A serious moment....

I had an encounter this weekend that left me a bit shaken. A near-mugging with myself and a good (if runty) friend as the guests of honor.

For new or forgetful readers, much as I advocate it, "run away, run away" is not a real option for me in any situation where I'm on foot, though with mechanical assistance, it remains valid. "Fall to the ground and gasp for air" is not an approved safety strategy, according to most experts.

We'd been over by Lake Washington and returned to Capitol Hill (the historic "gay ghetto" of Seattle from the early '70's through the present day) to visit a long-time local restaurant to grab lunch. My friend smokes, so after parking we lingered in the parking lot for him to feed his habit before entering the establishment (since smoking is banned in WA in any business establishment or within 25' thereof) . My friend being the handsome and charming sort that he is, I was not radiating my usual "not worth screwing with" vibe I strive to emanate when casually meandering the urban landscape, such a vibe being counterproductive to my assorted evil intentions.

This was an error. A better strategy would have been to meander out to Broadway, the main drag through the Hill, where we would be visible to one and all. This error was a failure in that best personal safety strategy of all, "be someplace the trouble not only isn't, but isn't likely to show up". I can only plead distraction.

We were approached by a largish drunken bum asking for change, and I declined with my usual "sorry, friend, no change here"...when he persisted, I lost patience and suggested "Friend, why don't you just bugger off?"

Perhaps a bit less diplomatic than wise, but I grow tired of being unable to walk a city street without being stopped every few yards by yet another supplicant, and for a moment I lost patience. Needless to say, the rather direct suggestion that the supplicant du jour leave was not well received.

He grew aggressive and it became apparent I had miscalculated, and that all things considered, things had the potential to get astonishingly grim.

I turned to my friend, and suggested we move on, and he readily agreed. While the drunk shrieked imprecations, he did not pursue.

Sometimes, walking away, cautiously...is really the best choice. Simply because you lawfully carry doesn't mean that your firearm is your first/best choice in a dangerous situation; nor is pride your best friend.

At the end of the day, by my lights, it's really the ideal that everyone should walk away with nothing more than their little feelings all injured.

It's all down hill from there, with lots of really exciting risks, trauma, expenses, and general misery attached no matter how things turn out - but that said, if it comes down to a situation going *that* far south...better to suffer the aftermath than become the honored guest of the King County Medical Examiner.

Still a bit shook, and a bit angry with myself for variously losing patience in a less than ideal situation...and for letting my guard down enough to linger in a lonely parking lot, rather than suggesting my friend enjoy his pre-prandial nicotine in a somewhat more public venue.

Le sigh.