Finders keepers. If you leave your tissue packet there, I can very well assume it's nobody's and claim it's mine. And if I do, how can you prove otherwise?
Because people are generally self-centered. Of course if you think from the perspective of yourself all the time, it is expected that you'd say "personally I don't see anything wrong with it".
People who litter, pee in lifts, park in handicapped lots and so on will also say "personally, I don't see anything wrong with it".
If only this were like Korea, where anything you leave behind would find itself either on the floor, or in the bin.
I left it there to tell someone that I want this seat. And it is the norm accepted by the majority. I can prove it's mine, cause I had it made for me and had my name sewn on it. And even if it's a normal pack of tissue, it doesn't belong to you, and u taking it is considered as stealing. You would not take a 50 dollar note on the table and spent it, just because someone left it there.
I don't think that it is self centred, just because it IS an accepted norm to do so in certain areas. I would not do that if I am in my neighbourhood kopitiam cause I know it is not done that way there.
I don't think it is an accepted norm to "People who litter, pee in lifts, park in handicapped lots and so on "
and lastly, I don't live in Korea, neither would i try to use a pack of tissue to reserve a seat there, without at least finding out if it is acceptable there.