There is a good reason to prevent yourself as a "woman" to get yourself in a "verbal altercation" with a stranger at a gas station while getting gas, you don't get into that kind of interaction with anyone, minding your own business works, mouthing off to strangers does not.  So you make some stranger get angry and he gets out of his car unarmed and now you are "forced" into shooting him against your will? There is no doubt a responsibility to keep yourself safe  it was no different in my generation when I was young and lived in a big  city and talking to anyone you don't know is just stupid. My grandkids live in Anchorage and I tell them all the time like I did my own kids growing up, our family motto is "when you see trouble you run the other way". I tell them all the time for their own safety not to talk or trust strangers. I am still here and have never needed a gun to protect me because I was born with common sense.