At lunchtimes in the central business district (CBD) and elsewhere you will see packets of tissues on all of the tables. The message carried by the tissue packet is: "This seat is taken". You may ask yourself why anyone would respond to this informal "reserved" sign but people do. Sometimes, of course, a visitor or new resident will not understand the significance of the paper hankies and take the place regardless, but this is relatively unusual.
That said, the practice does not meet with universal approval in the minds of Singaporeans. In fact, a group of undergraduates has taken on the mission of this informal reservation system. A month or so ago seven students doled out thousands of packets of tissues in a Chinatown food centre. They were scrawled with the words: 'This seat is not taken, it's yours!' The students are hoping to encourage patrons to tell others that the seat is occupied, rather than have diners face the tissues. There is a letter in the paper today entitled "The chope-ing vigilante", written by one Rick Lim Say Kiong who has taken the decision to remove and throw away any packs of tissues that he finds at hawker stalls. The wonderfully named Singapore Kindness Movement (check out their website at http://www.singaporekindness.org.sg/), which aims to encourage Singaporeans to make a positive commitment to gracious living through simple acts of kindness in their daily lives has also thrown its weight behind the campaign, so who knows - one day we may see an end to this nefarious practice!
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