I drew my weapon in self defense: Gun owners & Dog Walkers

Couldn't be more true.

 

That about sums it up. Well said!

 

I never thought this thread would slow down.

While I was tempted on many occasions to join in the crowd and weigh my endless insights on all the ins and outs of what the OP did right and/or wrong, when the dust settles, whether you are in the over reacted camp, under reacted camp or reacted just right camp, it was just that, a reaction.

Due to the general lack of consideration of another person sharing a public space the OP found himself in a situation that essentially required some sort of reaction, which, like any reaction, had to be made in real time. The OP was then gracious enough to share his experience so we could second guess the entire event conveniently separated in both time and distance and totally lacking the sum of the OP's experiences, cultural and regional influences, environmental influences and recent direct experience with animals and proceed to provide pages and pages of what my look like forum fodder but is actually most likely a graduate level psych analysis on the role of egocentrism in the formation of opinions.

To the OP, I am withholding judgement on your actions for the following reasons:

1. As stated above, I believe you were forced to react by the inconsiderate actions of another person

2. Until I have had the exact same experience as you judgement simply seems misplaced

3. I'm too busy washing all the windows in my glass house to throw stones

 

This is a great reply.