Hello all, what safety tips do you take while carrying a firearm? Or safety rules you abide by when you are out and about?

I started carrying OC spray or a taser as part of my EDC, because I decided that a self protection incident can be determined at whatever step you might be in an encounter. If I can avoid an altercation using deadly force all together and reasonable force can be justified, I should protect myself to an extent that does not end in a shooting. I have also taken verbal judo with intention to talk down attackers that might escalate to a point they cannot come back from. When I worked in a hospital as a Security Guard, I learned that not everyone has the intention of whatever might go down in a self defense situation. In fact a lot of people we would fight with would apologize as time went on. I like to give people the benefit that situation creates outcome. If someone is obviously out to hurt you, that is a different story.I also try and utilize space and distance when conversing with strangers. Space being my direct line out of a situation and distance from me to the next guy. Reactionary gap is important to me especially since I am a smaller guy, and I try to utilize edge when I can get it.​Do you ever notice the things you do when dealing with a stressful situation? Does your habit of mind ever tell you the rules you are engaging with?​Is there anything you guys might do to CYA? I mean it could be as simple as entering a diner and having clear line of sight of the entry.​I would also like to share an important encounter I took a lot away from when I used to work with some off duty cops'​Cop's story:Officer Friendly used to carry his service weapon, a Beretta 92, Pepper spray, and handcuffs in his fanny pack (fun pouch) every time he would get out. I know it was the 90s, when he go into a road rage incident where a big truck intentionally swerved at them in an intersection to play chicken with them. Officer Friendly, not being very friendly, flipped him the bird and yelled "Fuck you asshole!" when the truck turned around and started following him. His wife and kids were in the car at the time, all windows rolled down when they pulled into the Kroger parking lot. The truck stopped in the middle of the aisle, and the driver got out with a big metal chain and approached their vehicle. Officer Friendly saw the incoming threat and sprayed his can of Mace outside of the window missing the guy entirely and hitting his kids in the back. Not only did this piss the guy off even more but he took the chain and hit it like a whip on the back window of the car challenging Officer Friendly to get out. Officer Friendly took his side arm, stepped out of the car and pointed it at him. Informing the individual that he was a cop (out of jurisdiction mind you), he informed him to drop the chain and get on his knees. The individual had the deer in the headlights gaze and stayed there motionless until local PD arrived.​What I took away from that situation was the limitation of less than lethal force, how Officer's Friendly's response led to the altercation, and how lethal force option can come down to a less than lethal outcome. Is there any situations that you or anyone you know got into where you took a learning point from? Do you practice your own findings from that?​Thanks! via /r/CCW http://bit.ly/302vr0K