While there is no shortage of stories about kind-hearted people in Singapore, it seems like one instance of nasty behaviour can be enough to get one wondering if everyone from the Lion City is ill-mannered.
At least, that was the case for one Redditor, who took to the r/singapore subreddit to ask, “Are Singaporeans generally rude/entitled?”
They then recounted a story about the time they saw a customer at a restaurant yelling at the staff because of the way they served the food.
Source: u/MrSezy on r/singapore
The post sparked a lively debate in the comments section.
Some defended Singaporeans while others agreed that there are those who could be more patient.
On Sunday (7 Jan), Reddit user u/MrSezy shared that they were eating at a Genki Sushi outlet when the incident took place.
The OP said that the couple had ordered ice cream parfait, which was sent to them on the conveyor belt.
However, the cup appeared to have toppled over while the ‘train’ was making a turn, although according to the OP, the contents remained intact and were still edible.
Source: Ems on Lemon8, for illustration purposes only
Despite this, the OP noticed the male customer getting “agitated” at the less-than-perfect presentation of his dessert.
Upon noticing the hiccup, a server quickly returned the plate before another waiter came to give them the ice cream.
The OP admitted that they weren’t sure if it was the same parfait from before or a new one. In any case, it looked “totally edible and within the limits of proper food presentation”.
Well, the male diner apparently didn’t think so.
He allegedly lost his temper and shouted at the waiter, “OI, THIS IS HOW YOU SERVE FOOD ONE AH?” in — as the OP described — “a super condescending tone”.
This made the OP and their partner feel sorry for the waiter especially since it wasn’t his fault.
It also made the OP think, “Are Singaporeans generally this easily ticked? Why did he have to be so rude to the waiter unnecessarily?”
Other Redditors did not hesitate to share their thoughts.
One user noted that rude people can be found all over the world, not just in Singapore.
That said, they observed that faster-paced societies tend to produce more impatient individuals.
Source: r/singapore
Another netizen countered by pointing out that people in Japan, a fast-paced society, still put in “effort to be decent”. On the other hand, rudeness is supposedly normalised in Singapore.
A Redditor who said they have visited and lived in numerous countries claimed that Singaporeans are the rudest bunch “by far”.
Of course, there were those who came to Singaporeans’ defence, saying that you don’t notice polite people because they don’t kick up a fuss.
Source: r/singapore
This user said that it’s unfair to judge an entire group based on one bad apple.
Source: r/singapore
Whatever the case, perhaps this can serve as a reminder to everyone — Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans alike — to be nicer to service staff.
After all, you don’t want to inspire the next Reddit post asking if everyone who looks like you is just as nasty.
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Featured image adapted from AntonioGuillem from Getty Images on Canva, for illustration purposes only.
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