[Manly Warrior]

Don’t look like a sheep, don’t act like a wolf, act like you are a sheep dog.

Alert, pleasant, aware and, always armed and thinking.

One tip, use a shopping cart to take even only a few things to your vehicle. At least one hand should always be free to do a critical task, break a fall, snag some Rugrats about to be squished, draw your....keys, arm, phone. Plus, the cart is decent stand off if someone wants to get stupid.

[cuban leaf]

That is exactly what I think caused the situation in my post a couple up from this one. She saw me as a “sheep dog”.

[jmacusa]

Situational awareness, head on a swivel , I make it a habit to eyeball everybody , I carry a large lock blade knife with a hardened pointed grip(good for throat punches) and I wear steel toed sneakers.(steel toed work boots in winter.) When I was in my late teens and early twenties I studied karate. Almost made it to black belt but booze, drugs and girls and ''the wrong crowd'' got in the way.... ah, youthful foolishness... I walk out my front door as if I'm going on patrol. To me life is a daily battle of sorts. My wife carry's mace. She and her son had a car alarm install business years before I met her and she had a pistol permit(this is NJ). She never renewed it when they sold the business. I'm trying to get her to get another permit. It's such a hassle in the state to get one.