ah good then. There is still kind soul around.No, I dont happen to be that ugly fat uncle who was having beer and chat with you, because I dont like to drink beer. :bsmilie:
What is your stand on reserving seats using using Tissue in the Food Court etc.
- Thread starter airfins
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ah good then. There is still kind soul around.No, I dont happen to be that ugly fat uncle who was having beer and chat with you, because I dont like to drink beer. :bsmilie:
if you with a group, leave a person two at the tables so everyone can sit.
If you by yourself, remember this is Singapore, leaving a tissue packet is not understood by everyone. Leave something else behind at a table nearby where you are ordering. Personally if i see a bag, or jacket, or something like that, i know someone is sitting there.
There is nothing wrong with reserving a place then ordering your food. I mean think for a moment, when you walk into a restaraunt they will seat you first then take your order... this is the norm. Do they take your oder and leave you standing with plates of food... of course not. hawker center, food court or not, people like to sit when they eat... end of story.
I started a thread regarding this because the expat who chased away the local picked up his bag and handed it back to him. The local said he was sitting there and the expat said "no you're not" which I found amazingly distasteful, disrespectful, and rude. Me being an expat, I told him that that is why expats are not well received (i might be a dickhead, but i'm fair). If it were tissue paper i could understand the misunderstanding, the expat might not know what the tissue paper means, i've made that mistake. However, if there is something like a jacket or bag or something of more value, then most people would realize someone is sitting there or at least look to see who left the things behind.
Why are people getting so technical on something that is pretty much common sense. If you're alone, the choice is up to you, buy now and look for a seat later and possibly look like a dummy as your lunch hour ticks away, or go ahead and rest your things then go order. I think most people would understand that given putting yourself in their situation.
I look at it this way, in this "first-world" country, leaving behind tissue paper says nothing to the international community. However, settling your things at the table where you can see them speaks globally. I think about 1/8th of your population are expats and short-term visitors who do not know what tissue paper on the table means. To them, and to me before I knew, it means the eatery is giving you napkins to wipe your mouth or blow your nose. In other words, property of the eatery, not someone who is reserving a seat.
when i started the similar thread to this my intention was not is it wrong or right to leave tissue paper, my intention was that we respect each other, both foreign and local.
word count
If you by yourself, remember this is Singapore, leaving a tissue packet is not understood by everyone. Leave something else behind at a table nearby where you are ordering. Personally if i see a bag, or jacket, or something like that, i know someone is sitting there.
There is nothing wrong with reserving a place then ordering your food. I mean think for a moment, when you walk into a restaraunt they will seat you first then take your order... this is the norm. Do they take your oder and leave you standing with plates of food... of course not. hawker center, food court or not, people like to sit when they eat... end of story.
I started a thread regarding this because the expat who chased away the local picked up his bag and handed it back to him. The local said he was sitting there and the expat said "no you're not" which I found amazingly distasteful, disrespectful, and rude. Me being an expat, I told him that that is why expats are not well received (i might be a dickhead, but i'm fair). If it were tissue paper i could understand the misunderstanding, the expat might not know what the tissue paper means, i've made that mistake. However, if there is something like a jacket or bag or something of more value, then most people would realize someone is sitting there or at least look to see who left the things behind.
Why are people getting so technical on something that is pretty much common sense. If you're alone, the choice is up to you, buy now and look for a seat later and possibly look like a dummy as your lunch hour ticks away, or go ahead and rest your things then go order. I think most people would understand that given putting yourself in their situation.
I look at it this way, in this "first-world" country, leaving behind tissue paper says nothing to the international community. However, settling your things at the table where you can see them speaks globally. I think about 1/8th of your population are expats and short-term visitors who do not know what tissue paper on the table means. To them, and to me before I knew, it means the eatery is giving you napkins to wipe your mouth or blow your nose. In other words, property of the eatery, not someone who is reserving a seat.
when i started the similar thread to this my intention was not is it wrong or right to leave tissue paper, my intention was that we respect each other, both foreign and local.
word count
azul123
Senior Member
I'm afraid your analogy is not quite accurate. It would be more like when you come to a restaurant waiting to be seated and saw many empty seats but someone had called ahead and say reserve those seats for me. So you are in queue and seeing those many empty seats but cannot be seated as they are reserved ahead of you eventhough you do not see anyone.
Same like you have food but others do not and yet seats taken.
../azul123
What exactly is 'common sense', and how common is it among who?
Does a mass of people, be it a larger or smaller mass adopting a certain practise make that practise right, or ethical or fair?
I'm not sure about this, but going back to the riotous 60s and 70s, was there a law in Singapore that was passed that patrons in a hawker center could sit at any table regardless of the stall they ordered from, and that no one could reserve seats or tables? Was such laws abolished?
Does a mass of people, be it a larger or smaller mass adopting a certain practise make that practise right, or ethical or fair?
I'm not sure about this, but going back to the riotous 60s and 70s, was there a law in Singapore that was passed that patrons in a hawker center could sit at any table regardless of the stall they ordered from, and that no one could reserve seats or tables? Was such laws abolished?
CYRN
Senior Member
It's applicable for hawker that they cannot reserve seats only for their customer if it's a common eating area.
btw nothing to do with riotous 60's and 70's.
CYRN
Senior Member
still "properly" reserved right? I doubt the restaurant would free that reserved table for you.
tigereye19
New Member
Chairs are for seating.
I will not bother about the tissue or any object left there to 'chop' the seat. I simply push away!
This can be in the Food Court or Swimming Pool [Many people put their balang balang there and went swimming, I simply push all balang balang away and take the seat/bench].
This is very bad practice by Sgprean[I am] of chopping a seat and went missing, is ABUSE of seats.
Cheers
I will not bother about the tissue or any object left there to 'chop' the seat. I simply push away!
This can be in the Food Court or Swimming Pool [Many people put their balang balang there and went swimming, I simply push all balang balang away and take the seat/bench].
This is very bad practice by Sgprean[I am] of chopping a seat and went missing, is ABUSE of seats.
Cheers
Is it a legal right for members of the public to reserve seats in advance at hawker centers, food courts and other places of public dining, sans restaurants?
JillValentine
New Member
Well said! :thumbsup:
CYRN
Senior Member
If there's anything illegal about such practice, we wouldn't be having these discussion already. Police would have to patrol eateries to make sure everyone follow the law.
:bigeyes:
azul123
Senior Member
This analogy to draw similarity between restaurant and foodcourt situation was not created by me, the original analogy was not close enough comparison. To make it same, this restaurant does not accept reservation.
In the tissue pack at foodcourt situation, anyone could just sit on top on the tissue pack and that's that, there is really no such rule that you can reserve a seat by placing a tissue pack.
This happens only here and people tolerated it, but it doesn't make it right.
../azul123
CYRN
Senior Member
There's really no right or wrong.
Those who says this is wrong are just standing on a morale high ground who can't accept that one should wait for seats prior to buying one's food and insist of waiting after buying food. Time wasted is minimal, if there queue is too long, then the stall's efficiency is the cause.
The other way to look at it is from a safety perspective, you'd get the whole place full of those waiting for places with food in their hand. Not everyone hands are steady one hor. Those are hazards, especially with hot soup/ hot plates, and I'd rather not be the one causing it.
V
vince123123
Guest
Saying there's no right or wrong, and then following with "moral high ground" already suggests the position one way or the other.
CYRN
Senior Member
that's only part of my reply. I also have a "safety" high ground.
It's your own choice between "morale" (which is debatable) or safety (which is more obvious).
I choose safety for this case, especially when there are children or tunneled vision people around.
V
vince123123
Guest
Yeap I know, I find no issue with the safety perspective.
IMHO, i think this issue is all about cultural differences. Executives working in the city area where lunch crowds are heavy, recognise this practice as acceptable. their views are that their lunch hour is short and do not want to spend time to look for seats after buying food. this practice is slowly spreading out to the rest of singapore also. for people like me, i do not accept a pack of tissue as reservation of seats.
i recalled an incident when a group of my friends was having lunch at a food court in Shenton Way. from where i came from, we do not practise using tissue packs. so we just sit down on the "reserved" seats and kept the tissue packs. we got into a 'hostile' situation with a group of executives after that. everyone else in the food court was giving the look that it's a social norm to reserve seats. however we did not give in as we already started eating. if this was to happen at my work place food court, this group of executives will receive hostilic stares from everyone else.
so what i think best is to adapt to the social norms of a particular area to avoid any conflicts. i personally do not want to have a moody meal.
i recalled an incident when a group of my friends was having lunch at a food court in Shenton Way. from where i came from, we do not practise using tissue packs. so we just sit down on the "reserved" seats and kept the tissue packs. we got into a 'hostile' situation with a group of executives after that. everyone else in the food court was giving the look that it's a social norm to reserve seats. however we did not give in as we already started eating. if this was to happen at my work place food court, this group of executives will receive hostilic stares from everyone else.
so what i think best is to adapt to the social norms of a particular area to avoid any conflicts. i personally do not want to have a moody meal.
V
vince123123
Guest
hengpy: All I can say is bravo to you
V
vince123123
Guest
The problem with the tissue pack reservation is, how do you prove it belongs to you?
A leaves pack.
B comes along and says it is his.
How does A prove that he left it there?
What if C came along and sat there. Then B, sensing an opportunity, dives in and says "no its mine", leaving C bewildered. A then returns and says "ooi my tissue" and B says, "says who? Prove it?"
This is fraught with so much difficulties that I wonder how it even continues to be practised.
A leaves pack.
B comes along and says it is his.
How does A prove that he left it there?
What if C came along and sat there. Then B, sensing an opportunity, dives in and says "no its mine", leaving C bewildered. A then returns and says "ooi my tissue" and B says, "says who? Prove it?"
This is fraught with so much difficulties that I wonder how it even continues to be practised.
hengpy: All I can say is bravo to you
i did that because we consisted of a bunch of 10 fit-looking guys.. safety in numbers ;p
plus we not going to have meals there cos it is a one off thing
this is all about personal integrity, working executives in CBD should know better than to lie about packets of tissues just to get a seat. After all, this is the practice in CBD, of course, you are allowed not to agree to such a practice, but if you're working in the CBD, you'll know that the lunch crowd is big and the world is small, you'll keep running into the same couple of people all the time. Especially so if you made a scene from it, you'll never know if that person you just pissed is a potential client or associate.
And I notice that most who voiced up about removing the tissues were there on a 'one off' thing and not one who goes to lunch regularly in the areas with such practice, it is very similar to trolls in forums, the regulars here all adhere to certain rules in this forum, like no mud-slinging, no political talk, no sales outside B&S and only photography related items. Those who don't follow are probably only here on a 1 off basis to stir up some stuff.
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