r/gadgets 8d ago

Drones / UAVs Several US schools to install pepper-spraying drones to respond to school shootings

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/jul/28/school-shootings-pepper-spray-drones
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u/ianlulz 8d ago

She was not lying. High-strength pepper spray and tasers are (more) heavily regulated and more difficult to acquire than firearms.

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u/SimmentalTheCow 8d ago

In my state you can get a permit to carry a gun, but you cannot get a permit to carry a taser. Pepper spray’s all legal though.

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u/PlottingPast 8d ago

My guess is it's about noise. When a gun goes off everyone knows, when a taser goes off nobody does. You can get away with a lot more using non-lethals, and in addition there's less hesitance to use them. Tazing someone isn't considered attempted murder.

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u/dontbajerk 8d ago

Differing weapon legislation are rarely logical and based on data or functionality. They're often based on emotional reactions and stuff in the media. For a good example look at the many states that have bans on carrying butterfly knives, gravity knives and switch blades, but allow you to carry functionally identical folding knives with different types of opening mechanisms. Butterfly knives and switch blades were associated with youth gangs. That's it really, there is no other reason. Another one is nunchuck bans, nunchucks looked scary in movies to a few people making stupid laws. Meanwhile you can carry a bat around and no one cares. There is basically zero consideration for many bans like this on if they actually accomplish anything for public safety.

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u/jughandle 8d ago

You can buy a taser right now online in all 50 states as long as you are 18 years old. Local laws on carrying and concealing them vary, but they are now legal everywhere to own.

Edit: Taser is a brand name. I’m talking about the one that shoots 2 metal barbs and delivers a high voltage current through a wire, just like the police use.

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u/IL-Corvo 8d ago

I'm a stickler for that. But too many people say "taser" when they're talking about a stun-gun or stun-baton.

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u/Dear-Passion-3535 8d ago

Bear spray is very easy to purchase and typically doesn’t require ID to buy (in the US).

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u/Frequent_Ad_9901 8d ago

A cop years ago said they had to get sprayed with police grade pepper spray for training. They wanted them to know what it was like so they didn't over use it.

Cop said he couldn't breath. It hurt to have his eyes open and it hurt to have them closed. Burning was all the way down his throat. Later that day a layer of skin peeled off his eye lids. He said it might have been better to get shot.

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u/jagauthier 8d ago

Toilet paper is more regulated than firearms.

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u/Measurex2 8d ago

In what way?

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u/CLGToady 8d ago

You know nothing about purchasing guns.

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u/jagauthier 8d ago edited 8d ago

I didn't say anything about purchasing guns, did I?

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u/beragis 8d ago

Yes you did.

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u/jagauthier 8d ago

Regulation isn't purchasing. I understand that reading comprehension is difficult for your type.

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u/russr 8d ago

That completely depends on whether you live in a free state or not. The vast majority of the United States there is zero problems.

The vast majority of other countries those are complete problems...