Situational awareness is everything! Last night it probably saved me from being mugged

I just moved to a new city (St. Louis) and last night I went to the Loop to check out a bar and get some late night food around midnight. I was by myself, and since I wasn't sure on the legality of carrying my gun in a bar I only had my pocketknife on me. As I was walking a couple blocks to get to the bar, the following happened:I'm walking east and a guy is walking west toward me along the sidewalk. He's smoking a cigarette but all the businesses on this block are already closed and no one else is around. He's black, mid-30s, and doesn't look homeless-- I wouldn't think he looked out of place except everything is closed. As I get closer to him, he stops and looks through a store window with his back to me. Immediately I start to suspect that I'm going to be accosted for money, but he doesn't say anything-- but my suspicions are already up. After I pass, I keep my head turned enough to see what he's doing out of the corner of my eye... and he starts following me heading east! Considering he was heading the other way before I passed him, my fear response immediately kicks in and I think I know what's about to happen. I keep walking at a brisk pace--and this is the important part-- I kept turning my head enough to see what he's doing out of my peripheral vision. I believe he noticed that I was aware that he was following me and approaching from behind, and within about 30 seconds he slowed his pace and backed off. By the time I reached the end of the block, he was gone.Maybe I'm reading too much into this situation, but I really felt like I was about to be mugged and robbed. I think the only thing that prevented it was that I had the "gift of fear" and heightened my situational awareness. If I hadn't kept watching him out of the corner of my eye, I think he would've come up behind me to try to surprise me and rob me.I've since looked into the gun laws here more closely, and it looks like the penalties in Missouri for carrying in a prohibited place like a bar are very minor-- you can be asked to leave, and if you stick around can be fined $100 for the first offense. Since it's not a criminal offense, I think I'll take my chances with the law and carry every time I leave the house. via /r/CCW https://ift.tt/2lSZzZO