if you have the presence of mind too use karate moves in the right place, THAT can't be taken from you!
I also heard of carrying a small air horn to startle a perpertrator, and attrack attention.

In California it's illegal to carry Mace unless you've been through a special training class to be licensed to carry it.

In California it's illegal to carry Mace unless you've been through a special training class to be licensed to carry it.

Actually it is legal for anyone over the age of 18 to purchase and carry pepper spray. The canister may not hold more than 2.5 ounces. There are some severe penalties for the misuse of pepper spray however.

It is strongly suggested by all self defense people that you do take a class in the use of any self-defense product. Like any other form of self defense If one hesitates it may be useless for them to carry. Pepper spray that is at the bottom of your purse is useless.

Be aware that pepper spray doesn't always work on people who are on drugs or have mental health problems. In fact it can enrage them further.

DS carries a taser for non-lethal use. But it's on his belt and ready for immediate use, not buried in a bag. Plus he has good reaction skills and is ready to use it or any other self defense method of choice.

To the OP my suggestion is that your friend take a good self defense class for women for starters if she is nervous. You mentioned loiterers in the plural. That could me a "gang' type thing or just some people saying goodnight. Judgment and basic awareness plays a role in these things also. Her body language could also make her an easy mark or one who they wouldn't mess with. A good classe could teach her a lot about this kind of stuff.

My sister recently attended a self-defense class at the police station and they endorsed the wasp spray. I've also heard to leave your car keys by your bed at night so you can use the panic button on it if need be. I know having a barking dog in the house is good, but my dog would walk up to an intruder and lick them. No help there. The class she attended encouraged having a gun and getting the permit to carry it. I'd have to give that a lot of thought.

The last time I was in Radio Shack, over near the flashlight section, I found some really neat, small gizmos that if you pull the ring out, it emits a horribly loud sound. I thought about getting one for my mom in case she was ever out walking and fell and needed help. I think it would really come in handy, too, to scare someone off. A mere $10 or so, I think I'll be getting her one next time I'm in there.

My computer froze up after writing my glorious ramblings so you'll have to settle for a recap. And Wildchild covered some of the things I was going to say. However, don't confuse chemical mace (which is a form of actual teargas) with pepper spray (a lesser irritant) as they're two completely different things. AFAIK, pepper spray is legal in all states for most anyone to use, where mace is more tightly controlled, unless you're using the name generically, like Kleenex, Jell-O or the like. Chemical mace is not pepper spray, however the manufacturer of CM makes a pepper spray too.

Let's see, what all did I try to cover? My aunt in Houston used to use hairspray but that was for car invaders. Not good for outdoors. However with the assortment of perfumes, body sprays, hair sprays, deodorants and colognes that some women wear, the gas smell would choke off many attackers!

One thing that is quite effective is a Tonya tapper. A friend of a friend used it a few times in different situations. But it needs to be quickly and easily accessible and you need to know how to use it.

I won't look up the links again, but check snopes about the email. Again, (ARGH!!!) quit believing everything in email!!! If it comes via spam, it's more likely wrong than right. Pepper spray, at least what I sold, would shoot from 15'-25' and spray a "spray" rather than a "stream" so accuracy is far more important with wasp spray. Plus, seeing a stream that doesn't hit the perp accurately immediately, only gives them reaction time.

This business of using keys is also dubious. IF you can get the perp to stand still while you poke them in the eye, and IF you're at sufficient height to go at their eyes, and IF you have the arm reach advantage to get to the eyes, even with the 1/2"- inch or so of key sticking out and IF you hold it enough and IF the perp doesn't just grab your then vulnerable arm, give it a twist and while you're going down on your knees your keys beat you to the ground, and IF all the other variables are favorable, then maybe it could be some advantage. If anyone has had success in doing this, more power to ya but normally it's best to keep a distance. I'd think it better to stomp on a foot than extend your arm to them. And consider your footware in situations where you're not comfortable. If you can't run in them at your top speed, probably not a good idea to wear them is it?

Better to be aware of your suroundings I think. Did she call the police or security (if any) about the loiterers? As pointed out it could have been someone coming home and standing around chatting, or neighbors out doing crime watch. Learning to be aware of your surroundings and such can avoid some paranoia. She could also use her cell for other things, assuming she has one and if not, get a prepaid, they're cheap.

Does she know any of her neighbors? She could call one of them when she is coming in and feel safer, or they could meet her at the door or something. Is it that she's afraid of the dark? I wonder because of the only time she's afraid is after dark. Crime happens at high noon on a sunny day too and if she's no more prepared in the day than at night, she's setting herself up for problems.

My suggestions: Take a self defense class and also get involved in crime prevention. Has she ever talked to management about putting up some lighting? Perhaps some of these fears can be alleviated by a simple light bulb or two.

Some other comments on stun guns. There was a great one I used to sell that had a lanyard with a "key" that if separated, rendered the gun useless. So if a perp took it away, s/he couldn't use it against the owner immediately. They'd have to get the lanyard off your wrist, figure out how to enable it and the like before using it so it too wasn't perfect, but a great idea IMO. I really liked that feature. Plus as mentioned stun guns and sprays don't always work on someone wigged out. Pepper spray has a shelf life and it's rather short unless it's improved since I sold it. Stun guns require fresh batteries and maintenance and do no good buried in the purse or left on the table at home.

One of my favorite cautions:
In light of the rising frequency of human/grizzly bear conflicts, the Department of Fish and Game is advising hikers, hunters, and fishermen to take extra precautions and keep alert for bears while in the field. "We advise that outdoorsmen should wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle bears that aren't expecting them," a spokesman said. "We also advise outdoorsmen to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a bear". It is also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity. Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear paw prints and scat. A grizzly's paw is larger and its claws are longer than that of a black bear. Black bear scat contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear scat has little bells in it and smells like pepper.

Let's see, what else? "Non-lethal" is a feel-good term. People have died from stun guns. There's a mound of evidence that pepper spray has caused death too although it's not as easily proven. What is non-lethal? Point a gun at someone and not pull the trigger? And keep in mind if you have any gun, firearm or stungun, ARE YOU WILLING TO USE IT? And probably more importantly, do you know how to use it correctly? You'd be surprised how many people have sprayed themselves in the face with pepper spray! And of course pepper spray is not good in windy weather.

Advertising your fear and being oblivious to your surroundings is bad news for you but good news for the perp. You prove yourself an easy mark. There's a lot more to self defense than getting a gun or pepper spray. It's knowing your surroundings, not making yourself an easy target and more.

If she does choose to get spray or stun, tell her to educate herself well first. Don't just buy the $1.99 can at "Bulk Club". There's different strengths, different aerosol power and shelf life to consider (and more) on sprays. There's different voltages and other features to consider on stun guns. Remember on a stun gun you must have CONTACT with the person for it to work! You have distance however with something like an Air Taser. And don't expect the perp to loan you a battery because your 25¢ battery from the dollar store is dead.

Some of the other things, like the keyfob with the "alarm" might attract some attention and the like has been covered and I'm sure I forgot some things I was going to mention, but this should suffice for now.

Stay safe and use common sense. And don't even open spam!!!

Well when one uses a firearm that is considered a lethal form of self defense. On the other hand all law enforcement agencies consider tasers non-lethal alternatives. Never mind that a suspicious number of people have been killed by officers using tasers. Kinda of makes you go hmmmm. Then we have the doofus "cops" who were never properly trained apparently since one who killed a perp while he was lying face down with his handgun pled innocence because he "thought" he was going for his taser. Riiight. The interesting thing is there doesn't seem to be any documented instance where a civilian's use of a taser caused a death.

Which leads me into a point I wish to make. NO form of self-defense will be effective if you are not thoroughly and unconditionally prepared to use it. Also martial arts programs etc. while good to know are often quite useless in a street fight or unexpected situation. Criminals do not follow rules of sport. Street fighters do not fear pain. They have been kicked in the teeth and stomped on before. The person who is defending themselves probably hasn't.

The very most important consideration when you may need to defend yourself is your state of mind. You must be able to overcome your fear. Fear breeds hesitation. If you are unable to channel that fear into productive, controlled anger than forget about it. Not blind anger but the ability to use that adrenalin to either fight or flight. Weapon or no weapon. The decision to use a weapon or fighting skills must be instant. Observe. Orient. Decide. Act. That's the OODA loop. Good mantra to follow.

One note about a gun for defence. Never pull out a gun except to use it.

Pepper spray is considered a weapon in my state and is illegal to carry.

Pepper spray is legal in all 50 states. Some cities and counties may have additional restrictions but it is still legal.

Bobbie in your state you must have a Firearms Identification Card to purchase pepper spray. Massachusetts is one of the few states where you cannot order pepper spray through the mail or online. It must be purchased through a firearm's dealer. But it is legal for a person to carry for personal defense.

Thank you all for the replies. There are lots of ways to be smart about personal safety. She suspects it was 2 teens smoking but since she lives in a very high crime area(Oakland CA) she is wary of anything unusual. Yes she called the police and they came and looked around. I like flameys suggestion because it sounds like a noise different from a car alarm which everyone ignores.

OK.....I've been a runner for 19 years, seen a lot O' stuff.:0) I was taking karate lessons during this time, when a guy on a mountian trail(behind my house) "confronted" me. I was instantly captured as I tried to pass him. I did not stop to ask why or what he was going to do to me...I smoothly executed a move, just like in class...never using the pepper spray in my hand...like I wasn't thinking logically...?... and...threw ...or pushed...the guy off the steep trail. Where he struggled to gain his footing and climb back up...while I continued my run...towards home.

The only time I used pepper spray was on a dog. It was my 3rd encounter with it, always the owner was able to stop it before it made contact...not this time. I'd been warned by the owner it was vicious, previously teased by children and the owner feared it "would" bite. I unloaded half my vial, it lapped at it as it hit it's face and mouth.

Both times a different strategy....still alive....the spray was purchased at Longs drugs, $12.