Talk about suffering an injustice and trying to right it but end up being inconvenienced.

No place to throw cigarette butt

A female smoker in Singapore, who was just trying to be considerate after having a smoke, has taken to Facebook to express her grievances.

This was after she ended up getting fined for holding on to a smoked cigarette that was no longer lit, just because she had to walk under a sheltered area while in search for a dustbin to dispose of her remnant cigarette butt.

Here is her post:

What happened

This was what happened, according to the woman, whose post about the incident was put up on Facebook on Oct. 24, at 6.50pm.

1. The incident occurred at Blk 747 Yishun Street 72 near the MRT station.

2. The woman admitted to smoking her cigarette at a non-sheltered area.

3. But she could not dispose of the cigarette butt as the dustbins were located at the void decks of HDB blocks.

4. When she walked under the shelter to go towards the dustbins, she was stopped by a pair of National Environment Agency officers in wait in the area.

5. She was subsequently issued a ticket as her fine was for holding on to a lit cigarette while under a shelter, which is an offence.

6. When she disputed the fine as her cigarette was no longer lit, she was told that NEA officers were not authorised to replay the video recording that supposedly captured her with a lit cigarette in hand.

7. Even when she insisted that her cigarette was not lit, the NEA officers said it was.

8. Her ticket for a fine was issued and the whole incident took place in less than two minutes.

9. Feeling aggrieved after she gave the incident more thought just after it occurred, she gave chase but the NEA officers were said to have started running.

10. She then told the NEA duo when she finally caught up with them that she will not acknowledge the ticket issued.

11. The woman then called the police who showed up and advised her not to pay the fine, and to appeal against the ticket, and even seek help from her MP.

Based on the photo of the ticket issued by the NEA officers, the woman was fined S$200.

Reactions

Reactions to the woman's account of what happened were mainly expressions of righteous indignation on her behalf, as smokers are likely to empathise with her plight.

However, some managed to offer constructive feedback, like knowing what her rights are and the chances of successfully appealing the fine.

Smokers relate to this too:

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