I was running around Lake Merritt once in Oakland without a shirt on pushing a double wide baby jogger. Some gang banger was blocking the path, and other runners were going around him. I just kept going and ran right over his toes, and said “Oh. Sorry.”
He gave me this look like he was going to kill me, but all he said was “Yo, fat white boy, put a shirt on!” Some people have no balls.
So just litterally step on some toes out there, an when they realize that you stood up to them, you get their respect.