iPod As Defensive Weapon

The Gauntlet outside Penn Station is becoming tougher and tougher to safely navigate every day. Seems you can't get through there without having to dodge the Falun Gong people distributing literature, the crappy newspapers giving their product away, the folks bumming cigarettes, etc. Hey, I'm sympathetic to the plight of the Falun Gong people, but hey - folks have to get to work. And it's not like they haven't been there every day for three months passing out the same pamphlet.

I've found that your closest ally in these situations is your iPod. Simply insert headphones, crank up the tunes, and blow past anyone trying to stuff literature in your face. If anyone blocks your path, deliver your best "Sorry, can't hear you" understanding smile and keep moving. That's the key - keep moving. Don't stop and don't look back. If you do, you'll be stuck listening to the speech for a half hour.

It also works on crazies on the subway, Jehovah's Witnesses and candidates running for office.