>So getting the police involved and seeing that the law deals with the situation is not a proper response? I thought this was part of why we have laws and police forces and call ourselves civilised. Granted that the law isn't always as helpful as one might like, I still think that in a civilised society, it should be the first call.

You probably haven't been inside an appartment when somebody breaks in. I was on the second break in and there was no safe way of going to the phone and calling the police - they were in the same room and would have had the decision to either flee or silence me. In retrospect it might have been not entirely wise to attack 2 unknowns with an unknown arsenal of possible weapons, but at decision time I acted mostly driven by instinct and only partially thinking.
First: in retrospect I am not certain that other paths might have been better or even safer.
Second: the frame of mind I was in back then I probably would not have called the police even if I had larger time window to do so. This went right into the corner of territorial instincts.

But perhaps I am not properly socialized, even if I am civilized enough to shower and bath regularly.

regards

thomas