New Yorker Answers

Where do I draw the line on holiday tipping?

First and foremost, stick to your budget. Set aside a portion of your holiday budget for tips. Then select two or three service providers whose services or personalities you couldn’t do without. This list can easily change from year to year. For young families, one of those persons may be the day-care provider or nanny; for others, a housecleaner or massage therapist. Always accompany a cash tip with a brief handwritten note of thanks.

Click here for our 2006 Holiday Tipping Guideline Chart

Is it OK to talk on your cell in a public restroom?

Is no place sacred? You’d think you’d be safe in the bathroom! Someone who makes a call there is invading your privacy by forcing you to listen in—not to mention hogging the stall! Alert management that they might want to post the restroom a ‘cell free zone.’ Cell users, listen up: When the urge to call strikes, take it outside!