These type stories always interest me. Never even happens to some people, but I've been unlucky on occasion I guess.

Walking to my car downtown B'ham late one night. I just started to open the door when, you know... "Hey, can I ax uz sumptin, I need sum help". He came around the back of the car and had the knife just about into my kidney when my pistol landed right on the end of his girlfriend's nose. I wasn't going anywhere else with it, he'd have sunk it to the hilt for sure. We made a deal at that point and I didn't have to take either of them with me.

polished stainless .45 with real elephant ivory grips. I've still got that pistol. No doubt you can clearly see that one in a dark parking lot.