Netizen’s appeal: ‘please la dont reserve a table with few pieces of tissues in jb or sg food court’ sparks online debate

A recent post with a netizen asking people not to use the common “chope” method of reserving tables received a lot of comments, with others agreeing with the netizen.

Mr Mat Schrödinger wrote on the Complaint Singapore Facebook page recently, “Please la dont reserve a table with few pieces of tissues in jb or sg food court table for 4 people, all 4 people go to buy at one times. please have common sense. At least one person wait at table lah or put something other than tissue.”

Reserving a table with tissue—or chope—is a longtime practice in Singapore, but some appear to be sick and tired of it already. 

“This is not a right culture,” wrote one netizen.

Yet another netizen agreed, “this sort of ugly practise got to go.”

Another says he encounters this “on a daily basis,” but fights against it.

“I will just remove the tissue. If the person come back and make noise. I simply ignore,” wrote another commenter.

One, who was unfamiliar with the practice, told a very different story, “I thought there are FREE tissue on table and I just keep them and sit down while get my other mate to go buy food. No wonder some people come near my table and give me a look, I thought they mistaken me for their long lost classmate.”

Another netizen suggested, “Please don’t reserve at all. Go and buy and after that look for seats. First come first serve.”

Others, however, did not seem to view the “chope” method as a problem.

“This method has been use for decade. What’s wrong with you?” another asked.

One called it Singaporean “efficiency.”

Another called it “common sense” in Singapore, if not in Malaysia.

/TISG

Woman says stall hawker at North Bridge Road hurls vulgar Hokkien expletives to people who sit at tables he ‘choped’ for himself