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http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,189994,00.html?
Let Fly
Table-hoggers are plain rude
January 17, 2009
TNP ILLUSTRATIONS: LEE HUP KHENG
YOU enter a packed foodcourt and there are no empty tables or seats.
Then, you spot a group of customers who have finished their meal and decide to wait near their table, hoping they would leave soon so you can have the table.
But they remain seemingly oblivious to your presence and continue to chitchat among themselves.
A familiar scenario?
Like those who reserve tables at foodcourts with packets of tissue paper, table-hogging is yet another example of ugly Singaporean behaviour at eating places.
Housewife Norfizah Kassim, 33, wants people to stop doing it.
She feels that it is an issue that has to be brought up.
Madam Norfizah recalled a recent encounter with table-hoggers that turned a little ugly.
She, her husband and brother were at the Ikea store in Tampines on New Year's Day at about 6pm.
Before shopping, they headed to Ikea's restaurant for dinner.
It was packed and it looked like there were no empty tables.
Waited near table
The family spotted a table that was occupied by five people - two women, a man and two young girls who appeared to be less than six years of age.
Madam Norfizah said they looked like a family.
As they looked like they were finishing their meal soon, Madam Norfizah waited near the table.
In the meantime, her brother, Mr Ezani Kassim, 30, an assistant engineer, went around the restaurant to look for empty tables but he did not find any.
After waiting for 20 minutes, Mr Ezani decided to go and queue for food as he thought that the group sitting at the table where his sister was waiting would leave soon.
When he returned with the food 10 minutes later, Madam Norfizah asked one of the women at the table if they had finished their meal.
She claimed: 'The cleaner had already cleared their table. There were only drinks left on the table.'
To Madam Norfizah's surprise, the other woman at the table allegedly raised her voice at her.
'She shouted, 'Can't you see that I've not finished?',' Madam Norfizah said.
'I replied that I had been standing there for almost 20 minutes. I said, 'Can you please be considerate? We would also like to eat.
'Then she said, 'We waited 30 minutes for this table. You waited only for five minutes, yet you want to make noise!'
The argument attracted the attention of other restaurant patrons, and Madam Norizah said another family gave their table up to her and her family.
After they sat at the table for 10 minutes, the family whom Madam Norizah had argued with stopped by Madam Norizah's table.
'One of the women asked sarcastically, 'You very hungry, is it?',' Madam Norizah said.
'The man who was with her then joined in, saying 'Eat more la, since you so hungry'.'
Madam Norfizah said she and her family just kept quiet.
Even though a check with 40 customers showed that table-hogging has yet to become a big problem, compared to the prevalence of reserving tables with tissue packs, the experience irked Madam Norfizah enough to write to The New Paper about the issue.
'If I see someone waiting near my table and I've already finished eating, I would give up the table. It's basic courtesy,' she said.
Audrey Tan, newsroom intern
Let Fly
Table-hoggers are plain rude
January 17, 2009
TNP ILLUSTRATIONS: LEE HUP KHENG
YOU enter a packed foodcourt and there are no empty tables or seats.
Then, you spot a group of customers who have finished their meal and decide to wait near their table, hoping they would leave soon so you can have the table.
But they remain seemingly oblivious to your presence and continue to chitchat among themselves.
A familiar scenario?
Like those who reserve tables at foodcourts with packets of tissue paper, table-hogging is yet another example of ugly Singaporean behaviour at eating places.
Housewife Norfizah Kassim, 33, wants people to stop doing it.
She feels that it is an issue that has to be brought up.
Madam Norfizah recalled a recent encounter with table-hoggers that turned a little ugly.
She, her husband and brother were at the Ikea store in Tampines on New Year's Day at about 6pm.
Before shopping, they headed to Ikea's restaurant for dinner.
It was packed and it looked like there were no empty tables.
Waited near table
The family spotted a table that was occupied by five people - two women, a man and two young girls who appeared to be less than six years of age.
Madam Norfizah said they looked like a family.
As they looked like they were finishing their meal soon, Madam Norfizah waited near the table.
In the meantime, her brother, Mr Ezani Kassim, 30, an assistant engineer, went around the restaurant to look for empty tables but he did not find any.
After waiting for 20 minutes, Mr Ezani decided to go and queue for food as he thought that the group sitting at the table where his sister was waiting would leave soon.
When he returned with the food 10 minutes later, Madam Norfizah asked one of the women at the table if they had finished their meal.
She claimed: 'The cleaner had already cleared their table. There were only drinks left on the table.'
To Madam Norfizah's surprise, the other woman at the table allegedly raised her voice at her.
'She shouted, 'Can't you see that I've not finished?',' Madam Norfizah said.
'I replied that I had been standing there for almost 20 minutes. I said, 'Can you please be considerate? We would also like to eat.
'Then she said, 'We waited 30 minutes for this table. You waited only for five minutes, yet you want to make noise!'
The argument attracted the attention of other restaurant patrons, and Madam Norizah said another family gave their table up to her and her family.
After they sat at the table for 10 minutes, the family whom Madam Norizah had argued with stopped by Madam Norizah's table.
'One of the women asked sarcastically, 'You very hungry, is it?',' Madam Norizah said.
'The man who was with her then joined in, saying 'Eat more la, since you so hungry'.'
Madam Norfizah said she and her family just kept quiet.
Even though a check with 40 customers showed that table-hogging has yet to become a big problem, compared to the prevalence of reserving tables with tissue packs, the experience irked Madam Norfizah enough to write to The New Paper about the issue.
'If I see someone waiting near my table and I've already finished eating, I would give up the table. It's basic courtesy,' she said.
Audrey Tan, newsroom intern
