Discarded handkerchiefs

[Kleeny]

Whilst on the way back from Church (see other thread) I noticed a discarded blue bordered handkerchief lying in the bushes, on the side of the road. Two thoughts crossed my mind.

1) How on earth can someone lose a handkerchief?

2) Shall I pick it up and give it a new home?

On the first question, I suppose it's pretty easy to drop your hankie out of your pocket, if your searching in that pocket for your car keys, money etc. Then again, you'd think you'd realise. It's also funny imagining that person needing to wipe his nose later on and realising his handkerchief has gone.

As for picking it up and taking it home, well you've got to do that discretely, or pretend it was yours all along and you're glad to have found it again. Then if you do pick up a discarded hankie, you'll have to give it a damn good wash first. I don't know whether I'd like to use someone else's hankie.

It is a sad sight though, a lonely unloved abandoned hankie. I think I am going to cry, anyone got a hankie?

[sneezerwoman]

Aww *hands over a hankie*

[shy guy]

I lost a hankie once. I was on a road trip and had placed my hankie on the car seat next to me as I was using it frequently (I'll bet some of you wish you had been on that trip with me!). Anyway, I had to stop for gas, and I must have accidentally knocked it out of the car, because when I went to reach for it a short time later, it wasn't there. Fortunately I had a spare (I always do), but I still wish I could have recovered that hankie (going back to the gas station wasn't an option).

As far as picking up a lost hankie myself, I'm quite sure I would do it if I could do so in the manner you describe, either without drawing anyone's notice, or pretending it was mine all along. I recently did pick up a green bandana I found in a park near my house. I've washed it and intend to use it as a hankie. It's quite nice too, and I can't wait to break it in with a good sneeze and blow!

[allergyboy2001]

This brings back memories.

I lost a handkerchief once when I was a kid, at summer camp. It was in the back pocket of my jeans, and I was carrying the jeans over my arm (pocket openings towards the ground - dumb), because I was going to a locker room to change out of my swimsuit. It fell out somewhere, and although I retraced my steps later, I didn't find it.

I've also seen various lost hankies, in parking lots or along sidewalks. The parking lot ones were probably lost when people pulled out their keys. Some along the sidewalks may have been abandoned on purpose, due to the person's distaste after use of them. I've never picked any up, due to germophobia, and fear of being spotted.

The closest I came to claiming one was at a museum -- someone left their neatly-folded handkerchief on a ledge in front of an exhibit. Later, in another room, I discovered I had forgot to bring a handkerchief with me (discovered not because I needed it but because of some sort of general checking of my pocket contents). This made me worried -- what if I needed one later -- so I went back to hunt for the abandoned one -- but either the person had reclaimed it or I just couldn't find the exhibit again, I hadn't paid attention to its exact location. Anyway, I got home safely without needing one or stealing someone's handkerchief, so all's well that ends well.

I also came close one time to buying some vintage handkerchiefs on eBay, ones which apparently had been left in men's suits and had never been reclaimed from a dry cleaning shop. However, some other people were bidding and they were getting a bit pricey. They were good looking, though.

[Kleeny]

Thats a great photo, thanks for posting.

I am sorry to say the handkerchief in question, the one that I saw abandoned, has now gone. I wonder if it was collected by refuse collectors, or reclaim by its' rightful owner?

We shall never know.