DR. WALLACE: Do you have to tip at a fast-food place where the employee only took your order? Some places, even very famous ones, have a jar or tip box that have coins and dollar bills in them. This tells me that many people tip these servers, and some of them only take the order at a counter using a computer. Do I have to tip these people every time I buy anything? I'm a college student on a budget, but I also want to be fair to others.

What do you think about this? — Not Sure About This, via email

NOT SURE ABOUT THIS: Since many of my family members, including both of my children, worked regularly in restaurants when they were younger, our family has always been inclined to be generous when it comes to tipping and gratuities as long as it fits into our budget at the time.

However, tipping back in those days was mainly for restaurant servers and a few other select professions like hairdressers. These days, many professions receive gratuities, and as you pointed out, many businesses including large corporations with many franchise locations around the country still encourage their customers to tip their employees.

In the end, it's an individual decision as to whether to tip, and how much to tip. It's absolutely all right not to tip if you don't have extra money to do so. Later in your life, perhaps when you have a larger salary, you can tip a little more frequently if you choose.

And there is one more thing to consider. Even though one employee may take your order at the counter, there are likely other team members preparing your food or drinks elsewhere within the organization and in most of these businesses, all gratuities are pooled, meaning they are split equally amongst the employees. Therefore you are not tipping just one individual for simply keying in your order. Instead, you are tipping every employee on that particular shift as they work together in a to take your order, process and deliver your food and drinks to you.

SHE NEVER SMELLED LIKE ALCOHOL BEFORE

DR. WALLACE: My best friend and I have been like two peas in a pod the past five years. We have been very close and shared details of our lives with each other as we've grown into high school students.

Recently she started dating a new guy, and soon I began noticing that sometimes when I met her after one of her dates, she smelled of alcohol! I could definitely smell it on her breath, and over the many years I've known her, I've never noticed this before. At first, I thought this might just be a one-off thing, but I noticed it at least twice more within a few weeks of the first time. So, it's definitely a pattern now.

I do know that my friend had never been one to drink alcohol before based on her own comments on the subject. She has not mentioned this to me, and I have not said anything to her yet, either. And as you might have already guessed, we are not anywhere close to being 21, so this is indeed a case of underage, illegal drinking.

I'm worried and concerned but I don't want to tell her parents or anyone at our school. I just want her to go back to being the reliable friend she has always been. I say "reliable" because she has not shown up for a planned meeting with me twice out of the last three times we agreed to meet up. What can I do short of telling adults what I've noticed? I will not turn her in under any circumstances. — Her Best Friend, via email

HER BEST FRIEND: You can't remain silent, because that indirectly and subliminally gives her permission to continue this behavior.

She's your close friend, and you care deeply for her, so you owe it to her to tell her how you feel about noticing alcohol on her breath multiple times. Let her know you've noticed the alcohol and that this makes you feel saddened, shocked and concerned for her well-being.

Ask her why she is doing this and remind her that she knows better. Tell her in a direct but calm manner that she knows what she is doing is wrong. Don't scold or badger her; instead, ask her how you can help her to regain control of her life since drinking at a young age can lead to a severe loss of control.

Tell her that you truly value her friendship and that if the roles between the two of you were reversed, that you would want her to help you snap out of any rut you may have fallen into.

And if you can get her to admit that this new guy is supplying the alcohol, remind her that there are many guys who will respect her much more than this one apparently is. Your friend needs your sober wisdom and guidance right now, so don't give up on her but continue to stand firm on telling her that she needs to stop this behavior right away. And if you see that she truly is in bigger trouble due to this in the near future, you may have no choice but to seek outside help for her. That's what true friends do when one really needs help.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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