Malley wrote:Roadster, due respect and not looking to argue, but you may have seen too much McGiver.
If you are going to fight back, a gun is the way to do it. God created man, but Colonel Colt made men equal. If the BGs aren't bigger or more numerous, they probably won't cause a problem in the first place. As was noted, you must reasonably fear for your life, that of others, or grave bodily injury in order to use deadly force.
I have serious doubts that the Dispatcher will be anxious to send the gendarmes to escort anyone...
If railroads are like most businesses, they are more concerned about a lawsuit than they are about injuries to employees.
Guns don't solve all the worlds problems, but like fire extinguishers, seatbelts and attorneys, they do sometimes come in handy.
Malley
Point of it being, once you've pulled out a gun, you've created a whole new set of problems quite apart from the bad guy.
If you use the gun, you're liable for prosecution. In some areas, simply brandishing a weapon constitutes assault with a firearm.
The "bad guy" may not be so "bad" (might not be a known felon) that he won't go to the cops himself. Ho-hum, I was just walkin' along the tracks, and this CRAZY tried to kill me!
If he's armed, gun or other, and you pull a weapon, you've just raised the ante. Now he may feel forced to use his weapon. If he's better or luckier...you're a statistic. If you get the better of him...you're a defendent.
There's no good answer to this problem; but I dont think packing a gun is a better answer than other possible defenses.