Aggressive panhandling in New York and tourist cities

I’ve visited New York a couple dozen times throughout my life. I’ve been all over the country and the world, and have seen my fair share of panhandling. But over the past few years, I’ve noticed a disturbing decrease in civility in panhandling behavior in large cities, but none worse than NYC. <br><br><br>In one day, I was approached by a man asking me to take my headphones off and gave me an ultimatum that he was going to either get my attention in a positive or negative way. I shrugged him off and kept on walking (I’ve been accosted in the past for saying no). A few minutes later, I was approached by a male panhandler at a crosswalk who sat on the edge of my wheelchair, and when he got off he deliberately brushed past my head with his arm and shoulder (the same move used by a pickpocket). <br><br>I’ve had groups of men approach me in the subway and deliberately block me in and try to intimidate me for money. I’ve been sat on by women who try to play the victim when I tell them to get off, and cuss me out when I say no to giving them money. <br><br>If I say no to someone asking me for change, they will often remark on my race or the fact that I’m in a wheelchair and I should be giving them money instead. <br><br><br>Is anyone else noticing an increase in aggressive panhandling in tourist cities? I’ve been to dozens of other cities and have never encountered this level of hostility and entitlement from panhandlers.