If its a blatantly ignorant statement, I tend to just calmly make fun of the dude till he goes away. Im not really one to be the bigger person. Not yet anyway..

when someone says something ignorant and judgemental, I have a hard time letting it go. I try to convince them that until they walk a mile in someone else's shoes, they have no right to make a judgement call on that person.

Usually it falls on deaf ignorant ears.

I usually respond with a look and then go on to ignore it.
When the person is continuously rude and they are giving me a service (be it a teller at the bank or a shopkeeper etc.) which means I have no choice but to converse with them, I talk quietly and calmly adding that sweet tone to my voice hoping they catch on to the fact that my sweet responses are full of sarcasm.

There was one occassion when I was a teenager and a woman who was with her child and friend kept on making remarks at me, I said something under my breath to vent and then she confronted me with more rudeness all I said in return was "I have nothing to say to you" with contempt in my voice and that ended the "debate".

I'll stand up for myself by either attacking back or making them look stupid.

I remember riding the bus during the storm and naturally I was drenched. When I took it, some people in the bus were probably bored and they just stared at me, not even discreetly. I was in a bad mood after not having eaten for hours (stranded in a flooded road, no taxis). Normally I'd ignore the rude staring but that day I just suddenly walked to them and asked, "well, what are you staring for?"...they all looked the other way.

I don't let it bother me, I'll probably say something back or just laugh in this persons face. But usually I just walk away. If I am drunk when it happens then the situation would be different, I would become more mouthy with the person. But I would never fist fight them over it.