Wow! Excaliber I think you are dead-on, as always. The scary thing about the OP's situation is that it was so hard to truly know what was about to happen, until it was too late, and everything happened so fast. This is like that ATM scenario you threw out a while back. The really menacing BGs are going to put on sheep's clothing to make you doubt, and then without warning they attack, while you're still trying to figure out what's going on. There have been a few situations where I was very nearly conned, and a few others where I think I was about to be robbed, and there is this eerie kind of "fog" that comes over your thinking. One thing I've learned over the years is like how C.S. Lewis said, there is the animalistic side of man, and then there is the diabolical side, which is far worse. There are obviously violent people who you can more or less easily avoid. But the truly evil ones will be hard to discern, because they are not only violent but skilled deceivers.Excaliber wrote: ...
The tactic the guy who confronted the OP used was a good one for a strong arm robbery.
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The "Can I talk to you" line was similar to the "What time is it?" - a distractor intended to divert the intended victim's attention for a second or so and cause him to hesitate in place as the final approach is made. The clincher that this was not intended to be a conversational exchange was the raising and extension of the hands as the passenger closed in.
According to the account, the OP was in reasonable fear of an imminent robbery or attack on his person and in a disparity of force situation due to the size of the person who approached him. He used the threat of force to end the threat to himself.
To the OP, very clear, quick thinking!