So I'm not the only one that has noticed this! I solved the problem by skipping the drive-thru every now and then, and I will go inside and pick up a huge stash of napkins. I keep them in my glove compartment, and refill every few months.

One (very simple) solution is to stop eating fast food garbage............

One can be amusing without being insulting of the low-paid and disrespected workers who serve you. I-didn't-get-enough-napkins-wah does seem a rather Pleasanton lament, however.
Snore.

1) get out of car and get your own napkins

2) look into feeding your kids meals made with love and made at home...with real napkins.

3) I cannot believe that this was published with a clear conscience.

Yes, it is annoying! The nerve of some of these places, they make a ton of money and then they are so cheap towards their customers! It bothers my husband even more than me; he always asks for MORE napkins! And if they give him 1 or 2, then he will ask for even MORE, I think just to bug them a bit, lol. Bottom line is these places need to make their customers happy or they will find another place to go....And to the people that simply say, don't go to any of those FAST FOOD places, easier said then done when you have young children....besides, sometimes you just feel in the mood for a greasy, delicious burger, lol

Oh, and btw....about the guy who said get your own napkins....some places keep their napkins behind the counter, so you have to ask for them...

This article is offensive and a complete waste of time. Maybe you should go work at a fast food restaurant so that other so-called columnists can call you names on the Internet, because you are clearly not a writer. And you have a teenage son of your own, yet you stoop to calling another teen "Pimple Face." Definitely higher up on the rude scale than holding back napkins.

Sounds like someone eats too much junk food.

Love it! And COMPLETELY agree. It's ridiculous. I was just at Taco Bell yesterday and they had ZERO napkins in the dining room. There were napkin dispensers, but they were ALL Empty. I got my tray and NO Napkins. So of course I asked and was handed, ONE, white cardboard type paper towel. Fortunately the gals was very nice...she saw the look on my face and asked, "Do you need another one?" Well, since I am here with my daughter, it would be nice if we didn't have to share this ONE paper towel. Unreal!

You folks who are complaining about this are hilarious!! If you don't like it, then DON'T READ IT!! It never ceases to amaze me when I read comments about news articles or videos. People will say things like, "I did not like this video"--then why the heck did you watch it??? Man oh man, people sure are wound up tight these days.

As Sergeant Hulka said, ""Lighten up, Francis".

All I can say to those negative readers and commenters is: Do you not understand? This is a column written with humor to provide comedic relief during the rough times we live in. Read the title of the column: 'Are You Kidding Me?' The author pokes fun at herself, her family, and common situations of everyday life. I, for one, have had numerous experiences with the "napkin police" at several fast-food restaurants, and I don't eat at these places all the time. No disrespect was intended, so relax and laugh more.

Humor at the expense of others is not funny. Calling mean names, "demanding" more napkins (not requesting, DEMANDING) at the drive through, it's JUST NOT FUNNY. And since this is an op-ed piece, this columnist should expect conflicting views. Nobody is disputing a need for napkins, because that's not the theme that most of us see in this article. I interpret the theme to be "why do I have to be bothered to ask for something nicely when I used to get plenty without asking". Answer: everyone is trying to be more eco-friendly.

Life is too short. The lack of napkins is something each of us has experienced, hopefully with a sense of humor.

It is impossible for you to be angry and laugh at the same time. Anger and laughter are mutually exclusive and you have the power to choose either.
Wayne Dyer

Great column!

At least 3 days a week I get my 'feed bag on' by ordering a breakfast burrito at Jack in the Box before playing tennis and I have the same problem!!!! You gave me a great idea, from now on I will now start my order with " may I please have half a dozen napkins and a steak and egg burrito with no hash browns " lol:))). I liked your article, I guess I'm not as uptight as some people. I don't think think Stacey meant any disrespect :)

I totally hear you on the while napkin thing and while we rarely do the drive thru, when we do, you are correct that they never seem to give enough napkins. But honestly, as a parent of teenagers, you could have made that point without personally attacking a kid over something out of his control like acne. Sorry, but these personal digs don't add to the attempt at humor and make this found childish when the original point was quite valid.

I'm with ya there.....don't let these employees push you around. Sadly they get pushed my cheap-minded managers who will fire the kid who won't battle the napkin issue, as silly as it sounds. These pushy restaurant managers fight to make their restaurant as profitable as possible....pushing their employees into rediculous situations. Just to get a better BONUS. Fight back.

Those of you who are "Outraged" and think the article is "Offensive" have obviously had your sense of humor surgically removed and are totally missing the point of this entertaining look at suburban life, either that or you've been living in Northern California for so long that you really think "Humor at the expense of others is not funny" Really??? You really need to get out more.

Who knew napkins could cause such an uproar. Thanks for the Monday chuckle.

Staci-Great article on something we have all experienced.

Dublin Mom--you're obviously a Serial Commenter who loves to suck the humor and wisdom out of everything you read and spit it out as venom. Stick to watching the Kardashians and leave us decent folks to our positive outlook on the world.

I agree...the author was trying to be humorous and I doubt she wrote it to be hateful....so if you didn't think her article was funny, so be it...but to attack her like that! Wow, really!?! People crack me up....they attack her for being supposedly cruel and hurtful with her words and her opinion in this article, so in-return they act cruel and hurtful towards her....grow up!!! It makes little sense to me why you would criticize someone for being mean and then turn around to do the same thing, if not worse....

Agree Ailish--small town politics and "news" is pretty funny stuff. It's free entertainment to watch people's feathers get all ruffled over nothing.

Hey Stacy - Reads like you napkin crisis has caused a backup of another kind. I was once - long time ago in the last century - a manager at a Burger King. While I can understand your point and appreciate your humor, you just have to have worked in one of those places to understand the dilemma of the counter-kid. Fast food joints are cheap because they regulate everything to maintain uniformity of product, speed, and their minimal profit margin. They regulate it through brow-beating their employees (no malice intended, just the way things are) to follow their exact instructions. In this case, it's the 1 napkin per customer rule. I suggest you try Baja Fresh - no drive thru, but they leave their napkins out for their customers to choose the number they need.

Jackie, Sue, and Dublin Mom,
I'm sure your organic, vegan, home-made meals are wonderful, served with cloth napkins. Your kids, dog and husband are perfect. If you have so much going for yourself, why the need to throw stones?

@ the hatuhzz

bI+ch plz

@ "Dublin mommy" epic success to the editor. plenty of comments. evoked emotional response (from many idiots hehe) and tons of conversation. controversy can be good.