How assertive are you?

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Assertion is generally defined as "standing up for your own rights without infringing on the rights of others." By definition, it is supposed to empower both the person doing it, and the person who is on the receiving end of assertive behavior. Alternatives to assertion include aggressive behavior (short-term gain while belittling another) and non-assertive behavior (allowing oneself to be used or taken advantage of). I'm not a noisy person, but I tend to be assertive when called for. When Guitar Center told me a certain guitar case was available at a certain store for $100, I drove through traffic to said store. They didn't have the case. Upon my return home (2 1/2 hours later), I politely emailed Corporate and was granted the case at half-price plus $130 worth of free Elixir strings. I was empowered, and so was thee store. I have since bought a $2000 Martin guitar from Guitar Center. Over the past four days, some switching device across the parking lot from my apartment has been making ungodly noises at all hours of the day, including at night, when I am trying to sleep. I sucked it up for three days, but today I called Management to complain. I was polite and friendly, as always, but I told them the thing was keeping me awake at night and made it impossible to relax and enjoy the birds during the day. They said they were aware of the problem and were working on it. Are generally assertive? Not mean--that would be aggressive--but assertive. Can you think of times when you've been non-assertive, assertive, and aggressive?