Travel Tip 100: Best of the Worst, or: What Were We Thinking? Sunday, June 13, 1999

But every now and then, our readers' baser instincts – not to mention ours – have won out during our tip selection process. How else to explain the random appearance of egocentric, dangerous and/or downright foolish advice we've occasionally published in this space?

This week marks our 100th Travel Tip, a time for reflection. In the spirit of self-absorption and reader interaction, we offer yet another opportunity to weigh in on our Travel Tips. Below you'll find a list of 10 questionable tips. Seven of them were really sent in by readers and actually published on our pages. Three are bogus, suggested by nobody and, as far as we know, never published before. Your challenge: to determine which three are the fakes. One winner, selected randomly from among all correct entries, wins our Travel Tip Trinket Trifecta: a T-shirt, a mug and a paperweight, all emblazoned with the Travel section logo. For info on how to enter, see the fine print below.

And now, on to the tips – and the pretenders:

1. Snag an aisle or window seat on your next flight, then discourage people from sitting next to you by placing a used Kleenex on the middle seat. (Optional: Let a strand of used dental floss trail out of your mouth.)

2. Bribe your child to enjoy hiking by surreptitiously hiding money along the trail for him or her to find.

3. Pack a foldable crutch that you can whip out at boarding time so you can pre-board with the elderly and infirm.

4. Noisy soda machine too close to your motel room? Tape a fake "Out of Order" sign on it so you can enjoy a good night's sleep.

5. Drape your wet towels and bathing suits over the blades of your hotel room ceiling fan and let them "spin dry" overnight.

6. Hotel room not ready? Kick off your shoes and make yourself comfy on the lobby sofa while you wait. You'll get your room pronto.

7. For top security, tape your money, passport and other important papers to your inner thighs with duct tape.

8. Buy a portable flashing red light like detectives use and place it on the roof of your car so you can load and unload your bags at the airport more easily.

9. Use your car as a washing machine by placing your dirty laundry in a bucket of soapy water in your trunk.

10. Pack a large coffee can with carry-on items, seal it tightly and use it as a footstool on overseas flights.

Send your answers by midnight Saturday, June 19, via e-mail (travtips@washpost.com); postcard (Travel Tips, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071); or fax (202-334-1069). Include your name, address and phone number. No purchase necessary. All answers become property of The Washington Post, which may edit, publish, distribute and republish the information in any form, including paper and electronic media.

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