Alyson Adrianne Rozells wonders where the parents of the children who pulled down the top of mannequin are. Whilst shopping at the Metro Department Store in Causeway Point on 19 October evening, Alyson caught sight of and was annoyed by a group of young boys aged four to six years of age. She recounted: "They took particular interest in the mannequin and started playing around with the arms and legs, and my jaw dropped to see one of the boys lift up the skirt to check out what's underneath, which led the other boys to follow suit. As I was about to reach in my bag to take that picture of them doing that, I heard loud laughter and watched them run down the escalator as quickly as they could. I turned back to the mannequin and realized why. They had mischievously pulled down the tube top of the mannequin to expose her breasts and ran away as fast as they could after doing so. " She continues: " I took the picture of the semi-naked mannequin, informed the security guard whom I believe signaled his colleagues to keep a look-out for these boys and proceeded to do the mannequin a favour by pulling her top up. I just wonder where their parents were and how they could allow their children to misbehave like that in a shopping centre."


The Buzz kiosk at the Singapore Post Centre got an extreme makeover today (Oct 20). The next-generation newsstands, dubbed "buzz pods", boasts more than just a novel eye-catching design. A digital display streams breaking news, headlines and other information throughout the day. On top of that, the pod boasts a Bluetooth zone where anyone within a 50-m radius can download news and information on promotions to their mobile phones for free. Shoppers can also enjoy music from from Radio 91.3 and Radio 100.3. Today's launch was accompanied by much fanfare, with the pod giving away free coffee and coffee mugs. Buzz pods, which are run by Singapore Press Holdings, are all set to mushroom across the island so look out for them!

Janica Chan, 29, an investor, wonders if the West Coast Town Council is trying to cut costs by saving paint. She complained, in an email to STOMP, that although the town council had repainted the external wall of Block 653A Jurong West Street 61 in 2005, "the painters obviously just painted the areas that were visible from view at ground level." She continues, in her email: "They omitted the areas where there are covers, like beneath the sun shelter. The areas outside my room windows are ignored. But the wall adjacent to it was beautifully repainted." Her block is about six years old this year. She had taken the pictures on 17 October. STOMP has contacted the West Coast Town Council. Stay tuned for their reply.

Raman Chandra, 50, bought this copy of a Patek Philippe watch for a mere $18 at a weekend market in Pasir Ris central about a month ago. "I just wanted to tell others that it's not just in Holland Village which sells copy watches. It's sold all over the island!" said Mr Chandra.

Chong Kim Sum, 39, is worried that this drain is becoming a hot zone for breeding mosquitoes. It seems that the drain at Pioneer Sector 1 in Tuas is hardly ever cleaned out. It has been clogged up with dead leaves and some rubbish for several months, according to Mr Chong. He passes by the area daily and took this photo today (20 October) to better illustrate the potential danger zone for other STOMPers. From the east to the west…

Joseph Chan, 47, first sighted this vehicle on Upper Thomson Road two weeks ago. It was the first time that he had seen such a vehicle, and "found it very cute". According to Mr Chan, the vehicle has two front wheels, one back wheel and is maneuvered by a steering wheel. STOMP is also intrigued by this unique vehicle and has enquired with LTA about the vehicle. Check back here for their response.

Lim Kim Koon, 42, was puzzled by the arrow on this sign found in the compounds of the Institute of Mental Health. The arrow on the signage is printed upside down, indicating that the nursing home is "underground, below the IMH compounds?" asked Mr Lim. He first spotted the sign one week ago. According to him, the reverse side of the signage was printed correctly. He had notified the director of IMH about the signage last week. But when he last checked today (20 October), nothing had been done to correct the error.

With the recent death of a maid who fell to her death whilst hanging clothes, one would have thought the issue of safety would be of utmost importance. Not so for this gentleman in the picture. STOMPer Marcus Lee, 33, an associate engineer, spotted him in sitting on the ledge of his kitchen window in Block 737 Yishun near Yishun MRT station wiping his windows on 20 October at 2 pm. Mr Lee commented very succinctly in his email," Very dangerous!" After observing him for a while longer, the gentleman had to stop because of the rain.


Ms Yeun Yik Kwong, a homemaker, who lives in a Jasmine Road residence, is furious. She sent STOMP these photographs, which were taken on 26 September, of parking lots in her neighbourhood being reserved by flowerpots, chairs and even a shopping trolley. A frustrated Ms Yuen had sent a letter of complaint to the LTA earlier, but had yet to get a reply from them about this issue, which she says is a perpetual problem which is worse over weekends. She wonders: "Private residents do not have ownership over the road outside their houses, do they?"

Chua Kok Leong is very amused by this advertisement he saw in one of the newspapers today, 20 October. The non-member price quoted for the purchase of the item was $39, which was lower than that of the member price, which was that of $59! Mr Chua was amused. He quipped, "It's pay not to be a member for this offer."

Jack Low, 27, was tickled pink by this sign at a petrol kiosk in Jalan Bahar. He spotted this sign on Friday (13 October). This is actually a sign for assorted tea, with 'ass' used as a short form. Said Mr Low: "Without explaining, some people will never know."

An excited Debra could not wait to share these pictures of a flowering plant in the grounds of her home with the rest of the STOMPers. She tells STOMP: "This plant has not been seen flowering, ever. And this is the first time anyone has seen it flower! We thought this might be some kind of wonderful phenomenon (kind of like the palms at the Botanic Gardens which flowered earlier this year but only flowers once every 65 years). " We checked with NParks about the plants in the picture and this is their reply: "Ti is a palmlike evergreen shrub with a strong, usually unbranched trunk that can get up to 10 ft (3 m) tall. However, most of us know it as a smaller foliage house plant, before much of a trunk has developed. The leaves are 12-30 in (30-50 cm) long, 4-6 in (10-15 cm) wide and may be glossy green, reddish purple, or marked with various combinations of purple, red, yellow or white. The leaves originate in tufts at the top of the woody stems in mature plants, and more or less along the stems in younger house plants. Mature plants produce yellowish or reddish flowers that are sweetly scented, less than a half inch ( 1.25 cm) across, and clustered in conspicuous 12 in (30 cm) panicles. The fruits are red berries. Ti plant sometimes grows in clumps by suckering from the enlarged tuber-like rhizomes."

Serene Chng is getting more worried as days pass. She had sent in a picture of this abandoned bike in July, and to date, on 20 October, nothing has been done to it. She is concerned as she says "the condition has worsened, and children might do something 'creative' to it such as setting fire or any other thing to the bike. A quick recap: The bike was first found at at the carpark of Block 260 Bukit Batok East Avenue 4.

Much has been seen in the void-decks of HDB flats, which include the likes of parked bicycles and motorcycles. But what Edwin Teo saw at Block 366 Clementi shocked him. A taxicab was parked there. He told STOMP, "It is so dangerous to residents and other road-users in this carpark. It's common to see illegal parking of motorcycles in void decks but a car! Show some consideration please, taxi driver."

This middle-aged man was seen at a secluded part of Punggol showing off a few yoga-like moves in the middle of no man's land, according to Simon Ngam, 30. "He would change positions after 15 to 25 minutes. This headstand pose was the funniest!" said Mr Ngam, who spotted the man near Punggol Marina. The man looked to be in his forties or fifties, according to him.

This worker was spotted working on a top floor unit of Block 277 at Yishun Street 22 on 19 October at 3.30pm by Lam Tay Lim, 56. Mr Lam had observed that the man was doing renovation work on the apartment's sloping roof without any safety harness attached. He has since called the town council to notify them of this accident waiting to happen. However, when he did a check at about 5.00pm, he saw that the worker was still on the roof without a harness of any kind.

Janice Yeo, 47, was at Zhenghua Park, in Bukit Panjang, over the course of 2 weekends, and was shocked to come across this case of the disappearing signboards. The first time she noticed this, one of the signs was already missing; when she returned the following weekend, all the signs had been removed! Janice believes that people might have stolen these aluminium signboards in order to put them up for sale, and she is very concerned. She hopes that this matter will be highlighted, so as to heighten awareness about such daring and inconsiderate behaviour.

This car at the carpark at Seah Im food centre has been left without rims and tyres, as spotted by 31-year old Sean Loh this morning (19 October). Instead, four bricks are in its place to prop up the blue Mazda. Mr Loh passed by the carpark located next to Harbourfront MRT station at about 9am and saw this "strange sight" and wanted to share it with the public. According to him, the car owner had placed about four to five hourly parking coupons on the dashboard, but was not sure if it was placed there today. He said: "I didn't dare to go too near the car, in case passers-by thought I was trying to do something funny." Shaul Hamed, 42, also noticed this car at the Seah Im food centre carpark yesterday (19 October). He has reported the matter to the police. He said: "It's very pitiful for the driver. The place can get quite deserted actually so it's easy for people to steal his tyres." Meanwhile, Sean Loh, who had provided the earlier tip-off, noticed that the car still remained at the lot at about 8pm last night (19 October) since he first noticed the car at 11am the same day.

Clarence Ngian, 28, a communications controller, wonders if his fellow passengers are aware that standing is not allowed on the upper deck of double decker buses. He was perturbed to see this sight while travelling on SBS service 80, going towards Sengkang on 18 October.

Joe Tang, 36, an engineer, was stuck in a jam while on his way to Johor Bahru on 14 October, when he saw an amusing sight. He wonders if this is a ploy "to encourage more cars to travel via the Second Link. Your petrol level just needs to be somewhere close to 3/4 tank full!"

Ping Hao Sam was at Marina Square when this signboard was spotted. Sam then took a picture of it and sent it to STOMP with the following message: "The Art of Living is a furniture section on the 3rd level of Marina Square. Left Pic - Leaving: Signage by Marina Square on the 2nd floor at the same location." Right Pic - Living: Big banner on the 2nd floor at the entrance via Suntec City." We suppose it's either a bad case of mispronunciation, or a case of misspelling. Or is the mall trying to tell us to leave in style?

Mr Choo Chin Nian, 27, a graphic designer, had gone for lunch at a coffeeshop in Keong Saik Road on 19 October at 2 pm, and saw this sign on a wall near his table. He commented in his email to STOMP, "Guess it's much more effective than any other sign."

May and Choy created a buzz at the Singapore Management University yesterday (18 October). They were there to launch the May and Choy 2007 calendar to aid the Lupus Association in Singapore, as well as to raise awareness for the disease which not many know about. Lupus is a disease that affects the immune system and can lead to kidney failure and death. Patients may lead a normal life with proper treatment. The twins have been known for their extensive involvement in both Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to garner more awareness of the disease. Their work is a tribute to their mother who suffers from the disease. The calendar is on sale at the Association.

A car crashed into an overhead bridge early this morning (19 October) at Boon Lay Way. Teo Kim Tiow, 37, was passing by when he saw the car that had slammed into the steps of the overhead bridge. Mr Teo did not see the driver, but saw that the ambulance had already arrived. According to him, the front of the car was badly damaged.


Martin Lim, 38, was slightly alarmed when he saw that the utlitlies room at the multi-storey carpark at Tampines Street 71 was emitting smoke yesterday morning (18 October). The Tampines resident said that there was nobody around except for three cleaners. He later said that it could have been from the fogging carried out at the neighbourhood as "it smelt like that after awhile."

Every time there is a soccer match or an event , residents and visitors to Hougang Stadium get frustrated. Alfred Lim, 28, who stays next to Hougang Stadium, told Stomp why: "The staff at the stadium will use ropes and poles to reserve up to 20 parking lots each time, and a lot of people have no parking space as a result of this." The lots could be reserved for important guests or soccer players, he speculates. He took these pictures on 2 October but only sent them to STOMP on 18 October. He has lodged a complaint to HDB, which in return has taken action by issuing summons to drivers who park illegally due to the lack of parking lots. However, Mr Lim is convinced that this is not the solution to the problem. Instead, the reservation of parking lots should be disallowed and the drivers who park illegally should not be faulted, said Mr Lim.

Abdul Moen, 46, was at Toh Guan Road East early last week when he came across this interesting sight of a bird cage placed on the roof of this bus stop. The bird cage belongs to a shop owner whose shop is located next to this bus stop. According to Mr Abdul, the bird cage is usually placed on the tree next to the bus stop everyday, and seldom on the bus stop.

Ho Pin Yan, 21, an undergraduate, was on his way home on 16 October when he saw this accident at Jalan Jurong Kechil just outside of Signature Park. STOMP checked with the Police, who informed us that thankfully, the driver was safe and no one was conveyed to the hospital.

Ling Kerk Sheen, 33, an IT consultant, is bemused by this sight which he says greets him every time he walks out of Tanah Merah MRT station and sees this long stretch of taxis waiting at the taxi stand for passengers. According to him, this only happens when the American Navy is in Singapore. How does he know this? He says in his email to STOMP: " There are at least 6 to 8 taxis waiting for the shuttle bus to drop off the American soldiers/sailors from Changi Naval base. I walked past the touts who were pestering our American guests, who just want to have an enjoyable night off in this renowned island everyone has heard of. They are first greeted by our white shining Mercedes Citicabs and their drivers dressed smartly with ties. The usual price ranges from $35 to $55, and most of the drivers recommend Clarke Quay as being the most popular place to visit. That reminds me, when I was waiting for a cab at an "imaginary" taxi stand at Boat Quay, the same Citicab drivers were there doing the same thing as well."

Mike Muk, regular STOMP contributor, spotted this child at Toa Payoh MRT Station openly enjoying his cup of steamed sweet corn on 16 Oct at about 5 pm. Mike was surprised that the child was able to waltz through the card scanners without being spotted by an SMRT staff. In his email to STOMP, Mike continues, "I did not make a complaint because my train was arriving."


Gene Xie's growing frustration with the illegal parking situation at the blind corner/junction of Portchester Ave and Bridport Ave in Serangoon Gardens drove her to write this email to STOMP. "This is a favourite spot for such outright illegal parking. The drivers do not seem to have the sense to park a bit further in, to avoid detection or obstructing other drivers turning in. Also, totally no consideration for the poor residents whose houses and driveways are affected. I understand that numerous complaints about such illegal parking at this spot have been lodged. Perhaps the authorities should step up police action to deter, if not stop, such dangerous and inconsiderate acts."


Vanessa Tan had just bought a genuine designer watch after having been placed on the waiting list. Imagine her horror when she later stumbled across a shop at Holland Village and Far East Plaza selling spin-offs of the real McCoy at a fraction of the price. Ms Tan pointed out several flaws in the fakes, but said that it could be easily be mistaken for the genuine watch. In her email to Stomp, Ms Tan expressed anger and shock that imitation goods are still being sold in Singapore. She said: "In a civilised and modern society like Singapore, which has police actively clamping down pirated DVD syndicates and pursuing people who hawk fake Guccis and Pradas along underpasses in Orchard, this is embarrassing. It is an insult to people who value intellectual property and pay a far greater amount for the real thing." She feels that the onus should fall on the customers who purchase these fakes because "if there is no demand, I doubt sellers would sell it.The government should follow Europe's lead and fine people who use and wear fake goods."


You might stumble on the name of the game (it's pronounced chook-ball), but picking up the sport is easy. These youths were at *scape at the Somerset Skate Park today (18 October) for a demonstration on how to play this sport, which has made its first appearance in Singapore. Tchoukball is a new sport that is being introduced at Sport On! – the Singapore Sports Council's (SSC) first sports campaign for youths. The campaign will be launched in early November. Photography contests and youth sports street-style tournaments and a series of sports clinics will be held during this two-month long campaign. Besides tchoukball, the sports clinic will also feature soccer, basketball, inline skating and unconventional ones such as ultimate frisbee. Dr Bervyn Lee, director of the Youth Sport Development division at SSC, said: "Our goal is to progressively increase youth sports participation in school, after school or even during the school holidays. We also aim to cultivate the talented ones towards the sports excellence pathway."

Mr Chang, 53, took this picture a few days ago, but sent it in today (Oct 18), the first day that Singtel users are finally able to send in MMSes to STOMP. This man might as well be taking up two seats because he's obstructing the other seat anyway, pointed out Mr Chang. Other commuters on the train could not have the seat next to this man as he was dozing off and nobody wanted to wake him up.

Ivan Siew, 24, was shocked at the sight that greeted him when he got to this bus stop along Clementi Road, at 730am today. Broken glass fragments littered almost the entire area, posing a hazard to those waiting there. Ivan wonders how the glass panel actually shattered, and if it could perhaps be an act of vandalism?

Philip Lim sent us these pictures of a "3rd World scenario" at a coffee shop in Hougang Green Shopping Centre. He notes that there are no alternative steps one can use to enter this coffee shop, which is crowded every morning. " These makeshift steps are very dangerous to old folks. They are made of rotten planks of wood which sag under my weight, and steel wires with sharp ends which would definitely pierce anybody who falls onto them. Most people would rather take the earth slope next to it...The situation gets worse when it rains as the slope gets slippery and the wooden steps sag even more." Philip has already tried complaining to the Town Council, but they have been unable to resolve the matter, as the steps belong to a private property. Philip wonders if anything will be done by the relevant authorities, before any one unwittingly becomes a victim of this hazard?


Edmund Yeo, 38, was passing by Jelapang Road when he came across two manholes next to Block 507 which were left wide open. He is concerned that it could be dangerous for children, now so especially as it is the school holidays. Mr Yeo said: "There were no workers working on the manholes nearby so I don't know why it was left wide open like that."

A taxi crashed into a road divider and a road sign at the junction of Hougang Avenue 10 and Avenue 3 yesterday morning (Oct 18). Johnny Quek, 40, was passing by when he saw the aftermath of the accident. He said that the driver was not injured, but looked to be in a daze.

Zunaidi Jalil, 33, walked into the male toilet at Millenia Walk yesterday (18 October) only to come face to face with a female cleaner emerging from one of the cubicles, mopping the floor. Mr Jalil said that there were no signs indicating that a female cleaner would be cleaning the washroom at that time. Other men who were in the washroom were equally surprised, throwing her "weird looks", according to Mr Jalil.

A fire broke out on a garbage truck yesterday (18 October) at about 1.15pm at the junction of Pioneer Road and Tuas Avenue 8. Darren Chow, 39, was in the vicinity when he saw the driver of the truck dump the burning rubbish onto the road. The fire continued on the road awhile more before the SCDF arrived to extinguish the fire.

8 October 2006 - Mandylyn Bow, 21 was appalled at this man's crass behaviour as he shamelessly propped his legs up in the middle of the movie theatre at Tiong Bahru GV.  He appeared to be in his mid-twenties and his group of friends were also quite rowdy. "A couple had actually walked up to the row to take a seat, took one look at him, and decided to sit themselves a few rows in front instead," said Mandylyn with disapproval, "such Singaporeans are a disgrace!"
Join the discussion in TalkBack »

Evidently, nobody seems to be heeding the message on this sign. "It's so ironic that this overflowing rubbish bin has to be right next to this sign", said Ivan Yong who sent us this tip-off. The 30-year old sales supervisor was at the bus stop in front of Parkway Parade shopping centre yesterday morning (16 October) when he saw that there was litter strewn all around an full rubbish bin. Although he finds the picture quite funny, he raisees his concern about the cleanliness of the environment, and said that there is litter all around the bus stop almost everyday.

This sign along Pasir Ris Drive 12 has confused Han Liang Shin. The date reads 28 September, and the corresponding day stated is a Saturday. However, when the 34-year old teacher checked the calendar, the 28 September was a Thursday instead. "How does anyone provide information if the correct information isn't given?" he pointed out.



James Liauw was leaving the main building of St. Andrew's Community Hospital just past midday Oct 13 when he witnessed a scene which “really disturbed” him. He wrote: “A cab (on call) drove in to pick up an old gentleman in a wheelchair together with an old lady and a maid. Not only did the cab driver not assist the maid in helping the old man to board his taxi, he seemed very uncomfortable in having these three passengers. I felt very sorry for the maid who was struggling to help the old man and all the driver did was to stand there and watch!” James wondered why the driver bothered responding to a call for a cab from the hospital since he seemed so unwilling to serve these passengers. He added: “Despite all the publicity and awards, customer service by cab drivers certainly has not improved.” ComfortDelgro has replied STOMP's queries stating that the driver did indeed get out of his car, indicating that he did have the intention to help. The driver states that he did try to help but the maid had already helped the elderly gentleman into the taxi by the time he got out. He later offered to help her with the wheelchair but she declined. The driver has been an employee of ComfortDelgro since 1992 and has a flawless record. ComfortDelgro management has reminded him to be more helpful in the future. How would you rate the service standards of cab drivers in Singapore? Tell us in TalkBack »

What you see above is an ugly scratch on the rear window of the car belonging to Mrs Leong, a 40-year-old executive. She was on her way to Orchard Road on 5 October, and she was about to turn into Cairnhill Road when she noticed a lady in her 40s and driving an old model Mercedes Benz trying to cut into the short queue. Mrs Leong then signalled to the driver that she should not do that. Unhappy, the lady got down from her car and motioned to Mrs Leong to wind down her window, who then did, and Mrs Leong then explained to the driver that it was not right of her to do what she did. The driver then mumbled an apology reluctantly, and Mrs Leong, who was in a hurry, then wound her window up. According to her, the driver continued to mumble something, then to her horror, and suddenly smashed her fist into the left side window of her car. In a state of shock, Mrs Leong then got down from her car to speak to her, who hurriedly left the scene before she could get hold of her. The result of this? An ugly scratch which Mrs Leong supposes was caused by a ring or hard object. Flustered, she did not take down the licence plate of the driver, but says she is able to recognise her once she sees the driver on the road again. Join the discussion in TalkBack »

Aran Teo received a killer glare from the tutor when he took this picture of this lady and her charge at a fastfood outlet in Admiralty MRT station on 15 October at 4.19 pm. Aran describes the scene in his email to STOMP: "It was a crowded restaurant. The lady even separated two tables for her convenience, obstructing the passageway with the other table. Why do these people think it's fine and okay to treat a fast-food restaurant as their tuition centre? The lady even glared at me as I looked at them. Sigh."

Martin Lim, 38, was travelling along the West Coast highway at Pasir Panjang on 16 October morning when he saw this truck zipping down the highway. He estimates that the driver was going at about 100km/h as he was travelling at around the same speed. Mr Lim points out that the extreme right lane on which the lorry was travelling on is only meant for overtaking and cars travelling at high speeds, not heavy vehicles like this one.

This taxi driver had his earphones plugged into music so loud that his passenger, 32-year old Kave Goh could listen in as well! Mr Goh took the taxi this morning (16 October) and thanked his lucky stars that no accidents came his way. He said: "He could have been distracted easily with the music so loud. If somebody horns at him, he wouldn't be able to hear it! Safety is the most important issue here."

The shutters were shut, but smoke was creeping out of this medical hall at Block 102 Hougang Avenue 1 on 15 October at 8 pm. This caused passers-by to get worried, and one of them called the SCDF who arrived at the scene at about 8.15pm. According to 25-year old Eunice Hong, an eyewitness, the SCDF officers were forced to cut a triangle on the shutters to get into the location. The shop had been closed since 6pm and the shopowner was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, there was no fire. The excessive smoke that creeped out of the shop shutters was caused by unattended cooking.

A fire had occurred at a health food shop at Farmart Centre at Sungei Tengah on 15 October afternoon. Quick-thinking shopowners and neighbours quickly attempted to put out the fire using fire extinguishers and water hoses before the SCDF arrived at about 3.15pm. Albert Lim, 27, was passing by and saw the damage left behind by the flames. He said: "The glass door was shattered and a lot of the goods inside were damaged too." An SCDF media officer revealed that the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Only the office area of the shop was affected by the fire. The rest of the shop was damaged due to the heat and smoke.

A flat at Blk 136 Bedok North Avenue 3 was caught in flames on Saturday (14 October). Jefferson Khoo, 18, was on his way home after a basketball match with his friends when he caught sight of the unit on the second floor ablaze past 7pm. By then, the SCDF had arrived and were extinguishing the fire, according to Mr Khoo. The SCDF had arrived around 7.05pm and the fire was put out the fire that was caused by an overheated dryer in the affected unit, which was a beauty and spa centre.

Lynn Abu, 24, and her fiance had to wait for more than half an hour for the driver of this car who had parked illegally in the motorbike lots at Block 681 Hougang Avenue 4 on 14 October. This, despite many available parking lots for cars in the carpark. Honking and waiting did not help matters ¨The driver was nowhere to be found. The couple had no choice but to leave separately as Ms Abu was feeling unwell. Her fiance was forced to ride on the pavement to get out, as he was already late for work. A frustrated Ms Abu said: "I don't understand why he has to park there when he there were so many other spaces available! It's the only way that bikers can park and he's taking up the space meant for them."


Imagine stepping into a lift and hurriedly pressing the button of your floor you want to get to, only to find your fingers smeared in spit. Thankfully, Jo Wan Chee Keong, 31, an engineer, saw the spit on the buttons before he pressed the button to get to his floor. He had been on his way home at Block 486 Admiralty Link at 6 pm when he noticed the spit marks. He says this is not the first time something like this has happened in the block where he lives. After making this disgusting find, Jo went upstairs and recounted what he saw to his family, who then informed him that they had seen cleaners wiping off the spit earlier at about 5.30pm. Jo suspects it must have been the same culprit who did this again. He comments, in his email to STOMP: " I really cannot understand why would someone be so inconsiderate as to spit on the buttons of the lift car. Has the vandal not gone through any form of education? Obviously he/she does not think of other users. This is not the 1st time it happened."


Ant Tee was passing by a carpark in the JTC compound at Pioneer Road North on 14 October when this interesting vehicle caught his attention. It was a "truck with car parts". Curious, he went to take a closer look and discovered this was a makeshift car workshop. He quipped in his email to STOMP, "Well, rental saved!"

Mike Muk wonders if parking wardens will react when they see a toy car being parked in the lots meant for bicycles. He was walking past Block 816, Yishun Street 81 on 13 October and spotted this toy car secured with 'a lock and chain'. He muses," Is this illegal parking?"

Lillian Ng , 40, has been bothered about the worsening haze over the weekend. This latest MMS that she sent is of a view of Fullerton Hotel from the Esplanade at about 1pm today (16 October). She said: "It's not good for the children and elderly folk if they go out." The PSI reading as at 3pm stands at 127, and is in the 'unhealthy' range. Ms Ng had also sent other MMSes over the weekend from various locations. Check out these and the latest picture updates of the haze from other STOMPers in Snapshots. What do you think of this? Tell us in TalkBack »

Poor Mrs Amy Leong. She was at Parkway Parade Shopping Centre on 13 October in the afternoon , and had done her grocery shopping there. After paying for her load of groceries worth $47.10, she proceeded to the taxi stand in front of the shopping centre and at 5.03 pm, managed to hail a cab from NTUC Comfort. The taxi driver got down from the vehicle, and helped her to load her groceries. Mrs Leong then went to return the empty trolley to the trolley bay, which was situated at the other end of the taxi stand. To her horror and distress, when she turned around to look for her cab, it was gone; the driver had driven off without her, and with her load of groceries in the boot. Upset, she did not take down the licence plate of the vehicle. She then reported the case to the security officer of the shopping centre, as well as lodge a report with the cab company. She says, in her email to STOMP, "I was in a stage of shock that such a thing could happen in Singapore. Over the weekend, I waited patiently and hopefully that the taxi driver would return my groceries to me - even though I know by then, thebutter would have melted and the fruits would have turned bad..... but there was not a single call from NTUC Comfort at all. My point of sharing this with you is to let the public know there is an irresponsible taxi driver who maybe preying on all the "aunties" of their groceries shopping and we must all be on the alert to put a stop to this act. Actually, I am still recovering from all that have happened and am coming terms with it." To date, when STOMP checked with Mrs Leong, she says she still has not received a call from the cab company, nor has she gotten her groceries back. Ms Tammy Tan, Group Corporate Communications Officer emailed a response to STOMP after we did a check with her. This is her response: "We received a complaint from the passenger on 13 October. Unfortunately, she was not able to provide us with a taxi number. We tried to trace the taxi through satellite tracking and even checked with Parkway Parade to see if they could assist with any CCTV recordings. They have none. We are now trying to see if the passenger can remember what the cabby looked like to assist in our investigations. We strongly urge customers to not leave the taxi with their belongings still in the car. If drivers are found guilty of deliberately trying to cheat passengers by running off with their belongings, serious action will be taken against them, including the possibility of terminating their agreement. Sometimes however, taxi drivers are unaware that passengers have yet to collect their belongings and drive off none the wiser. We will continue to do what we can to help Mrs Leong and wish to apologise for her unpleasant encounter."

Mr Ng posed this question to STOMP after seeing this car on the road on 14 October. He asked if car owners are allowed to cover their brakelights with "black stuff", as seen in the picture. He wonders if "this is allowed, and if Singaporean drivers are aware of the traffic rules and if they are breaking them." Naleeza Ebrahim, LTA spokesperson, responded to our query. She says: "We do require all lamps, such as, head lamps, stop lamps, signal lamps, etc., of vehicles registered for use in Singapore, to comply with internationally recognised standards like those adopted by European Union countries, Japan and USA. This is to ensure that the light emitted from such lamps is adequate for the purpose of illumination and/or indicating the driver's intention. Therefore, the tinting or masking of vehicle lamps is not allowed as this may adversely affect their performance. As part of our public education on vehicle modifications, we have posted a set of modification guidelines on the ONE.MOTORING website at www.onemotoring.com.sg. Owners who wish to modify their vehicles are advised to refer to this website. In view of the feedback, we will write to the registered owner of the car to remind the individual of our lighting requirements and advise on the restoration of the rear lamps to their original condition."

All 54-year old Prem wanted was a peaceful way to spend his Sunday morning. But the workers cutting grass at his neighbourhood in Bedok Reservoir View had other plans. At about 9.45am yesterday (15 October), the loud noise from the grass-cutting machine frustrated Prem, who called the town council to clarify if these workers ought to be working on a Sunday. The grass-cutting came to a halt shortly after he made the call.

The tops of these sheltered walkways are not meant for playing! Tok Woon Boon was worried when he saw these children merrily playing on top of the covered walkways at Block 577 Woodlands Drive 16 on 16 October. He says,"HDB has built sheltered walkways for the convenience of residents. Unfortunately, it has become a playground for some." With the school holidays just around the corner, STOMP really hopes no mishap will befall these children.

This sign with a glaring spelling error caught the eye of Teo Xu, who spotted it at Marina Square on 15 October. The correct spelling should be "Millenia Walk".

Harold Gan, 35, was caught in a massive traffic jam yesterday that spanned almost the entire length of Orchard Road yesterday afternoon (15 October). Mr Gan had entered Orchard Road from Scotts Road, and said that traffic was held up all the way from Tanglin Road to Paragon Shopping Centre, where he had snapped this shot from. The left lane had been closed probably to facilitate workers who were preparing for the Christmas light-up, according to Mr Gan. Buses were unable to use the left lane and had to cut into the middle lane after dropping off passengers at each bus stop.


Clancy Hong is worried. She saw this temporary footpath between Block 150 and 149A at Pasir Ris Street 13, where a covered linkway is to be constructed by the first quarter of 2007, and frets that the "stairs are not built properly". She also complained that the path felt "unsteady" when she walked on it. She commented, in her email to STOMP: "I think it will be a hazard to the elderly or anyone who is using at night or on a raining day. They should change the design and the surface of the path." STOMP checked the matter with Pasir Ris- Punggol Town Council, and Alicia Koh, spokesperson, clarified that the existing footpath, which is near the one in the picture, has not yet been hoarded up, and pedestrians can safely use that one. The pathway in the picture is still under construction.

Alyson Rozells was waiting for a friend in Block 839 Yishun Street 81 on 13 October, and she was bemused when she saw this wheelchair secured to the railings at a stairway in the block. She commented, in her email to STOMP: "I'm used to seeing bicycles chained downstairs but never a wheelchair!Isn't it strange that a wheelchair is parked downstairs? I'm assuming that the owner either has no place in his/her house for a collapsible wheelchair or he/she came home, parked it downstairs (like a bicycle) and went home. Perhaps with Singapore being an ageing society, HDB blocks should start having wheelchair parking too?"

A newly refurbished walkway at Geylang Lorong 14 has been damaged, just weeks after it was completed. Residents had complained to the town council about the prostitutes milling around on the walkway everyday. The situation would get worse on weekends, according to Jason Wong, 43, who sent us this tip-off. This is after more than two years of negotiation between the estate management of Wing Fong Court condominium, its residents and their MP. The negotiations did pay off. The authorities began work to broaden the plant-box on the walkway, and narrowing the pathway. This was done to deter prostitutes from soliciting on the pathway. According to Mr Wong, the method was effective – while it lasted. The wooden poles and string used to cordon off the plantbox from the walkway has been damaged. Prostitutes have also taken to standing on the plants and the roads to solicit. "It was probably done by these ladies as well as other passers-by who like to leave their garbage around this area," said Mr Wong. He added: "It was good that the government did something about it by adding flowers and everything. But it could be made more effective if they put up a metal fencing to deter the prostitutes from hanging around here."


Japaw Zheng is puzzled by this driver's actions. He emailed STOMP this message: " I saw this car parked right at the junction of Charlton Lane for more than an hour this afternoon, causing obstruction to turning traffic. Its windscreen has 2 labels - one showing Singapore Police Force and the other showing Traffic Police. Attached are some pictures I took with my mobile phone at around 1pm. The car registration no. is SFD42L. I left the area around 215pm and the car was still parked there. There are ample space around the areas so I don't understand why it has to be parked in this manner. I am sure other motorists who parked like this would have been booked!" So Mr Driver, what happened?

Cheresa Ng was crossing the road at The Heeren, heading towards Orchard Emerald, when she came across this bundled up mess. She wrote: "I thought it was a pile of rubber hose on the floor. I took a second look only to find out it's actually a tiny SNAKE! Looks like a boa constrictor. A tiny boa constrictor in the middle of Orchard!!!" Cheresa said no one really noticed the dead snake until she whipped out her camera phone to take a picture of it. The 17-year-old student figured it must have been crawling across the road when it got run over, but her father thought it had been put there by someone because it was all coiled up in a pile.
14-year-old Joshua Tan alerted STOMP to this playground, located between Blk 215 and Blk 220 in Bishan Street 23, that looks pretty normal from the outside. "But if you enter and look closely," wrote Joshua, "you will see very disturbing words." Joshua is upset that these vandals choose to vent their anger this way and urges parents not to bring their kids to this playground.
Carly's company has been receiving faxes announcing the death of someone they don't know and advertising funeral wreaths and blankets. They have no dealings with the company. "How could such companies do such things - the Chinese consider it BAD LUCK! Especially when it comes in through your company's fax in the morning when you have not even started business," she complained.