Reply #13: Not only are you correct, but

[Lionessa]

at least in the states I've had CCWs, the course you have to take to get the CCW certainly reminds one over and over that it is to be of last resort, short of carelessly turning your back on the suspect to run (I read that in this short OP, I didn't know one was ever required to choose to run before one defended oneself or those around him/her).

Sounds like the poster behaved as he/she should have, with or without a gun. Sounds like the poster is a skillful enough mediator (?) of situations to keep things calm most of the time. I don't get why he/she considers that she would'nt've been able to handle herself if she were a CCW carrier.