Stomper reads anonymous note about P6 boy’s ‘lift etiquette’ — then realises it’s about his son
A father initially felt embarrassed after realising that an anonymous note posted at the lift lobby of his Toa Payoh block was about his son’s behaviour.
But after reading the note more closely, he became concerned by just how much its author appeared to know about the Primary 6 pupil.
Stomper JS said he initially did not pay much attention to the note he came across on July 15, but started reading it while waiting for the lift.
The note was addressed to the family of a primary school pupil who takes the lift from the 23rd floor of the block at around 7.20am on weekdays.
It went on to describe the boy’s school uniform, “oversized school bag with a small dangling toy”, and how he “often appears sleepy with slightly uncombed hair in the mornings”.
The writer asked the boy’s family to remind him not to stand directly in front of the lift doors after boarding.
“On several occasions, he has remained at the doorway instead of moving further into the lift, blocking access and making it difficult for residents to enter or exit,” the note read.
It also asked the family to encourage him to move further into the lift, keep his bag close to him and be mindful of others.
“We hope he can develop good lift etiquette, spatial awareness, and consideration for other residents,” the writer added.
“We appreciate it if this repeated issue can be addressed.”
JS soon realised the boy being described was his youngest son, who has lived in the block since birth.
“At first, I felt embarrassed by my son’s behaviour of blocking the lift,” he told Stomp.
But after thinking about it further, he said he became uncomfortable with the amount of detail included in the note.
He showed it to his son, who acknowledged that he was wrong to block the lift entrance.
However, the boy said no one had previously asked him to move further inside.
“He knows he is wrong by blocking others in the lift, but he said no one has ever told him not to block the lift and move to the back before,” said the Stomper.
JS added that his son was frightened by how specifically he had been described.
“What happened to a simple request to my son by saying, ‘Excuse me, boy, please don’t block the lift and move to the back’?” he asked.
The father acknowledged that his son needed to be more considerate, but questioned whether posting such a detailed public note was necessary.
“It is quite common for a young boy waking up early in the morning to still feel sleepy and blur, and not do the right thing,” he said.
“But is blocking the lift really that serious that my neighbour has to go all the way to terrify my son?”
Should father respond?
Unsure how to respond, JS initially turned to artificial intelligence (AI) for advice.
An AI chatbot offered some possible responses, ranging from a polite but pointed reply to a more confrontational one.
JS is now considering printing his own response and putting it up at the lift lobby, and wants to know what Stomp readers think.
Should he respond to the anonymous note — and if so, what should he say?
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