hell hedkikr, just take a mothful and spit it in their eyes. sure you won't be able to taste anything for a few days, but if it's a life or death type situation...

This would work well in the car.
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/9812/11/flame.thrower.car/

For at work I would just run the guy down with a forklift.
You could use a fire extingusier as well too.

Just adding this to my favourites.

a fat marker pen like a dry wipe board pen makes a pretty good yawara-bo/kubaton for pressuse point application and better as a fist support. shame it has no weight behind it.

You guys are brutal. Whatever happened to a good old punch up the jaw. Put them down without friggin chilli powder through their eyes and enough teeth on the floor to make a necklace.

hugo...maybe because the title of this thread is "Improvised Weapons"? DUH

The reason I started this thread was because in a real SD situation, you want as much in your favor as possible be it numbers (of people on your side), physical positioning (don't stand on the curb) or availability of weapons.

Remember, possession of a weapon, in some areas, can be illegal or considered evidence of intent. Being able to recognize & utilize potential weapons is very important in deterence & fighting (if it comes down to it). This can be as simple as picking up objects to lob @ or bludgeon your attacker or more sophisticated cane or edged weapon techniques.

Whether you're confronting an angry client in your office or a hijacker/terrorist on an airline, the key is to be aware @ all times & be prepared to enlist an improvised weapon to tip the odds of success in your favor.

BTW: Thanks to all the posters, especially those who identified objects not customarily thought of as weapons. (South African BMW not included but awsome in its own right)

what have I got on my desk that'd make a good weapon?

paper clips
stapler
CDs
CD jewel cases
cards
paper
0.5m steel engineers ruler [nice stick!]
misc pens and pencils - kubotans etc
computer - mouse for a flail, keyboard as a stick
phone
pda
speakers
phonebooks
lots of product catalogues & books
water glasses & coffee cups

pull the other one. I (as well as many) work in an office environment...besides the infintecimal chance of being attacked at your computer, lets break your answers down tough-girl:

paper clips - ? no reply. 0 damage.
stapler - for throwing or hold it in your hand while punching.
CDs - like a ninja?
CD jewel cases - 0 damage.
cards - see 'ninja'
paper - mean paper cuts..ouchie!
0.5m steel engineers ruler [nice stick!] - it may give someone pause when struck accross the knuckles.
misc pens and pencils - kubotans etc - yep, if you have the time...how long does it take you to find a pen when someone says "take this number down..."

computer - mouse for a flail, keyboard as a stick phone
pda
speakers
phonebooks
lots of product catalogues & books

- if you consider those as better weapons than your fists then I ask you, what have you been training for?

water glasses & coffee cups - more projectiles.

are you basing your office protection on cubicle seige warfare or self-defense? projectiles are a non-issue in the office unless a female co-worker gets angry with a male peer who she's slept with.
get real.