News

2 Men Allegedly Smashed Plates in Eatery at Punggol & Even Threatened to Beat Up Staff for ‘Bad Service’

2022-03-14 , 3:20 pm

If there’s a part-time job that anyone should go through, perhaps a job behind the cashier, or working at retail store or restaurant, might be a humbling choice, mostly to let people empathise with the workers at these locations.

It’s not easy to deal with pushy customers, who seem impervious to reason.

Here’s an example. A viral one, in fact.

Going Against the Dining Norms

In a Facebook post made by Tan Carol on Sunday (13 Mar), she recounted her experience at Fat Po, a restaurant on Tebing Lane, Punggol, where two men were being aggressive and hostile towards the staff.

At the time of writing this article, the post has been shared more than 2,900 times, with 652 comments.

According to Carol, these two customers ignored the queue leading into the restaurant and just availed themselves to the empty seats they saw, which was what brought her attention to these two men at first.

The pair proceeds to order a jug of beer and some food, which implies that the staff might have let the lack of queuing pass, since they were genuine customers and as the saying goes in the F&B Industry, “The Customer is Always Right.”

The customers’ heck-care attitude didn’t just end there.

Afterwards, the man in a black shirt takes out a cigarette and lights it up.

The staff politely told him that smoking was not allowed on the premises, but he tried to stall for time by asking the staff where the toilet was, as he continued smoking the cigarette in his hand.

“After much persuasion,” Carol adds after noting that the manager was being super patient with them, “he finally stood out to smoke.”

In any case, that’s strike two against dining norms in Singapore, because you’re not allowed to smoke in restaurants in the first place.

Bringing Outside Food into a Restaurant

If you thought the man was done being an utter prick, you thought wrong.

Apparently, the man in the black shirt later returns with a bag of satay from another restaurant.

It’s common decency not to partake in food that’s not from the restaurant inside another restaurant, so the staff reminds them that outside food is not allowed in Fat Po.

However, the man refuses to back down, saying that they were very hungry, and they have to eat the satay because they were very hungry.

Then, in what Carol describes to be very bad-mannered, they question the staff, “Then you tell me where I can sit.”

Image: facebook.com (Hawkers United – Dabao 2020)

The staff, still patient as ever, explains that their superior will reprimand them if they see outside food in the restaurant, and they would be in trouble with the NEA.

At long last, the two men promised that they won’t eat the satay, but as seen in the photographic proof, the two men continue to eat the satay without care.

Strike three.

Smashes Plate on the Floor Due To “Bad Service”

When the staff arrives with their food in hand, he sees them eating the satay but there’s nothing he can do about it.

He gives a helpless look, puts down the plates, and walks off.

The two men seem to be picking fights at every turn because they shouted for the staff to come back, saying that he just put down the plates and walked off.

Dude, what else are you expecting, a full explanation of what ingredients were used to prepare your food and the processes it went through? You’re at Fat Po, not some high-class restaurant please.

Displeased, the man in the black shirt smashes the plate on the floor.

A few staff members quickly come over to clean up the broken porcelain, while the man in white pushes away the female staff when she attempts to help her colleague.

Although it isn’t evident in the video, Carol noticed that after the shoving, the female staff’s arm was slightly red.

Even when the female staff asked him, “Why did you push me?” He tries to find fault with her too as he wore a fierce and confrontational expression.

Moreover, it’s unknown what he was trying to do when he picked up the chicken remains from the floor.

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Bygones That Won’t Go

By this point, the manager must be a saint, because he tells the two customers that they don’t have to pay for the damages or food.

They could have just happily traipsed off to the longkang or something, but the man in white still continues to find trouble with another staff member, going as far as threatening to bash him up.

By now, the entire restaurant is alerted to the commotion and apparent abuse heaped on the staff members.

One of the customers from another table called Justin shouts out, “Hey, stop harassing him!”

The man in white is clearly running on a short fuse because he stalks over to Justin and challenges him to the fight.

(Seriously, why won’t you just leave?)

However, it’s clear that the man in white is a coward because as soon as Justin calls the police, they quickly get the hell out with their tails tucked between their legs.

Investigations are Ongoing

Owing to the virality of the situation, and the police call that Justin made, the Singapore Police Force told CNA on Monday (14 Mar) that they are currently investigating the case and the identity of the two men.

The police said that they had been alerted of the dispute at Tebing Lane on Saturday.

Man, I’ve never loved advanced cameras and the connectivity of the internet more, because the circumstantial evidence is all laid bare, if the restaurants cameras haven’t already captured the entire incident.

Fat Po’s Response

Likewise, the restaurant stepped out yesterday (13 Mar) to thank the customers and public for standing up for their staff members.

Their post writes, “Verbal and physical abuse were involved and the police case has already been lodged. Please approach us if you can be a witness to the case!

“Our staff are trying their best to provide you with a safe, comfortable, and memorable dining experience. They do not deserve to be served with physical and mental abuse.

“Safety and mental well-being is our top priority. The management will not condone any act of aggression and abuse towards our staff.”