Speaking as some photographers' involuntary photography object, I say that's something you shouldn't get over :-) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
I spent yesterday evening persuading a room full of people to let me take shots of them for my friend for his birthday. It worked best when I joked with them, took a stupid shot and showed it to them saying surely they wanted to look better than that?! I don't think that would work in the street though! Ad astra per aspera