You've got the idea, Fras. Do the thinking part first, then the action.

I would encourage you to go out and find some form of kickboxing, martial art, self defense class and try it out, though. It will give you a complete change in attitude, and you'll find that after a while, situations like the one you stated don't get your adrenaline going to the point that you rely on instinct completely.

I've only been taking a blend of the above for a short period of time, but I've found that if I'm out with my girl and something like what you mentioned occurs, a simple, "Is there a problem here?" with some direct and fierce eye contact is enough for most guys to back off.

~Sphinx

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You don't need eyes to see, you need vision. ~Faithless, Reverence.