Hawker appeals for the return of 41 forks and 10 plates stolen at ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre

SINGAPORE: A diner took to social media to highlight a troubling incident at ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre, where people allegedly stole cutlery and crockery from a hawker stall.

In a post shared on the r/SingaporeRaw subreddit on Sunday (June 15), the diner uploaded photos showing a hawker, the missing utensils, and a handwritten sign.

The sign read: “Dear customers, in the past 10 operating days, 41 forks and 10 plates have been stolen. As a small Singapore business promoting sustainability, we kindly request their return. Authorities will be involved soon. Thank you and God bless.”

The diner also asked in the caption, “How bad is the economy that people must steal plates and forks from hawker?”

The post prompted numerous responses from Singaporeans, many of whom expressed disappointment and disbelief. A few even went so far as to describe the behaviour as ‘cheap’ and characteristic of a ‘third world’ mindset.

“Kiasuism at its worst. This is why we can’t have nice things,” one individual remarked.

“It’s not that the economy is not good, but just a lot of uncivil-minded people steal because the chance of getting caught is low, and they self psycho is just a utensil they won’t miss it,” another commented.

“What’s this gotta do with the economy, siah? Cheapo people have existed here forever, and yes, even before FTs arrived, in case someone’s looking to blame it on them,” a third chimed in.

“First world country, third world what?” a fourth wrote.

Still, while most were critical, a few tried to offer alternative explanations. Some suggested that diners might have taken the forks and plates absent-mindedly, or assumed they were disposable. Others speculated that some items might have been accidentally thrown away or misplaced by cleaners.

One even suggested that because the crockery looked customised, some diners might have treated it like a souvenir and brought it home. “It’s not cheapness. It’s people stealing ‘souvenirs’ because they look special,” they wrote. “If they didn’t look special, they wouldn’t be stolen.”

In other news, a daughter took to Reddit to vent about how mentally and emotionally draining it’s been living with her mum, who she believes may be struggling with undiagnosed mental health issues.

Posting anonymously on the r/askSingapore subreddit, she shared that her mum often displays signs of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

“She’s always overthinking, sad or angry about something,” the daughter wrote. When we get into arguments—which can be over very minor things because she’s very sensitive—she would think of herself as the victim and how life is super hard for her.”

Read more: ‘Every day feels draining’: Daughter shares struggle living with mum who may have undiagnosed mental illness