DEAR ABBY: I am a single woman in my 20s and would like to know a good way to decline a man's request for my telephone number at a party or social situation. I'm not crazy about saying that I don't give out my number, because the truth is, if I was interested in the guy, I would give it to him. Too often I end up giving my number and then feeling guilty when screening my calls and not returning his.
Please don't tell me I should "give the guy a chance" -- some of these men are 20-plus years older than I am. -- SCREENING MY CALLS IN SAN DIEGO
DEAR SCREENING: It's not hard to refuse to give out your phone number. When someone says, "May I have it?" all you have to say is, "Why don't you give me yours?" Then you can follow up -- or not. It's a tried-and-true technique men have practiced for years.