This brings up an interesting question. Suppose it’s 11:00 at night on a fairly empty city street and two people are approaching you. YOu don’t know if they just want to ask for directons or a light for their cigarette or whether they want to play the knockout game. What do you do? Tell them “that’s close enough” when there are still three feet away? Run? Make an obvious show of putting your hand insdie your coat where a pistol may be? How would you deal with it?
“This brings up an interesting question. Suppose it’s 11:00 at night on a fairly empty city street and two people are approaching you.”
What kind of people? A priest and a rabbi? Teenage white girls? Bums? Or young black males whose clothing, piercings, body language, and facial expressions scream, “I’m a violent scumbag”?
“What do you do? Tell them “that’s close enough” when there are still three feet away?”
Three? Try twelve.
“Run?”
If possible I might alter my course to open our CPA (closest point of approach). If they then alter their course to close our CPA, the gun is coming out.
“Make an obvious show of putting your hand insdie your coat where a pistol may be?”
Never that. Never threaten. Either do, or don’t do.
I’d deal with it by never in a million years being on an empty city street at 11pm. But that’s just me.
The better part of self defense is avoiding situations where it becomes necessary...Having said that...
A public setting like a city street favors the predator, and makes this a difficult situation for his potential prey...
The predator can decide if conditions favor him and his plan or not...If not, the predator can just move on...”Hey, I’m just walking here!”...
Put some space between yourself and them...Seek groups of people, duck into a bar, or enter an open business...If nothing is open...
Change directions, cross the street; if they move to intercept, their intentions are now known...
You could warn: “That’s close enough...What do you want?” Draw attention to the situation if others are around...
Don’t worry about making a scene...Better thought crazy than be hospitalized or dead...Fists and feet are lethal weapons...
Once you see or perceive a threat, do not allow them to close distance with you, and definitely not within arms reach...
Making a show of unzipping or blading your body may discourage, but only you can decide in the moment if you should run, or will need to draw and point in at the threat...
Hopefully, you do not go about unarmed, and especially after dark in deserted areas?
Get some firearms training and carry...
Some of those things you mentioned would work
As a rule I do not approach strangers...nor let them get close to me. I get quite agitated close to strangers...and they tend to back off