Tourist insists on paying meal only after eating, Chinatown hawker calls police

A tourist was accused of patronising an economy rice stall in Chinatown and insisting on paying only after eating.

However, when he requested more rice and dishes at the stall and still refused to pay, the stall owner called the police.

According to Shin Min Daily News, the incident occurred at about 12 p.m. on Sep. 8 at the Chinatown Complex Market and Food Centre and was witnessed by a fellow diner at the scene.

A photo taken at the scene showed two police officers at the hawker stall.

S$3.60 meal

The 34-year-old hawker, surnamed Yu (transliteration), said a middle-aged man ordered a S$3.60 meal, but insisted on paying only after finishing the meal.

The hawker claimed the tourist was from China.

The hawker said: "He said that in his hometown, they always pay after eating, and he also pointed to his sling bag and said that he had money. At that time, I saw him eating at the table next to the stall, so I thought it was okay and let him eat first."

Asked for another serving

The hawker said the customer then walked back to his stall and said he wanted more rice and dishes.

The hawker said he asked the customer to pay for the previous meal first and then he will top up more food.

But the tourist still refused and said he had plenty of money.

The hawker said: "I had never encountered anything like this before, so I told him that it had affected my business and that I would call the police."

The customer then appeared also to call the police, but some 5 minutes after trying, he allegedly tried to leave but was stopped by the hawker's wife.

Police mediated

The police arrived shortly and spoke to the customer.

The hawker said the police told him the customer had just arrived in Singapore that day and took a S$10 note from the man's bag and passed it to the hawker.

Yu added: "The police also asked me if I wanted to continue doing his business, but I no longer wanted to have anything to do with him, so I refused. Then I gave him the change."

Yu claimed the man was later escorted away by the police.

Top photo via Shin Min Daily News