(Picture For Illustration)
Incident happened at Ang Mo Kio near shopping complex entrance. A woman in her 20s was smoking near the rubbish bin, when an elderly woman approach and removed the lit of the rubbish bin to check for any cardboard or can drinks.
The woman in her 20s started telling that she should not be doing this here as the smell of the rubbish bin is not tolerable and start insulting that the auntie smelled like rubbish bin.
“Auntie ah, Don’t open the rubbish bin lei, you already smelly enough. Don’t open it and make it worse”.
The auntie was shocked by her rude expressions. The auntie told her that she is just trying to make a living and wanted to tell her story that her son had leave the country and left her here.
Translated from mandarin “ah mei, I only want to earn money for food. My son go Australia never come back. I will leave soon”.
This had made a scene and other smokers were staring at them.
When did Singapore citizens become so selfish and heartless. If the elderly woman had other options she won’t be doing this job.
Elderly cardboard collectors in Singapore barely earn few cents from the little amount of cardboard or empty cans they can collect.
Instead of making harsh comment we should help them in any way we can. When I see an elderly collecting empty can drinks, I try to finish my drink asap so he/she can collect it.