Possibly the second one. (They always seem to come in pairs)
But its just not a reaction of mine to even think about reaching for a napkin when a sneeze is coming. If I had a napkin on my lap, i would probably still just sneeze into my hand.
I can’t think of the last time I sneezed indoors though. I seem to only sneeze when I walk into the sunlight.
Pro-tissues. Anti-TP-as-tissues. Even if you close the lid to avoid the spraying poo particles, how do you know the last person to use the roll didn’t double-wipe, thereby contaminating it?
A bit off-topic, but I think I’ve told the anecdote about my mom saving brand-name Kleenex boxes for the purpose of filling them with generic tissues, so they would “look nice” in the living room and parlor. Apart from the fact that it would have been easier to just buy Kleenex in the first place, if someone’s going to judge me for buying off-brand tissues, they don’t have to come back to my house.
Also, someone mentioned the dilemma of finding a trash can for the used tissues. We have as many trash cans as we have tissue boxes: i.e., all over the house.
You’ll all be happy to know that yesterday, I bought two boxes of Kleenex brand facial tissues.
My in-laws are visiting for the holidays, after all! 
(Now the first person to ask if I have appropriate tissue box holders for them gets a smackdown. No, just the pretty cardboard box. One in the bathroom, one in the living room.)
I think that constant nose cleaning is a special need and that you should make sure you have what you need when you go out to the world. I presume you use just as many kleenex in your car, at the beauty parlor, dentist waiting room, supermarket, etc and that you don’t expect to find tissue waiting for you at all those places.
My mother-in-law only drinks Diet Sprite and we do not drink sodas at home. When she comes, she can either drink water or bring her own sodas. If they don’t normally have kleenex at home, that’s the way they do shopping and you should prepare to deal with that.
Not sure how “special needs” having to blow one’s nose every so often is…
Car and supermarket, no. Beauty parlor (although I don’t go to beauty parlors) and dentist’s office, actually, yeah I kinda do expect them to have boxes of tissues if for no other reason than hygiene.
See, if I had a visitor and I knew she only drank a certain thing, I would be sure that I had a supply of that for her. I can’t imagine not extending that simple courtesy to a guest.
Thank you so much for that. As if my germphobia wasn’t bad enough.
Well, I don’t know the stats for the population in general, but I personally blow my nose in the morning and sometimes after I shower. If someone can’t sit through a 2-3 hour visit without blowing his nose, then they need to take measures just as a person with incontinence doesn’t expect his friends to have adult diapers around for the visits. Or a person with allergies with his medication, etc.
As for the soda, we have our reasons not to have soda at home (we don’t want the kids getting used to it and my own lack of willpower to see them and not drink them). It is like expecting your jewish friends to have bacon wrapped shrimp for you. They live within their constraints and visitors can choose to accept them or not visit them (as in meeting them at a neutral place, not as in telling them to bugger off for life)
I am guessing the people in question don’t have tissue simply because they have never thought of it as they don’t use them but maybe they do have their reasons not to have tissues. Maybe they don’t like the mess of balled-up tissue all over, don’t want to have baskets in every room, they believe is a misuse of natural resources (it is), whatever.
I don’t think tissues is such a basic human need that you would think less of someone for not having a supply of them for you.
Speaking just to the question of whether or not it is rude not to have Kleenex on hand for guests – I’m going to say that it isn’t officially rude, as in against established etiquette. This is because Kleenex is really a substitute for a hankie and hankies are, traditionally, personal-use items. A well-bred person was supposed to carry his or her own personal hankie, not expect to use their host’s.
Myself, I haven’t usually bought Kleenex unless someone in the family is sick. For occasional use, I (and my family) just use TP. I do carry a little packet of Kleenex in my purse (modern standin for that hankie well-bred women always used to have). That said, I think I will buy a box or two of Kleenex next time I’m out. Even though it isn’t an etiquette requirement I can see that it’s kind of nice to have some around for people who need them. So, I’ll buy two boxes and put one in the guest room and one in the guest bath.
I do use paper napkins, BTW, but I keep them in the pantry and only take them out when I set the table. I sneeze into my elbow and I wipe my glasses on my shirt.
I think there’s a bit of a disparity in your examples, but regardless since things like sneezes or perhaps a slightly runny nose after being served something spicy can’t always be anticipated keeping a box of tissues around for guests, even if one doesn’t personally, you know, sneeze or get runny noses, seems like a decent thing to do.
Well, no, it’s not anything at all like expecting a Jewish friend to serve you non-kosher food if they otherwise keep kosher. It would be more akin to not expecting an alcoholic to keep a supply of scotch on hand for you but even that is very far from an exact comparison. Regardless, though, I guess I’m wondering why you wouldn’t buy a six-pack of cans or a one liter bottle for your M-I-L when she’s visiting and, if she doesn’t finish the supply and you can’t bear the notion of having the leftover in the house, give them to her to take home.
People actually use paper napkins at home? I’m amazed! I’d seriously always thought those were for picnics and cheesy work events and things like that. I could imagine using paper towels for napkins well enough, but buying the little paper napkins seemed unfathomable to me. We’ve always used cloth napkins in my house.
Tissue, though, is another matter. That’s a matter of necessity, because you never know when someone is going to burst into tears or someone’s child is going to be wandering around, dribbling snot. It’s good to have a box in the house, plus a little travel pack in the purse, plus one in the glovebox in the car. Baby wipes for issues of stickiness are good for the car, too. But, still, I wouldn’t consider it particularly weird or rude if someone didn’t have any tissue. I doubt I’d even notice, since I always come prepared.
well, there is the fact that I don’t particularly like my MIL.
still, as I said, I think it is just a matter of this people not having even thought about Kleenex being something they should have. I don’t think it something that should be held against them.
Toilet tissue is the only paper product in our house. Carry a hanky.
What?
I never stocked Kleenex at my house until I started dating my girlfriend, since she has allergies. I would sometimes buy some if I had a cold, but other than that I would use toilet paper or washcloths.