I'm a fairly small guy--and worst of all I have a kind and trusting look--which actually is my essential character--and this makes me a natural magnet for all kinds of characters (male and female, big and small) looking to do a rip-off or take-advantage of some sort and who look for these traits and interpret then as "sucker, gullible or naïve."
I've learned to be very situational-aware, kinda of like a deer during hunting season and it's natural instinct for me to be aware of my surroundings, look for cover, escape routes, choke points etc. I also tend to be very attentive to a person's body language and speech when I first talk to them--I don't pay a whole lot of attention to what they say so much as how they say it.
Whether armed or not--my strategy is escape, evade and take cover. Except if I'm at home and the trouble comes to me, in which case the odds go up significantly something bad is going to happen to someone.
Vehicles are a tricky thing--I grew up in the golden age of hitch-hiking and have done so around the country; so I have a natural inclination to help hitch-hikers, sorta like pay-forward of a former kindness given to me. Once someone is in your car--especially if there is more than one--you are extremely vulnerable. I read someplace that if you are car-jacked and remain in the vehicle your odds of survival are significantly lower than in other robbery scenarios.
