I'll repost and be a bit more serious here. I don't want you to take my original posting poorly.
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Had I been outside of the car, I would have seen him earlier and greeted him first. Situational awareness and being in something other than "Condition White" is always discussed here, what I'm trying to say is that I wasn't very aware, gun or no gun.
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You have learned how being in condition white can leave you at the mercy of a predator. You say you have vision problems etc......that raise your risk at night. OK, then do everything you can to improve your chances. Gain every advantage you can. Get out of the car and gain a 180 degree panoramic view. 360 degrees with a turn of your head. That will help you a lot.
The number one deterrent against a predator is alertness. This transfers over into everything you do, and it makes little difference whether you wear geeky clothes or not. The very fact that you were seated in the car demonstrated you were in condition white to any predator.
When a person starts to carry a gun, a transformation usually begins. At first they are spooked and think everyone knows the gun is there. Then, as they realize how blind most folks really are, the CCW newbie gets comfortable. He/she doesn't want to shoot anyone, but they know they have the power to protect their life against a deadly threat. They don't want to have to use it though. So, they become more watchful. More alert. They do things differently so they will not have to use that gun. They realize avoidance is the best policy, and to avoid a problem you have to see it coming.
This new alertness, sometimes called condition yellow, is picked up on by predators. Predators seldom attack other predators, even in the wild, unless prey is unavailable. Becoming more alert, and taking on the appearance of being more alert removes you from the pool of potential victims. It's weird how that works. Some folks liken it to wolves, sheep and sheepdogs, because they don't want to be seen as a predator. To the criminal predator though, a citizen with a gun is a predator. Studies show the criminal fears an armed citizen more than the police.
So, back to your situation........ Get out of the car. Be aware of what is going on around you. Be ready to respond to a threat if need be. Little signals will be picked up by criminals to keep moving in your case. This is a perfect example of self protection. It really is a question of tactics, not a question of having a gun. The key is to remove yourself from the victim selection process. That has to do with your level of awareness, not the type of clothing on your back.
