Police Called to Cai Png Stall As Tourist Only Wanted to Pay After Eating

Most—or I should say all—of us know this: we pay immediately after we ordered our cai png, or any other hawker food.

It’s only in a restaurant that we pay after we’ve eaten.

But a tourist doesn’t get the memo, and it even involved the police.

Police Called to Cai Png Stall As Tourist Only Wanted to Pay After Eating

According to Shin Min Daily News, on 8 September at around noon, a male tourist was accused of refusing to pay for his meal after ordering cai png at a Chinatown Complex Food Centre stall, insisting on eating first before settling the bill.

And even after finishing, he asked for more rice and dishes but still refused to pay upfront, prompting the stall owner to call the police.

An eyewitness saw two police officers speaking to the stall owner.

The stallholder told Shin Min Daily News that a middle-aged man from China had ordered $3.60 worth of rice and dishes but insisted on paying after eating.

“He said back in his hometown, it’s common practice to pay after eating. He even pointed to his shoulder bag, claiming he had money. Since I saw him sitting at a nearby table eating, I decided to let it go for the time being and let him eat first,” he explained.

However, after finishing his meal, the man returned to the stall asking for more rice and dishes.

“I asked him to pay for the initial meal before I gave him more food, but he still refused, saying he had plenty of money. I had never encountered something like this before, so I told him it was affecting my business and that I would call the police,” he continued.

The man then responded by saying he didn’t care if the stallholder called the police, but he soon attempted to leave.

“He seemed to be trying to call the police as well. About five minutes later, he suddenly prepared to leave, but luckily my wife noticed and stopped him. By then, the police had already arrived, and the officers started talking to him.”

After the police mediated the situation, one officer told the stallholder that the man had only just arrived in Singapore that day. The officer took a $10 note from the man’s bag and gave it to the stallholder.

“The police asked if I wanted to continue selling him food, but I didn’t want any more trouble, so I refused and gave him his change,” he added.

The man was later taken away by the police.

Anyways, if you crave for cai png after reading this, you might want to watch this video to the end first: