Local Reddit users warn against ‘professional beggar’ who asks for S$2 at MRT stations

SINGAPORE: A netizen wrote that they had encountered an older man at the Orchard MRT station who asked for S$2, saying he needed to get to Outram and did not have enough money.

While they handed them the money at the time, in hindsight, they had doubts and felt they had “enabled” the man.

Looking to other Reddit users for help, u/EnoughString1059 asked, “Have you ever encountered a ‘professional beggar’ asking you for S$2” in a post on r/askSingapore on Wednesday (July9 2).

They described the man as a  “bald, tanned, local Chinese uncle” in his 50s who was able-bodied and spoke English well, who showed them a S$2 note that was double-folded.

They felt that they should have told him that they did not have cash on them and directed him to Passenger Service for help. However, since they were figuring out directions at the time that the man approached them, they just gave him the money because they wanted the uncle to go away.

As it turns out, this was not a one-off incident, with commenters telling the post author that they may have encountered the same man, or at least someone else with the same modus operandi.

“A couple of days back, a man in his 50s was doing the same in Marine Parade TEL, too. Showing the folded S$2 and asking for another S$2. Didn’t give him the money though, but seems it could be the same person you met,” a commenter wrote.

“Some weeks back, I also encountered someone with a similar description as OP. Instead of Orchard MRT, I met him at City Hall control station. The folded S$2 was what I remember vividly. I gave him the money (S$2) and told him not to ask others and to go home,” another noted.

Others weighed in with their own experiences with people begging for money.

“There used to be an old guy around Lakeside MRT in the evening, always rubbing his stomach and the other hand outstretched for cash. I remember one Caucasian lady went to buy him bread from the nearby bakery. He refused and insisted on cash lol. The lady pushed the bread to him and walked away. The uncle dropped the bread on the floor after that,” one wrote.

“I was waiting for my bus at Sengkang, and this lady came to me asking for money to buy food. She said she’s been waiting for her grandson the whole day and didn’t want to leave in case she missed him. Ngl, I was tricked, but instead of money (since I don’t carry cash), I offered to call her grandson. She became aggressively defensive, and when I said I could buy her a drink, she demanded cash, and at least $10. In the end, I told auntie, ‘Why don’t you just go home and eat? Your grandson would also know how to walk home,’” a commenter added.

Another Reddit user simply wrote, “Come to AMK, plenty of them there.” /TISG

Read also: Singaporeans raise concern about ‘foreign beggars’ on the streets