When do you say BACK OFF?

I was at the mall with the kiddies, waiting for a store to open.  We sat contentfully on the bench while Rohan started up his constant why process.  A why here a why there, than back to the same cycle of why's, over and over again with the why's..........whew, 3 can really be exhausting! 

So anyway, there we are, Rohan busting out his why bombs and my answering them over and over again, wondering when it will ever end, and this older couple sit on the bench behind us.  The woman couldn't help but hear this conversation we were having, and made a humoured comment about the amusement and frustration of this stage, we laughed, than she turned her attention to Rohan.

Now I am not totally sure what compels people to think it is their right to tickle and touch children, EVER, if it is not their child, or if the child does not know them.  For a baby.........okay, a bit more understandable, yet still not really okay in my books.  For a toddler............sooooo not okay.  These guys are little people now, they feel that anxious uncomfortable feeling when strangers talk to them, let alone touch them.

So this lady gave him a little tickle under his chin while talking to him.  He started to get very obviously uncomfortable, and yet she did it again.  He physically moved down the bench to get closer to me and further away from her.  And yet she did it again.  I finally saved him by taking him away from the lady and toward the store in a very nice and friendly manner. Could I have done better?

What I really wanted to do was to tell her to back off, that she was making my child feel uncomfortable, but I didn't.  I didn't want to be rude.  But where is that line?  When do I stop taking my concern for social protocol and take a stand for my boys?

I mean, the lady was invading some personal space, but she certainly wasn't intentionally making anyone feel uncomfortable, she was just loving the pure cuteness of R-Dog.................I get that, he could melt a heart with just a batting of his deluxe, lush, long, lashes.  He is gorgeous.  But still..................BACK OFF LADY