Describe your Cassowary Encounter

Cassowaries are regarded as the most dangerous bird on Earth, and that can’t be blamed. Those Jurassic raptors are rumored to disembowel you with one kick and in the US a man was killed by a pet cassowary.

This prompted me to start this post as an interview. Question to Australians who have encountered cassowaries reading this:

What was it like encountering a cassowary in the wild? Describe your encounter with the ratite. Is it really the dangerous bird people describe it as or is it really a misunderstood gentle giant? How do you defend yourself against a cassowary?