"Excuse me, do you have a moment?"

Greenpeace. Save the Children. The Mormon Church. Lincoln Square is infested with sidewalk solicitors who want to know if they can take just one minute of your time.

Since my answer is always no, I figured out a way to protect my ability to go about my business, uninterrupted.

Simply open your cell phone and pretend to talk on it. You don't even have to call anyone. Just have it open next to your ear. This little trick has warded off one hundred percent of these irritating sidewalk pests. And you get the job done without saying a word.