Unreasonable newspaper readers fail to follow delivery instructions, blame carriers

A man reads a newspaper on a tres arts & crafts bench. Photo: Roman Kraft
A man reads a newspaper on a tres arts & crafts bench. Photo: Roman Kraft

As Singaporeans gradually adjust to “circuit-breaker” containment measures, some things will never change—like our sense of entitlement.

Some newspaper subscribers who didn’t get their papers because they failed to leave their mailboxes open as requested had the salt to demand personal re-delivery, the vendor’s daughter wrote in a Facebook rant. 

“Today I see how self entitled some people are. It is simply impossible to redeliver to everyone whenever you call; one calls at 7am one calls at 9am, do we just sit and wait for everyone to wake up and realise they have no papers and deliver to them?” the post by Facebook user Con Amor Valerie read. 

My dad works in the newspaper vendor industry. Today, many of our foreign workers were quarantined and not allowed to…

Posted by Con Amor Valerie on Monday, 6 April 2020

 

Newspaper subscribers were told Monday to leave the flaps of their mailboxes open so their papers could be stuffed there instead of being delivered to their doorsteps. The measures were meant to save time and resources due to a labor shortage brought on by the quarantine of many foreign workers, according to Valerie.

Those who failed to leave their mailboxes open were unable to receive the newspapers, according to Valerie. Little did she expect those people would call her father multiple times, demanding carriers turn back with the papers, some insisting that she—who is helping her father deliver during this tough period—personally deliver them to their doorsteps. 

“During this pandemic we still face many selfish and not understanding people. It’s not our fault that you did not see the note that newspapers would be delivered via mailbox. It was on the papers for days,” Valerie said. 

This means that subscribers living in public housing flats would have to collect their papers from their ground-floor letterboxes.

She said a little appreciation wouldn’t hurt anyone.

“We woke up at wee hours in the morning (even in the rain, like today) to deliver the newspapers for you, and we have many blocks and estates to deliver [the] newspaper[s] to, so please be appreciative and kind,” she added. 

Letterboxes, some with flaps opened, at Cantonment Close. Photo: Kelman Chiang/Nus.edu.sg
Letterboxes, some with flaps opened, at Cantonment Close. Photo: Kelman Chiang/Nus.edu.sg

Facebook user Ck Chai, one of the newspaper subscribers who waited patiently for her delivery, thanked Valerie for shedding light on the situation.

“Heard about this on radio… yesterday was [the] 1st day and the newspaper wasn’t here by 8am VS. usual delivery time of 6am+. I told my mom maybe the changes in the operation results in some delay so we shall wait till noon time if still don’t have then call SPH to check… next check 9am+, the newspaper is finally in… thanks for sharing so that we have better idea what’s going on,” she said.

Others including Singaporean blogger, Lee Kin Mun, famously known as Mr Brown, reacted to the post with an appeal for people to be kinder amid this stressful time. 

“Come on, people. Be kind. And don’t act like entitled jerks. #circuitbreaker,” his tweet read, including a screenshot of Valerie’s post. 

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S’pore mother of COVID-19 patient shares painful ordeal in message to whingeing parents
NTUC Foodfare ‘investigating’ workers who barefisted face masks
MP put on blast for saying ‘it takes a virus’ to clear field of foreign workers
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