I guess people may look askance because, well... Hermes or not, they're just *things.* Don't you agree it looks a little fussy when you're laying down napkins to set your purse on top of?... I mean, going to the bathroom to "stock up on napkins" to place your bag on does not seem strange to you? Regardless of popular opinion in the Hermes forum, a purse is not a work of art: it is an accessory, to be loved, toted around, and enjoyed. It is not a small Rodin bronze or a Rothko. This does not excuse any nasty comments you may receive from bystanders, but come on, in all reality you have to realize how it appears when you have to go to the bathroom to "stock up on napkins" for a purse. To invest that much care in anything material that you tote around with you, no matter how expensive, seems strange to most of us.
I personally find it a little bizarre to put one's bag on a table (especially during a meal, how rude) or on a chair that someone else could be using (I see this a lot on public transit).