Tissue on tables for reserving that table

[Chongster]

personally i take this practice as a sign of civic mindedness in Singapore, that this is a form of social courtesy. It is also good to know that useful social rules can develop in Singapore "bottom-up" and need not always be imposed top down from the govt.

 

i think the rule developed as a logical solution to the fact that we have (a) a lot of self-service stalls in singapore, and (b) hawker centres and food courts where people can order different things from different stalls.

 

so for groupies, it does save time for everyone to be able to go and buy back their food and eat at the same time. for lone lunchers, it make sure that you have a place to eat your food. point of fact is that the person is first to the seat, not you. it is just that they need to buy their food.

 

the fact that people can respect a rule even if it is at their inconvenience is a sign of civic mindedness. no difference from standing on the left side of the escalator.

[Raytham]

If a foreigner who doesnt knows this so called 'low class' culture of us, sits down and his/her friend order food and sit down only to find out from those pple who 'chop' the area. Doesnt it seems well unfair to the foreigner?

[Chongster]

who cares about foreigners? they come here, better learn our rules. you go to france, you think they hew you. Singaporeans! show some pride!!! i see bad foreginer behavoiur, see one time, kan one time.

Edited July 1, 2008 by Chongster

[Tunge]

personally i have nothing against chopping of tables with items... unless of course u r saying that chopping of table must be done w something more substantial like bag, water bottle or even having 1 person sit there while the rest go buy first, at the end of the day it's still chopping the table what...

 

lunch time so crowded n hard to get a seat, if u buy first than go and look for seat no way man...

[Raytham]

U go other country u bother to go learn other countries rules ar save it man. Time to grow out of these acts. If crowded ask yr friend buy for you lar wats the problem.

[Damienic]

One person can guard the seat while another go and buy and take turns.

 

Does this happen only in cbd area? apparently this sign is most common in cbd area in the beginning but it seems to have spread to non-cbd areas too in recent times..

 

Apparently those all those who suggested the idea of "one person stay behind to guard" has not work in CBD before Elsewhere it may be feasible but not within CBD.

 

This practice of Tissue Reservation has been around since donkey years... when I started working back in 1992, already got such practice le.

 

And Singaporean are not stupid and if a system works, they will continue to use it. If you think you are smarter than the thousands of them and can derive a better methods, please prove them wrong.

 

The reason why having someone stay behind and guard don't work is because within 10 minutes, the person who stayed behind would have said "Sorry those seats are taken" 100 times. Eventually, a pack of tissue on the table would symbolise "seat taken" and people will stop asking if the seat is available. So what's the point of having one person stay behind since having a pack of tissue is more effective?

 

Those smart alex can try the "stay behind and guard" tactics during the peak hours.

 

The fact that even some people who work in CBD also spoke against what seem to be a normal act adopted over 10 yrs ago is some kind of indication it may not be a widely acceptable act...its just that few people dare to bochap those tissue paper and hence the phenonmenon continues...

[Raytham]

By asking one person to stay around at least that person can tell people that the seat is taken. The so call tissue is dumb cannot say anything one so how people going to know whether is it taken or not. Its a culture circulated only in CBD areas.

[Chisiang]

Is this tactic low class at all? who has the rights to say this tactic is low class? Should people print brass plate with their name engraved on it and state:

 

"I am sorry but this seat is currently reserved by me. I am queuing for food right now. Please feel free to call 9123456 if you want to dispute my reservation. Sorry for any inconvenient caused."

 

and place it on the table. Like that than high class! And I can start a small business below Golden Shoe selling engraving service to them

 

And to be frank, Foreigners can stay one corner and suck thumb if they come during peak lunch hours. They can choose to eat any time and of all time, should they decide to eat during peak hours then they are asking for it. IF they are in the CBD to work, then their colleagues will tell them the rulez and they should follow.

 

Ang mo or no Ang mo, foreigner or no foreigner, there should be no exception.

[Tunge]

U go other country u bother to go learn other countries rules ar save it man. Time to grow out of these acts. If crowded ask yr friend buy for you lar wats the problem.

 

see that's wat i don't understand w some of ur logic... having a person seat at the table = ethical chopping whereas chopping w personal item = uncultured behavior?

 

if all of u are against chopping of seats than it doesn't make a difference whether u have a person there or not, at the end of the day, u are still reserving the table, i.e u don't have ur food but others w food cannot use ur table...

 

in fact i feel that by reserving the table w personal items while the rest all go buy their food, they can save time finish n leave, and others can take the table...

[Comfy]

This is a typical antic of ladies who work in the CBD area. Juz take the table and put the tissue in your pocket and use it

 

But be prepared to be by a bunch of later

 

get another bunch of hunks there.. they will be more than happy to share the tables...

[Comfy]

Later kana gang rape

I dun think any males would mind if they are CBs

 

 

the problem is are there any CBs??

[Raytham]

Its not wrong to reserve a seat, but reserve with something that can tell pple its taken at least better mah. If want to save time just ask a colleague buy on yr behalf lor hope it doesnt take too long to order one more portion. If by leaving personal items like tissues all these on the table, i can simply throw away assuming its nobody's one. You leave yr bag there i can bring to lost and found counter say someone left behind also can. Unless at the end of everything, the food court displays this is a standard procedure then LL.

[Chisiang]

dude, those who placed tissues are the Admins, secretaries, and young execs. All and you can't win talking LOGIC or gentlemen style.

 

Most senior execs or guys who cannot stand this practice will usually da bao back to office. I always da bao back to office during lunch. Those admins and secretaries aunties like to gather with their friends working in another building to makan.

 

And the consequences of ignoring the little packet of tissue is = Aunty, and her friends scolding you and creating a scene in the food center. Imagine you are some Sales director or Marketing manager kena scold by gang of aunty, and your client happened to sit opposite your table

 

And even if you do away with the tissue, and get someone to stay behind, it still does not change the situation And it is worst!

 

Now you see an empty tables with one person guarding... and you realised that every table has one person guarding. However, not all seats within the table are taken, but which one????? So you will start to ask the person guarding... then you move on the the next table... and then the next, until you get you seat.

 

So with tissue as indication, you will know immediately if a seat is taken or reserved

[Tunge]

By asking one person to stay around at least that person can tell people that the seat is taken. The so call tissue is dumb cannot say anything one so how people going to know whether is it taken or not. Its a culture circulated only in CBD areas.

so the issue here is not abt being unethical or uncultured lah.... it's whether the un-enlightened rookies know the system or not... well it doest take a genius to infer that the table is reserved if he see items on the table, unless it's one single old, opened, half finished pack of tissue lah

[Tunge]

Its not wrong to reserve a seat, but reserve with something that can tell pple its taken at least better mah. If want to save time just ask a colleague buy on yr behalf lor hope it doesnt take too long to order one more portion. If by leaving personal items like tissues all these on the table, i can simply throw away assuming its nobody's one. You leave yr bag there i can bring to lost and found counter say someone left behind also can. Unless at the end of everything, the food court displays this is a standard procedure then LL.

orh so next time mother n child go food court, mum leaves son at the table to guard the table, u''ll take the son to the info counter as lost child n take over the table...

[Chisiang]

ha ha ha...

 

did I hear "hope it doesnt take too long to order one more portion"

 

Sister, you've got NO IDEA

[Raytham]

Come on lar friend of all the time i see mostly is working office pple who do this stunts ok don try to cheat yourself. How many women with child do this?

[Endorrachua]

The problem here is not got class no class.

 

The real problem is :

 

If you can suka suka set a pratice and think it is logic and reasonable and other got to adapt to it, then are u saying that you are "KING"??

 

Then tomorrow you can go hospital and put a tissue on one empty bed and claimed this bed was chopped by you till you think u don need to reserved it anymore. And pples got to accept it??

 

The next day you can put a pail at a empty parking lot and claim it was reserved for you or your friend and nobody can park at that particular lot in the public carpark. And pples got to accept it?

 

i say this are inconsiderate and selfish!!

 

The sillyporean are starting to behave like our govt, suka suka implement their own rules and use it rightfully. Sighz........