Singapore woman fed up with shoppers who ‘chope supermarket queues with their baskets'

Independent Singapore

6 days ago

SINGAPORE: One Singaporean woman has had enough of a frustrating supermarket habit that some shoppers seem to think is perfectly acceptable: using a basket to 'chope' (reserve) a spot in the checkout line.
In a post on the r/askSingapore forum, the woman shared that this behaviour has 'annoyed' her for a very long time.
'Every once in a while, you will see inconsiderate people putting their half-filled basket in the middle of the queue and going elsewhere. When it affects me, i.e., I have to queue with a chopped basket; I will always push the basket aside far away from the queue,' she wrote on Thursday (July 24).
'I use my feet too, as I'm too lazy to bend down and use my hands for these inconsiderate people.'
She added that she has already got into an argument and a stare-down over her refusal to tolerate the practice. 'I can accept tables being chopped, but not queues when you are holding it up and nowhere to be seen,' she said.
She also asked fellow Singaporeans what they would do if someone left a basket in the queue and walked away. 'Avoid touching the basket, just walk around it.'
In the comments, one individual shared that their response would largely depend on the attitude of the shopper.
They felt that if the person was polite and took the time to inform the person behind them that they were stepping away briefly, it would still be 'acceptable.'
However, if the shopper walked off without a word and came across as 'entitled,' they would simply ignore the basket and move ahead in the queue.
Others also chimed in to express their frustration, agreeing that the practice of 'choping' queue spots with baskets was indeed inconsiderate.
One even described it as a 'selfish and backwards culture that needs to be removed.'
Another commented, 'Yes, I know exactly what you mean—the world is full of little selfish gestures that chip away at whatever faith you have left in people. Avoid touching the basket, just walk around it.'
Despite the support the woman received, some commenters took issue with how she handled the situation, particularly her choice to kick the baskets aside.
'I believe the basket-queue'rs are trying to maximise their use of time. While it may not be acceptable, I feel there is no personal ill feelings towards you, so kicking them may not necessarily do any good,' one commenter said.
Another agreed, writing, 'Exactly! Why do you have to kick the basket? That's just uncalled for. Shift it with your hands, step over it, and step around it. So many ways and yet you chose to kick it…'
In other news, an employer was slammed online for limiting her domestic helper's phone use to only two hours a day, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. and asking whether she should keep the device after that time.
Posting anonymously in the 'Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid / Domestic helper' Facebook group on Tuesday (Jul 22), the employer wrote, 'As agreed with helper, she can only use the phone between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. at night.
'Should I keep her phone with me after 11 p.m., or should I request her to put the phone in the living room after 11 p.m.? Thanks! If I keep her phone, she will only be able to get it from me after 9 p.m. and use (it) for two hours.'
Read more: Employer slammed for restricting helper's phone use to just 2 hours a day