Quote Originally Posted by motorman4life
[...] It is all how you approach things. As I've mentioned before, I try to end all encounters in a positive way. One way to do this is to give your "attacker" a comfortable escape route.
[...]
My best advice is to not shrink from comments. As others have mentioned, be confident. Show your confidence. Smile, look people squarely in the eye. Don't act like you are expecting sour comments or negative feedback. Look sharp and carry a command presence. It works wonders.
This weekend I stopped in at my local "Bed, Bath, and Beyond" to pick up some more clip hangers for all the kilts that are on their way. A few storefronts down, a group of young, urban men had taken notice of me, and were hooting and hollering in my direction as I walked to my car. At first I tried to ignore them, but I noticed they started moving in my direction. So, I changed course slightly toward their direction, raised my eyebrows, and looked squarely at the one in front. As quick as I did, his three friends disappeared back into the stores. The guy looked over both shoulders and saw that he was alone, gave a sheepish grin, asked, "Do you have your...um..." and pantomimed bagpipes in a way that looked more like he was playing the flute. "My pipes?" I asked in reply. "No, not today." And that was the end of that.

Sometimes it feels like running the gauntlet, and sometimes even the adulation and curiosity gets a little tiresome, so sometimes the best times are when no one seems to notice.

Regards,
Rex in Cincinnati