1 being fists, and ten being a gun. We live in D.C so we can’t carry a firearm, and my mother and me are sometimes harassed, and I got robbed in daylight one time too. Enemies being typical street thug types. or any other non firearm self defense devices for protecting from multiple people attacking?
I give it a 4. It gives you a little range and some of the better ones are really potent but if somebody has been stalking/scouting you out, you would be in deep sh!t with a prepared opponent. By prepared I mean somebody wearing goggles and a dusk mask. So that means about $10 in a hardware store can give a mugger his edge on you.
Also, think of what happens when the pepper spray fails: back to 1 with fists. Having something a little more sturdy would probably be better. I would try a TAZER. D.C. is hot in the summer so nobody is going to be wearing a heavy coat to go mugging and heavy clothing is the biggest deterent of TAZERs. TAZERs also give you a little more range than pepper spray and it can’t blow back into your eyes. Once you hit somebody with a TAZER, you have 5 seconds to figure out what to do and you can always pull the trigger again and give the criminal another jolt. The thing is, you only have shot before you have to reload so if you miss (or another attacker moves in) you are back to 1 out of 10. They aren’t that expensive and will keep; I’m not sure if pepper spray cans lose pressure over time like fire extinguishers. Then again a TAZER’s battery also might go dead. Overall, I would give a TAZER a 6 out of 10.
I’m not sure if you are a big or well built guy but you might want to look into some kind of defensive fighting. You can never forget or break your weapon because your mind is your weapon. You could always get training in stick fighting and carry an Asp. An Asp is one of those collapsible steel baton things that cops carry. All you have to do is flick it and you would have the equivalent of a piece of rebar in your hand. A personal defense instructor would probably do a lot in helping you protect yourself even if you don’t want to fight back. They can teach you to be aware of your surroundings and other skills that could help you out a lot. It is just a suggestion though. If you don’t think you want to take risks fighting back then keep your credit cards and ID in your shoe and just hand over the cash. It is safer and probably what I would do. A brawl can turn against you very fast if there is more than one attacker. I would give defensive fighting a 5 out of 10.
Another thought is more of a passive defense in a ballistic vest (aka "bulletproof" vest). You could do all of the other things I suggested, or none, and still have an extra layer of protection. As long as you don’t advertise the fact that you are wearing one then you have a better chance to get away bruised but not dead. If your mugger sees your vest or is consistent about hurting you then you may just get beat up, throat cut or shot in the head (so in other words you can’t trust it to save you every time). It wouldn’t make you Superman because your sides aren’t protected by anything but fabric and bullets still break ribs when they are stopped. By the way, cops in my town wear a level II vest that can usually stop a .357 Magnum at rather close ranges so if you want to try it out I suggest you get something like that. Check around for what you like or decide it just isn’t for you, it isn’t my job to tell you what to do. Overall, I would give a ballistic vest a 9 out of 10. It won’t stop a truck, or a bullet to the head, but it will help a lot in most situations.
No matter what you decide to do, a gun is the best defense against a violent attacker so if you honestly feel your life is in danger walking down the street just steps from your house then it may be best to move out of D.C. A place that respects your right to defend yourself with lethal force is a place that values your life over the life of a criminal. If you are tied to your job it is ok to wait a while to move but every day you walk the streets is another day that you may see your family for the last time. You are in one of the most dangerous cities in the country and that is the truth of the matter.
Best of luck out there and stay safe.