The very first step after sitting down is place the napkin in one's lap. If the napkin is cloth, it should not be entirely unfolded and one crease should be left in placing it on the lap. With the napkin placed on the lap, it protects clothing from spills or food that may fall into the diner's lap. It is important to be able to navigate the table setting, not only knowing which utensils to use, but which items are meant for whose use. A general rule of thumb for selecting the proper spoon or fork when provided with multiple is to start on the outside and work your way in. For example, if you are starting with a salad course and you have two forks to choose from, the fork farthest from the plate should be used, leaving the closer one for the main course. Similarly, if you start with soup, select the spoon that is farthest from the plate. Many restaurants set the table with a bread plate and water glass at each seat before patrons arrive. The bread plate goes to the left of the plate, and the beverage to the right. To avoid drinking from the wrong glass or taking a bite of your neighbor's bread, use the following trick if you forget which is yours:Touch both your index fingers to your thumbs. On your left, you will see a lowercase "b", which stands for the bread plate. On your right is a lowercase "d" for Drinks. Dining in North America is widely viewed as a social occasion, rather than simply an opportunity to eat. As such, it is important to show the people dining with you that you respect them and their time enough to put your cell phone away. According to a study done by the Pew Research Center, 38% percent of people think it is acceptable to use cell phones in restaurants, and that number gets even smaller depending on the occasion. 12% of people think it is OK to use cell phones at family dinners, and only 5% think it is appropriate during meetings. When it comes to paying the bill in American restaurants, adding a tip is a common custom that is often expected by the waiter. According to a study by CreditCards.com, 4 out of 5 Americans always leave a tip when dining out, and the average tip is 16%-20% of the total bill.