There is something to being able to look like you mean business, as they say. Massad Ayoob says that the criminal isn't afraid of the gun; he's afraid of the person who looks prepared to use, and capable of using, the gun.
Absolutely! It is called making yourself a hard target. The criminal must decide if you are something he wants to take on in the first place. Most criminals are opportunists, you are a victim because you already failed.
