Family clashes with drinks stall owner over water bottle rule
A dispute over a water bottle at the Chong Pang Nasi Lemak coffeeshop has sparked discussion online after a video showing an argument between a family and a drinks stall owner circulated on social media.
Stall owner says only children allowed to have water bottles
Facebook user Bella Lux posted a video of the heated exchange between the family and the drinks stall owner on 30 Aug.
In the caption, the Original Poster (OP) accused a man and his son of “creating trouble” at the coffeeshop.
They also questioned why there were “such low class people”.
The footage showed a man in a red shirt and a younger man in a white shirt arguing with the man behind the camera.
Source: Bella Lux on Facebook
Based on the video, seemingly filmed from the drinks stall owner’s perspective, it appeared that the coffeeshop does not allow water bottles to be placed on the tables.
The drinks stall owner could also be heard saying that he had put up a banner and informed the family nicely.
A woman in green, believed to be the wife of the man in red, also asked why water bottles were not allowed.
In response, the drinks stall owner said every coffeeshop has its own rules. He also added that only children are allowed to have water bottles.
Younger man in video shares family’s side of story
The family’s side of the story was later shared by the son, Brandon, via an Instagram post on the @sgfollowsall page on 1 Sept.
According to Brandon, they had gone to the coffeeshop for dinner at around 7.30pm on 30 Aug.
As the coffeeshop was crowded, he said that his father took some time to find a table.
Brandon eventually placed his water bottle on a table before going to the toilet, while his mother queued for food.
Source: @sgfollowsall on Instagram
Brandon then claimed the drinks stall owner approached his father and said the water bottle could not be placed on the table. Instead, it had to be placed on a chair.
He said he questioned the rule after returning from the toilet.
The drinks stall owner subsequently told them that outside drinks and water bottles were not allowed on tables.
Drinks stall owner allegedly throws water bottle twice
Brandon also claimed the stall owner took his water bottle and threw it onto the pathway outside the coffeeshop twice.
His father picked up his water bottle the first time, while his mother retrieved it on the second occasion.
He also claimed that the drinks stall owner challenged his father to a fight, which his father declined.
Brandon acknowledged that his father used some harsh words during the argument, saying these came after the situation escalated.
Source: Bella Lux on Facebook
He apologised to LGBTQ+ community members who may have been hurt or offended by the language used during the incident.
The family has since made a police report, with the other party and witness providing statements to the police.
He said he has a recording of the incident but cannot share it until investigations conclude.
Brandon also urged the public to avoid premature judgments and respect his family’s privacy as investigations continue.
In response to MS News’ queries, the Singapore Police Force confirmed that a report was lodged.
Most netizens side with family
A netizen felt that the drinks stall owner was being “unreasonable” as personal water bottles can be “brought anywhere”.
Source: Instagram
A commenter also agreed, saying that water bottles are not considered as “outside food or drinks”.
Source: Instagram
Another netizen said that it was a “small issue”, and that the family should have followed the instructions of the drinks stall owner.
Source: Instagram
MS News has also reached out to the Facebook OP for more information.
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Featured image adapted from Bella Lux on Facebook.
