"Personal space" is often a culturally defined concept. Personal space for Americans is 'conversational distance-' about three feet, roughly arms' length. For some other cultures it's much closer- halitosis range, basically. I've seen people from this sort of culture seem to be chasing Americans around a room in the course of a conversation- the American keeps backing up, while the other person keeps getting closer.
http://www.worsleyschool.net/sociala...nal/space.html
When two people are having an argument, often the first thing one of them will do is move in close, invading the other person's personal space. This is interpreted by that other person as aggression. The term for this, in fact, is 'getting in someon'e face'.
Someone invading your personal space is a clue- either they are from a culture with a closer personal space, or they're being aggressive. Their actions and words prior to 'getting in your face' should be an adequate clue as to what they are up to. I've done one FoF exercise where a 'personal space' invasion was the big clue something bad was about to happen. People who stood there got had, people who slid away and opened some distance, made it out OK.
It doesn't have to be a gunfight to make 'getting off the X' a good idea...
lpl