I pointedly ignore these cretins.
Not responding to them is usually the best tactic IMO. You need to watch them cautiously while you ignore them though in case things escalate. Whenever I walk into the parking lot I scan the area for trouble before proceeding so I can just avoid them altogether. All the bullsh***er drug addicts have helped to complicate things for the legitimate down trodden and I’m just not interested in pulling my wallet out for a junkie in a parking lot.
I’m elderly female, have tried to “pointedly ignore these cretins”. I avoid our downtown area which is taken over by street people, as do my friends, with the result our downtown area has become derelict, and we do 99% of business in shopping malls because of safety concerns. I donate to the Salvation Army as they do fine work in our town rehabilitating people.