Ah, in that case this may be a difference between the UK and the US. We get pan handlers and windscreen cleaners here too. And yeah, some are probably a scam, but most windscreen cleaners I’ve seen at traffic lights will just smile and move on if you just shake your head or hold up a hand and smile. Pan handlers are generally the same here. Not a lot of aggression, but I’m certain there are a few exceptions to that around.

Thanks for the answer btw, I know you aren’t the person I originally responded too, but I was genuinely curious to know what they were thinking about 😄