Immediately dismiss a notification banner

Update: iOS 7 changed it so you no longer have to drag down first. You can just push the banner off the top of the screen.

Immediately dismiss a banner notification in iOS by briefly dragging down the Notification Center pane and then dragging it back up. You don't need to drag it down the whole way. Just a tiny bit will do.

If you're unfamiliar with the Notification Center, drag your finger from above the screen onto the screen, then back up to dismiss it.