Yup, space is a good thing. I encountered two bears in less than a week, and stayed as far away as I could. One was just taking a strolling down the street in a semi-mountain community, I got back into my car till it passed. The other was on a hillside eating berries in campground I was at. At the campground we told a couple sitting not far away that it was there, so it wouldn't sneak up on them. The guys first reaction was to grab his camera and get closer.
