So-I've been taking the bus to and from the train since Thanksgiving. It's a suburban bus, what could possibly happen? After all, the North Shore of Chicago isn't exactly Englewood.
The last bus at night from the train station to my neighborhood is the 6:11 p.m. Most nights, a very nice Hispanic woman also waits for the bus.
Last night was something special. As I walked to the bus shelter from the station, I saw her tucked into the corner while four young men, two white, one Hispanic and one Black were harassing her. (They were not dressed as if they had just come from a school dance or from a nice restaurant.) As I approached, they paid no attention to me. Instead they kept on menacing her and being very aggressive. I walked up to the shelter, unzipped my parka in case I needed to access my Springfield Loaded, went right up to the nearest POS, who seemed to be their leader, and gave him the, "I'm going to hurt you" look. (BTW, they were all at least 2-3 inches taller and 40 years younger than me.) It took him a second or two to notice my Navy SEAL hat, but when he did, he took off like a scalded bunny. His friends, who were inside of the shelter with the woman, got the hint quickly.
No muss and no fuss. No gun or knives, I didn't say anything to the idiots. Just a stare and an embroidered hat and we all got to go home safely.