In a northern state a suburban housewife completed her shopping and headed for the mall parking lot.
Her arms were loaded with packages, her feet hurt, and she was worried about all the money she had just spent.
Upon reaching the car, parked next to a van, the woman rummaged around in her purse for the car keys.
Just as she grasped the key ring a man stepped out of the van and grabbed her arm.
As he started dragging her toward the open rear door of his vehicle, she dropped her packages and her handbag.
The only thing she maintained a grip on was her key ring.
She kicked and screamed but made no progress.
The assailant continued pulling her closer to the open door of the van.
She knew that if he muscled her inside that her chances of survival would plummet.
She took a couple of deep breaths and tried to calm herself.
At that moment the woman realized that she still held the key ring and that a container of mace pepper spray was attached to it.
She worked the ring around to get a good grip on the spray and thumbed open the holster.
Just as the assailant moved to lever her up and into the van, she quit pulling away from him, stepped forward, brought the pepper spray into position and blasted him in the eyes at point blank range.
He screamed in agony and released his grip on her, allowing the opening she needed to escape.
The woman ran back into the mall where she quickly found assistance.
In a few moments the perpetrator was apprehended.
He was unable to drive and was in such agony that he had locked himself in his own vehicle where he tried to wait out the pain.
When asked what she was thinking and feeling at the time, the heroine acknowledged fear and revulsion.
"Then," she said, my training kicked in.
I remembered what our instructor said about staying calm and to keep on thinking.
" It turns out that, a few months earlier, she and a few friends had decided to learn how to protect themselves.
They had maintained a training schedule which included defensive thinking, practical methods for avoiding danger, and hands-on practice in how to escape from a variety of situations.
"When I took the steadying breath several things happened all at once.
I noticed that the bad guy was breathing rapidly - almost gasping - which told me he was not just winded from the exertion but was excited.
I figured that gave me an edge since I was not just reacting.
"I had been pulling away, trying to get him to let go of me.
Then I remembered that he couldn't keep me from moving into him.
The instructor had made us practice lots of ways to turn the tables on the bad guys.
Right then I realized I was holding the pepper spray and that I was in the perfect position to use it against him.
"I took a deep breath, turned into him, and sprayed him right in the eyes.
When he screamed and turned loose of me I knew I was going to be okay.
"