I hope this will gradually catch on here. The income gap isn't going to close anytime soon.
I have been meeting a friend, whom I shall call G more often than usual at the hawker center these days. He would often ask me for some money to buy a meal. I only know one G but the stall holders must know many more. Order a suspended meal or drink is an anonymous but meaningful way to help. If we can pull this off here, it will also show that we have become a more trusting society. I look forward to that day. Perhaps the way to start the ball rolling is for stall holders to hang out notices that they sell suspended meals.
Update: 1:45pm
Wow! I have returned to my PC and spotted another three friends putting up this story and pic on their Facebook wall. Way to go!
Love this "Pay it forward" concept. It would however require a honor system from the stallholders/operators to honor them for it to be successful. Hope we will see it one day. Agree, as simple as coffee/bun in the morning for the elderlies could be a good trial.
ReplyDeleteAnother novelty idea, given our perpetual sunshine all year round. Is to insist that public buildings/HDB and landed houses install solar panels. In the UK, an install on average cost US$6.8k and people can sign up to sell extra generated electricity back to the grid. This is then guaranteed for 20yrs and generally pays for the system within 4 yrs, meaning a guaranteed income for 16yrs and considerably reduced energy cost.
Imagine our entire island go this approach, you will never have to read from ST about poor family having forced to install a store value electricity meter, thanks in guise to the "ingenuous" scheme by PAP to the rescue, or seeing our ever increasing electricity bills every month/year to no end! The only reason why the Govt won't do it, is of course, the prospect of losing profits. They prefer to spend $1 billion on man-made super garden than to make lives easier for the people. Mis-applying political will selectively for their own benefits.
So that's what you get for an unimaginative 60% of voters who can't see the prospect of our blue sky, but instead like to perpetuate the deadly Lightning instead.
shopowners make millions from their customers and society at large, but when it comes to giving back some of their profits to the same society that supported their wealth and businesses, they turn to their customers.. how sad and disgusting.
ReplyDeleteIt is a noble act to pay for somebody who cannot afford. But if you were to do this in Singapore, you will find the followings:
ReplyDelete1. The coffeehouse owner will 'confiscate' those suspended coffees.
2. Well-to-do people will also come for the suspended coffees. The worst is some of these well-to-do people will demand several suspended coffees and which they cannot even finish.
How about trying to order an $8 suspended heart operation?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Anonymous Mar 28 8:14 pm. Anything that is free will attract the rich and greedy as well. We have a long way to go before we become a gracious society.
ReplyDeleteThere used to be a very customer-friendly store on the 5th floor of 313 where food republic resides. The assistants there were very courteous and even offered free water (from the tap, no doubt) with ice. Recently I visited the store. The price has gone up on the menu, the nice people who used to work there had left, and they don't provide that free water anymore - the reason given they were prohibited by the management of food republic. How great capitalism masks the eyes of entrepreneurs
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/chopefoodfortheneedy?ref=ts&fref=ts
ReplyDelete