Update Sept. 20, 2013:  National Parks (NParks) replied to Larry Quah Chai Koon, saying that "it is not feasible to remove all the rocks and cut all branches and roots of trees along a trail in a nature reserve.". Read NParks' full reply here. 

A reader’s short letter published by The Straits Times on Sept. 14 over the weekend became an instant troll bait receiving over 18,000 Facebook shares.

Titled “Dangerous obstacles along MacRitchie trail”, the letter was written by a Larry Quah Chai Koon, who was complaining about having fallen while on a nature trail in MacRitchie -- because a stone got in his way.

The trolling side of Singaporeans was activated and four days after the letter was published, it hasn't ceased:

And here's the thing: If anyone googled Larry Quah Chai Koon, you'd find that Larry has been writing to the press about everything under the sun.

From inconsiderate behaviour to monkeys to light bulbs and even a dog mauling a cat, his latest letter is just one in a series of letters over the years.

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And he has been tormenting the corporate communications team of various government departments for years.

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Is there nothing a letter to the press cannot solve?

Besides doing research and implementing policies, what are the civil servants doing for a living? Yup, precisely this.

Having to deal with feedback like this. Every. Single. Day.

In a Straits Time (ST)'s article, then ST editor said a newspaper is "a living, breathing, active member of the community".

He added that a newspaper "does this through the stories it tells of the ups and downs of society. And one of the best ways of telling these stories is through the letters it receives from its readers."

Ok. The media should find the right balance to tell such stories and kill fewer trees in the process.

Top photo from Flickr

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