Southern Living: Editor's P.S.

Polite Southerners don't discuss money, much less flash it around. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that tipping can be an uncomfortable subject for most of us. Gratuities often involve both gratuitous flashing and tacky discussions about those greenbacks.

Why hand out tips? Some think the origin of the word is itself an acronym To Insure Prompt Service: Skinflint or spendthrift, your tipping habits can affect your trip. When traveling, a confidently placed tip may conjure up a better table, more attentive service, a cleaner room, and so forth. Yet, more importantly, those who should be tipped make their livings from your small change and deserve to be compensated accordingly. Anything less smacks as rude.

Southern Living writers who travel frequently tend to be generous tippers. Cassandra Vanhooser, Associate Travel Editor, explains it this way: "When I come screeching up to curbside check-in at the airport with only a few minutes to catch my flight, I want those skycaps to see me coming. They know I'm a good tipper and really hop to when they spot my old Ford." Cassandra usually tips three times the going rate-about $3 per bag.

Good luck out there. -MORGAN MURPHY

Practice these simple tips on tipping to make every trip a little easier.

By the Numbers

* Amount that should be slipped to a tour guide or golf caddie or a particularly helpful concierge: $10-$50.

* Standard rate to tip taxi drivers, waiters, sommeliers, room service attendants, takeout delivery chaps, personal trainers, masseuses and masseurs, hairstylists, barbers, blackjack dealers, and bartenders: 15%.

* You don't have to tip at most bedand-breakfasts. (It's better to leave a kind note.) Also, no need to grease the palms of pilots, groundskeepers, judges, your mama, rental car agency clerks, or the owners of most establishments you visit.

The Art of the Tip

"People watch too many movies," says Christopher Fernandez, head bellman at the Mayfair House Hotel in Coconut Grove, Florida, about the folks who practice tipping subterfuge. It's okay to flash some cash. "There's no need to hide the tip in a handshake or envelope. We get tipped 90% of the time, so everyone else is in the same boat." He considers $1 or $2 a bag a good tip, though a TV producer once tipped him $175 for telling a joke.

When To Be Cheap

Bad service happens. A cabby may get lost and keep the meter running. A porter might throw your bag like he's in some sort of Olympic competition. Recently, I encountered a surly waitress who scowled when Dad ordered a salad, took my wife's plate while her fork was in midair, and tried to hand me a filthy napkin she found on the floor with a scold, "Is this yours?" I have an outlet here in Southern Living, but for most folks, the proper way to express dissatisfaction is by leaving a lousy tip-or none at all. Be sure to tell the maitre d' why you've skimped, lest they assume you're just a tightwad.

Little Gratuities

For the smooth transfer of small gratuities, make sure you don't just have cash-machine denominations when you travel. But if all you have is a $10 or $20, don't be afraid to say "I'd love to tip you, but could you break a __?" Most bellhops and stewards have change on hand and will understand your dilemma. Still, it's best to keep small bills in an easy-to-reach pocket. Nothing is as awkward or seems to devalue a buck faster than fumbling around for it. Another way to thank helpful personnel is with quirky items such as a gold $1 coin.

Reader Tip of the Month

Jeffrey Klinner of Birmingham wrote to tell us about his approach to tipping valet parking attendants. "Normally, an appropriate tip would be one or two bucks after the valet returns my car-depending on how quickly the fellow moved. But when I'm driving my prized classic car, I shove the guy a $5 before I leave him the keys. Then, for good measure, I usually tell him, `Don't hurt my baby, or I'll hurt you.' It always guarantees that my car is parked out front."

Have a Tip for Postscript?

Send your travel tips to Postscript, Southern Living PO. Box 523, Birmingham, AL 35201. Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. For each tip published you will receive $25.