Ok, commandos - deal with this one.
When I lived in NYC and commuted on the subway to work, there was a guy with no lower body. He scooted around on a little wood platform with roller skate wheels. He played a saxophone.
He would wheel up in front of you and play a bit. If you didn't give him something, he would play a bit louder. If you didn't then, he would give you a full blast toot of the horn. Better defend yourself and go into Condition Red Tooter!!
So do you OC him, shoot him or denounce him in your righteous might! I always gave him a quarter. I talked to him and his biggest problem was that kids would push him down the long stairs or escalators in the stations.
BTW, I've had the same gas container guy run up to me at different local strip malls. I say, Sorry - can't help you and KEEP walking. Don't stop to chat or scold. A guy at work decided to scold a panhandler at the local Tex-Mex restaurant and got the crap beat out of him. Be polite and keep moving.