Whenever I ask someone — usually a woman with a purse — if I may have a tissue, inevitably out pops a crumpled soft whisper of a Kleenex.

“It’s not used, it’s just been in my purse” is the inevitable comment made as they pass the tissue.

Honestly, if you were the type of person to hand me a used tissue in my nasal time of need, would I be asking you for one?