It’s not uncommon to see tissue peddlers in the vicinity of MRT stations where commuters commonly frequent. Bedok MRT Station, in particular, seems to be a ‘hotspot’ for such tissue sellers.
Recently, folks from 8world News went down to Bedok MRT Station to interview various tissue sellers and members of the public to glean more information about the phenomenon.
During their interviews, they learnt about an elderly tissue seller at Bedok MRT who allegedly earns S$200 to S$300 per day and has a helper caring for her.
According to 8world News, the elderly seller appeared old and frail. Besides walking about with a hunched back, she also rubs her knees frequently as if they were in pain.
The woman would reportedly interact with passersby and beg them to give her some money. Several members of the public did exactly, that, presumably out of pity.
Speaking to 8world News, one passerby shared that she decided to give the old woman S$2 after seeing her plight. She claimed that she was even willing to give her S$50 if she had more money with her at the time.
The passerby said it did not matter to her whether the old woman was telling the truth. As long as there is a possibility that the old woman needs help, she will gladly offer money.
However, several other members of the public shared with the Chinese news site that the woman is actually well-taken care of. She allegedly has a son and daughter, as well as a helper to care for her.
Despite this, she’s frequently seen selling tissues at the exit of Bedok MRT Station every day from 10am to 7pm. From this, she’s allegedly able to earn S$200 to S$300 every day.
Source: Google Maps
Besides the elderly woman, 8world News reported several other tissue sellers stationed in the same area.
For instance, a father was spotted buying a drink for his son who sells tissues outside Bedok MRT Station. The father noted that his son has a low intelligence quotient (IQ) and therefore could not find a suitable job.
Source: 8world News
He added that once, his son’s earnings got stolen while he was taking a nap.
Though that was a one-off incident, the father hopes people can be more empathetic towards his son. He highlights that his son does not harass others, and is merely selling tissues to earn an honest living.
He also shared that he attempted to apply for a license for his son to sell tissues, but the application was unsuccessful.
Another elderly man in a wheelchair was also seen selling tissues outside Bedok MRT Station. He apparently used to work at a coffee shop, but had to amputate his left leg after experiencing blood vessel blockage.
Source: 8world News
Following the loss of his limb, he resorted to selling tissues instead and has been doing so for over a year.
The elderly man also shared that he has noticed an increase in the number of tissue sellers around the area. On weekends, including himself, there are a total of seven tissue sellers in the area.
8world News also reported that it seems as though none of these tissue sellers has sought help from authorities like the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).
MSF has programmes like the ComCare Long-Term Assistance scheme which aims to financially support Singaporeans and Permanent Residents with low income. This could be due to old age, illnesses, and disabilities that prevent them from being able to work.
We hope such tissue sellers will be able to get the help they need and that the public will be generous and considerate towards them as well.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps.
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