Excellant Ada, use the power of the purse to lay a smackdown on these thugs.
Either that or get a ccw and practice.
It is best all round to avoid those places all together and if worse comes to worse do what you have to do and get it over with.
Back when I was young and we were uncivilized, it was the bad guys that kept a low profile. But now that the people decided they wanted to become civilized, it is the law abiding that have to walk softly. Each time I reflect on how bad that seems, I end up with, well that was what they wanted, now they have it.