'You don't have money?' Chinatown stall owners taunt man who touched peaches without paying, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
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'You don't have money?' Chinatown stall owners taunt man who touched peaches without paying

This article is more than 12 months old

A pair of grocery stall owners and a customer got into a kerfuffle in Chinatown earlier this week after the latter allegedly refused to pay for fruit that he had touched. 

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, an eyewitness named Wu, said he heard a loud quarrel coming from the stall near People's Park Centre on Monday (Jan 9) evening.

Wu, 55, said a female stall owner told the customer he had to pay for some peaches that he had touched, to which the customer refused.

Upset, the stall owner called her husband for assistance. Wu said the man then picked up a broom and waved it at the customer, while taunting “you don't have money?"

Throughout the dispute, which turned into a “shouting-match”, several passers-by tried to persuade the customer to pay for the fruit and settle the matter, said Wu. But the man did not relent.

"After seeing the two parties become more hostile [towards each other], I called the police," he said.

Another stall owner, who declined to be named, said the customer had 'triggered' the grocery stall owner.

"From my perspective, it's fine if the customer touches the peaches and refuses to buy them," he said. "But he angered the stall owner by throwing them on the ground."

The argument went on for around 30 minutes, the unnamed eyewitness said, adding that the police arrived at the scene and left after mediation.

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