I daresay most 5’4 men would still make mincemeat of any woman in a fight, even one who had ten inches on him. I think for parity of situation you also have to make the guy, say, over 60, and the woman young and active
Re-read the OP. When do you think I had a chance to talk to her before the elevator incident? How do you think I could have gotten such a chance without chasing after her, and thus increasing her fear level?
My practical solution to the problem I actually got from Gavin De Beckers book. He suggests something a lot like SeaDragonTattoo’s solution of waiting so the man can walk past you and is no longer “following” you. Only, de Becker suggests that the woman not avert her eyes, (like rummaging in a bag or tying a shoelace).Instead, she should but to stand to the side, and look the man behind her in the eye in a neutral, polite but alert way as he passes her.
That way, the woman can get a good view of the man, and can better notice clues as to his behavior. The man also sees that the woman has gotten a good view of his looks (more so then by casting furtive glances over her shoulder) and that alone can work as a deterrent for thugs. A thug will be more put off by a neutral gaze then by a scared one. The woman just let him know that she has her wits together. Besides, even thugs need some intro into the situation, and a running woman is all the intro they need.
Also, if a woman has a neutral look instead of an angry or insulted look, that just might work not to sett off emotionally troubled guys, for whom an perceived insult or social rejection is all that it takes to set them off.
Finally, that wait-look alert but neutral/polite- and-let-the-guy pass is an appropriate response to the 99,99 percent of man like Skald that have no bad intentions. He can easliy overtake her, give her an polite ignore, or a quick nod or a mumbled “Good evening”, and then passes her so the awkward moment is over.
Quickening a womans pace really doesn’t work, as Skalds case illustrated. However much a woman tries to speed up, most men will just walk at a bigger speed, so the the quickening pace just prolongs and worsens the awkward situation Skald and his new neighbour were in.
So there really already is a response for women that is both sensible, safe, and polite.
The womans facial expression should be neutral. Not smiling, as that conveys an invite to social interaction, or nervousness. She should look alert, but not scared or angry. Women should practice that look in the mirror, that face is useful in a lot of situations where you don’t want to engage anyone. I have that face down pat 
This is a good example of a woman with an neutral, alert look.
It was the serial “coincidences” that made the situation notable. I put the word in quote because, as the resolution of the story made clear, there was a very good reason the woman and I were walking the same route.
Interesting perspective! I’m 5’5", and I have always assumed that a woman that much bigger than me could physically dominate me, unless she was rail-thin and / or sickly.
And, amusingly, I have been in the same type situation as many in this thread have been – I am white, middle-aged (52), not in good physical shape, and I still provoke an avoidance tactic on the part of some (usually small) women. I have a beard and long hair, though, and perhaps I give off a “creepy” vibe…