Food Court Etiquette

The Straits Times in Singapore has taken upon itself to launch a campaign to exhort food court patrons to return their used trays and dishes to designated areas. It started with a letter written by a foreigner to the Forum pages which caught the attention of all, including the Prime Minister.

Sure, the aim is noble but the approach is not. I do not have any strong views about this. If it is convenient and the designated clearing areas are accessible, I would probably do it. If I have to tend to three children and carry loads of shopping, I would probably not do it. To me, it is not a big thing. I have made payment for the food and services.

What I strongly abhor are the character attacks on Singaporeans by foreigners and the establishment whenever they deem there is an area for improvement. We of course recall the strong, uncalled for remarks made by the journalists of the Straits Times against the residents of Serangoon Gardens during the foreign dormitory saga.

And now, Singaporeans are labelled "inconsiderate and ungracious" just because they did not clear their tables after patronizing the food courts. There are three reasons why this is not justifiable:

1) If there were large designated clearing areas in place (like in Tokyo Disneyland) and the people are not responding in a civic manner, then there might be some cause for chastisement. As it is, visit any food court in Singapore and all you see are cleaning trolleys manned by workers who clear the tables and clean them in a systematic manner. There are NO designated areas for patrons to leave their used cutlery. So, don’t turn around and blame it on the patrons

2) Hello??? Since the days of the taverns and road-side stalls (think medieval England, ancient China or the Western frontier, if you like), it is an acceptable practice for patrons to eat and go. It is the same whether the food establishment is a high class restaurant or a cheap food stall. It is a market practice, the exchange of money for goods and services. And in food establishments, the exchange of money is for the food and services rendered which include the establishment clearing the table for the next guest. Again, don’t suddenly become uppity and attack food court patrons. And, if clearing tables is indeed the way to go, what’s next? Why stop at clearing the tables? Why don’t patrons wash their dishes too after using them?

3) If patrons clear the trays willingly, it is because they have been persuaded to do so - witness the relative success of fast food restaurants in this aspect. It is not because patrons have been shamed to doing so or chastised for not doing so. A campaign must be done on a positive note.

I am not denying that there is merit in asking patrons to clear the tables but the appeal should be aimed at the practical judiciousness of such an action. Like, yes, the quicker turnaround would be appreciated by all patrons, especially during the lunch-time rush hour. No character attack, please.

There is so much heat generated on this topic because Singaporeans once again are being sieged on all fronts: the government, the establishment and not least, the foreigners who are leading the attack on Singaporeans. Suddenly, the Singaporean way of life, their HAPPY way of life, is changing. Why? They have been happily eating at hawker stalls and food courts all their lives and now this? No wonder there is resistance - why should they have to assimilate to some new way of life, purported by global citizens?

And to rub salt to the wound, they are now told they are "inconsiderate and ungracious" for doing something that is as common as eating noodles with chopsticks.

Give Singaporeans a break. There are bigger things to worry about or to support.