A letter

I was at Bedok block 85 hawker centre on 14 Dec 06 about 8pm for dinner with my friends. We were there looking to combine two tables for our dinner as the tables there were small and we had a group of six intending to order a lot of food.

As we were about to pull two tables together, we were approached by this elderly man, in his seventies, on what we were trying to do. Having explained our intention, he led us to another side instead and arranged for one square table that was barely enough to accommodate six of us comfortably. He rudely rejected our request for another table. We were seated right behind the bus stop by the main road.

The elderly man, staff from a drink stall, took drink orders from our group, less me who decided to order other drink from a different stall. Surprisingly, the other stall I approached could not accept my order. I was surprised to learn that the tables at that portion of the hawker centre are territorised by different drink stalls. Meaning I could not order drink from one stall if I was sitting at another stall's table.

Our food orders arrived and it was too many for our table as expected. We approached the elder man again to add another table as it was evident we need more space for our food that our table could not provide. He rudely rejected us again, quoting that he “would not be able to answer to his boss” in doing so. We wanted to speak to his boss but he was unable to accommodate. Without any valid reason, we told him we would shift the tables ourselves since our food arrived and had no space to hold. The elderly man gave in unwillingly. True enough, the food we ordered filled the two tables we had.

As we dined, we observed similar treatments by the elder man to other groups of customers who arrived subsequently, being cramped into small tables. Worse, he led the groups to cramp close to one another, leaving many other vacant tables nearby. Knowing that his arrangements were obstructing pedestrian passageway, the elderly man even resorted to giving smaller seats to customers to make more space within the cramped confines.

I was more disgusted to witness the elderly man chased a coupled away from “his” table because they ordered drinks from a different stall. The couple was made to shift to a table adjacent to where they sat, which did not look different from any other tables in the whole place.

In all, I was astonished by such inflexible and improper segregation of territories by the drink stalls at the hawker centre that will bring about much unpleasant inconvenience to customers dining there. Furthermore, it was worsen by the rude attitude of the elderly man who was eyeing over “his” tables like a hawk. Ironically, there are many signs displayed throughout the hawker centre that say customers are allowed to sit anywhere in the hawker centre regardless
of the stall we patronise.

I hope that the relevant authorities will address this issue timely before the hawker centre becomes a place renown for such unpleasant dining experience instead its good food. Thank you.