Diner pissed off to see beer bottles left at halal tray return station at Punggol food court: ‘No brains’
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A Muslim diner was upset to see several empty beer bottles left at a halal tray return station at a food court in Punggol.
Stomper Bella shared photos taken on June 30 at around 5.45pm, showing the four glass bottles laid out on a shelf in Punggol Plaza’s food court.
“I finished my late lunch and proceeded to put my plate at the halal tray return station, but was instead surprised by this,” she recounted.
The Stomper said she was “pissed off” by the incident as returning dishes and cutlery to the right station should be “easy”.
“It just seems rude,” she added.
“Why do some people have no brains and do this? Is having separate halal and non-halal stations just for display purposes to give the Muslim community some assurance?”
Bella also questioned if there should be stricter guidelines for separation of halal and non-halal cutlery, including during the washing process.
She said she tried reporting the incident to the authorities, but did not go through with it after being asked for “supporting photo or video evidence” to assist with investigations.
Bella told Stomp on July 21: “It may not seem like a big issue to others, but it is to the Muslim community.
“My intention of posting on Stomp is to create awareness as I think we should respect one another’s culture and beliefs.”
A need for diners to be more considerate
This is not the first time a Stomper has raised such an issue and called on diners to be more considerate.
In May, a man spotted bowls and utensils used for minced pork noodles at a halal tray return station at Old Airport Road Food Centre.
It is mandatory to return used trays and crockery at hawker centres, coffee shops, and food courts. Those who fail to return trays may receive a written warning, while repeat offenders may face a $300 fine.
While it is not an offence to place non-halal food or crockery on a designated halal tray return rack, doing so is generally discouraged out of respect for the dietary laws and religious practices of others.
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