Yeah, instinctive sizing up of people does happen a lot. I do it at work all the time. Security guards, dignitaries, whatever. Just force of habit.

Once the President of Azerbaijan was visiting, and his motorcade pulled up, and all these heavily armed guys jumped out and took up stations around the area. The Deputy Head of our office and I are watching this- he's from Ukraine- and he says something in Russian and then tells me "These are Russian special forces. Spetznatz. I do not think even you could challenge them."

Once in a while, he frightens me. I know he's KGB. No doubt about it.