Featuring Rick Lim Say Kiong, the ‘chope-ing’ fearless vigilante

Oh yes, this vigilante's method might have worked. At least in his neighborhood hawker centers. Heh. Whenever he sees a packet of tissue paper used to reserve a seat, he'll remove & dispose it. Yes. That will work.

But hey, why just stop at that? That packet of tissue paper can be passed to the aunties who sells tissue papers & the cycle of life will be repeated again...

Time and again, it is reported in newspapers and online that foreigners — unfamiliar with the Singaporean practice of using packets of tissue paper to “chope” (reserve) seats — are made to give up theirs seats at hawker centres and foodcourts when the “rightful” owners of the tissue packets return.

Tourists, expatriates and foreign workers who arrive in Singapore expect to see a courteous citizenry, corresponding to its modern infrastructure and efficiency.

However, the demeanour of indignant patrons, who return to find “their” seats taken by foreigners unfamiliar with the ubiquitous practice, puts our perpetual courtesy campaign to shame. More often than not, these people demand that the foreigners leave the table right away, even if they are halfway through their meals.

Unfortunately, this sort of behaviour leaves more than just a bitter taste for those hapless “offenders”; they will have the impression that Singaporeans do not know what true social etiquette is.

I dare these perpetrators to try the same tactic in food establishments in any other country, and then see how the locals will ridicule them for being obnoxious and impertinent.

For proponents out there, please do not deem this as another Singaporean trait that needs to be preserved for its uniqueness. This is different from the argument that colloquial “Singlish” defines our way of communication and that the Queen’s English is for the British.

“Chope-ing” seats is as disgusting a trait as spitting indiscriminately. Some social percepts are universal, but “chope-ing” is not one of them.

The rules should be thus: The first patron to sit down gets the table. If that person stands and leaves, then the next patron waiting gets the table. No reservations with tissues, umbrellas or whatever — leave them there at your own risk.

My solution, though drastic, is simple. From now on, I resolve to remove and discard all packets of tissue if I chance upon them at hawker stalls. Even if I do not require the seats, I will do likewise.

So yes, all guilty readers are forewarned — if your “choped” seats end up without the offending packets of tissue, chances are I was the one whodiscarded them.

And please do not blame the people sitting there; they would not have known that those seats were ever “reserved”.

From a letter from Rick Lim Say Kiong published in Today, "The ‘chope-ing’ vigilante: Leave your packets oftissue on hawker centre tables at your own risk".