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Is It Legal To Bring Tasers/self Defense Items To Your Destination?

Discussion in 'Travel advice' started by OursIsTheFury, May 8, 2016.

  1. OursIsTheFury

    OursIsTheFury Member

    I'm thinking of buying a taser or a pepper spray locally and bringing them along while I backpack travel through different parts of Europe and Asia. Do you think this will be a problem when I am crossing country borders? Is it illegal to bring them at airports? For safety reasons, I think it is necessary to have one just in case you become the target of a pickpocket or a mugger while you are traveling in a foreign country. What do you guys think?
     


  2. briannagodess

    briannagodess Well-Known Member

    Hi! I'm referring to the New Delhi Airport's guidelines which indicate that bringing a stun gun or a pepper spray is fine as long as it's in your checked luggage and not in your hand carry. Furthermore, mace or pepper spray is allowed but the amount is restricted. So you are only allowed to bring one 118 ml. container of mace and it has to be in a special container to prevent it from spilling over or being discharged.

    With regards to other self-defence weapons, they're allowed as well as long as they're in your checked luggage. But to be sure, ask your airline beforehand. They aren't illegal per se, but you still need to tell the airline about them just so you won't encounter any problems.

    Usually, each country and airport you visit will have their own guidelines. So you would need to research about these before your trip and make sure if stun guns or pepper sprays are fine to bring in these countries.
     


  3. tabby

    tabby Member

    Off the top of my head, I don't see why carrying TASER or pepper spray may be illegal. These things are meant to offer temporary protection and give the user a chance to flee from a bad element encountered. I doubt if it can do physical harm and can endanger the life of another. But yeah, it's safer to do some research prior to traveling so your decision to carry it is well-informed. Doing the research as each country may have different regulations, and it could save you your money in case they're not allowed after all. That way, you need not buy them beforehand.
     
  4. pwarbi

    pwarbi Active Member

    I'd also be of the opinion that carrying these items in between countries should be ok, I'd still feel the need to check before I made the trip as the regulations might vary from country to country.

    Also while bringing them into a country might be ok, it's also worth checking that these items are also legally allowed to be used as even here in the UK I'm not sure what rights people have regarding items like tazers, and I live here!
     
  5. Elaine Lat

    Elaine Lat Member

    If we only have stun gun or pepper spray I'd bring those. All I have is a balisong knife, which I doubt would be allowed since it's a sharp object and not really just for defending yourself but also has the potential to hurt other people. I'd be more inclined to learn basic martial arts before traveling any country because the knowledge would enable me to fight with bare hands and possibly turn any object into a weapon.
     
  6. ellajanelle

    ellajanelle New Member

    Airports are really strict especially with this kinds of things. I'm not sure with other airports but as far as I know it's perfectly fine to bring self-defense items such as pepper spray as long as it's not hand-carried or brought to the aircraft along with you or within your reach, for safety purposes of course. You have to be extra careful in handling these items. Negligence is certainly not acceptable as this could hurt other people too.
     
  7. PerhapsIndia

    PerhapsIndia New Member

    I'd prefer mace too, generally speaking. Where I'm going, self-defense items are ok, but generally unnecessary as I'm starting in Thailand before India, and the place I'm going is generally a tame city :)
     
  8. iseeyou

    iseeyou New Member

    I'm not so sure about taser but pepper spray is generally an approved self defense tool anywhere you travel. It's really a good thing if you're prepared, especially when you travel alone. Anywhere can be dangerous, you just have to be vigilant and prepared at all times for safety measures. I'm thinking of backpacking next year but before that, i swore to myself i have to go for some self defense classes first.