Will you clear the foods tray at the Hawker Centre or Foods Court ?

[huatman]

When I go food court, fast food restaurant or any place for meal, beside hoping to get a seat, I also hope that the table and surround is not in a mess. Some people can eat till whole table super messy with bones, tissues etc scattered across whole table and even dropped them on floor. Don't think anyone (or at least most of us) will like the sight of it.
So I also don't create mess for others. If there a collection point nearby, just bring it over or to the nearest cleaner. Or at least clear any mess or stack plates/bowls properly.

btw, previously there a thread on this topic? Still remember that phase of *A relative told me: "don't do that, you are depriving old uncles and aunties work."*

Something similar, one of friend jokingly said "Don't litter then cleaner nothing to do" .... :bigeyes:

 

[Lawrence Quek]

actually i think even if we clear our own plates and tray, someone still need to wipe the table. i dun think any cost is save.

imagine each cleaner still have to wipe the table after you clear the plates. isnt it the same if the cleaner clear yr plates and wipe table at the same time?

 

[Prismatic]

I think we should really put the cleaners, rent and whether-the-foodcourt-are-designed-for-it stuff out of the picture. Clearing the table should be about your own personal civic-mindedness. Even when the auntie/uncle comes clear the table, how many people actually bothers to say thank you? Worse still, there are people who clear their table by leaving the dirty dishes on other tables even when there are people eating at the table. Really wth.

 

[Sion]

actually i think even if we clear our own plates and tray, someone still need to wipe the table. i dun think any cost is save.

imagine each cleaner still have to wipe the table after you clear the plates. isnt it the same if the cleaner clear yr plates and wipe table at the same time?

They should provide us the collapsible tables.

Just stack up the dirty tables and give us a clean one everytime someone soils it.

Then cleaning aunties and uncles can clean the stack of tables and the plates and bowls etc.

:bsmilie:

 

[Andreq]

Yes, I definitely will clear my own tray, especially if there are designated "return tray" stations. Wherever possible, I also try to throw my own trash after eating in McDonald's and Subway.

Contrary to what some may think, do not expect cheaper foods just because you are helping to clear the trays. Do it out of your own goodwill. Not everything must always be measured by money.

Foods in hawker centres cost more these days (based on the little meat/ingredients they often give us) is due to the high rent, which is of course due to inflation and high cost of living here. There is no basis to expect cheaper foods just because we are clearing the trays for the staff.

And clearing the trays do not mean you are depriving the aunties and uncles of their jobs. They are still involved in clearing and cleaning the trays, plates and utensils.

Your act of clearing the tray has several advantages:

1. It makes the jobs of the cleaners a lot more efficient. They spend less time going from table to table (a tough laborious job) and can concentrate on just the cleaning part. Don't think this is an easy one. Try cleaning dirty utensils and plates during peak periods and you will know.

2. It keeps the tables clean so that the next customer(s) can quickly sit down without having to wait for the cleaners to come by. Have any of you encountered tables so dirty during peak periods that you see curry gravy on the table, fish bones, tissue paper floating in unfinished soup bowls, etc? It's a yucky sight. And have you seen pigeons and other birds eat the leftover foods on the table? It's simply unhygienic.

Once you get into the habit of clearing your own trays, it becomes automatic. You don't question the act. We got hands and legs. It's just a short walk away to the Tray Return station or rubbish bins.

I guess I have traveled enough overseas to appreciate this act. Many 1st world countries' cultures include this practice. Singapore is starting very slowly with little improvement. Sometimes, there are large stickers pasted on the tables to remind customers to return their own trays. But I’ve encountered several times dirty plates and food splattered all over the table.

 

[Zeisser]

A relative told me: "don't do that, you are depriving old uncles and aunties work."

Agree. They always promote seniors should continue working if able yet on other hand
encourage such menial task for the young to do this is crap.I never return trays after meals.

 

[BBTM]

Once they don't have old people clearing the tables, they will says table need cleaner n foreigners will take over as they dont mind low paid. Then this campaign of returning own tray/plate will be forgotten and so does the citizen. Give up hopes on this country already.

 

[PhilipKr35]

I would return after meal, because it is more productive than for the cleaners to clear, it's right thing to do, it's I who leave a mess if I don't return, it's service to the society, it takes less than 1-2 minutes, the wage contractor pay is too low for these aunties n uncles, they also do not have a rest place to eat their meal, it's time to stop abusing them.

 

[EisMann]

Or the next stage is that your own children will tell you to go clearing tables in food courts to get some money, instead of they supporting you... They learned their lesson from the parents.

I make or encourage my children to clear the table after eating whether at home or outside.

Unfortunately I may not able to train my children to do it as a good habit because my wife is one of those "don't do that, you are depriving old uncles and aunties work."
and I maybe leaving Singapore for work.

EisMann

 

[donut88]

I wan to laugh at some of the anti social replies.

We want to claim first world country status

We have the highest literacy rate in SEA. Who in this forum doesn't have a diploma and above?

We want to look modern and savvy with nice gadgets on hand

We want to talk intellectual

But our anti social behavior betray us. It shows the rotten character of ourselves. Outside only look good.

We can't even clear our own tray.

All the excuses of cleaner got no jobs, high prices are all BS.

The job of those cleaners is NOT to clear tray. Their job is to wash and return the clean ones back to the proper places, with the bowls and plates.

Those cleaners will still have jobs to do. Don't worry abt them. We should worry abt our anti social, third world mindset. In reality, we are.just hypocrites.

Our govt knows this problem of ours and this is the reason why they have to impose all kinds of fines. No fine, we won't listen to govt.

U call this first world highly educated country?

 

[Bukitimah]

It is not about old folks cleaning tables but tables need to be wipe for hygiene purpose. Even fast food rest clean their tables. Clearing your trays are just a small part but the place must be designed with such facility.

If you go the Gem I Jurong and visit Toast. There is this old lady clearing trays and wiping tables. She is so cheerful and does a great job. Why can't our hawker centre be like that? I am sure the rent there are so much more than many hawker centres.

Having said all these, the cleaning standard at Market st hawker centre has improved. Someone responsible must be reading our threads here. Good work!

 

[Sion]

If you go the Gem I Jurong and visit Toast. There is this old lady clearing trays and wiping tables. She is so cheerful and does a great job.

I hope you can be as cheerful as her clearing trays and wiping tables when you are old.

Trust me it's no fun job as I've been doing it for the last 3 years.

 

[junction88]

For fast foods like KFC, McDonald, Subway, IKEA. etc, etc. Culturally, majority of peoples are already doing it to return the trays. Fast foods are less messy, restaurant environment are clean, tables & chairs are clean, cleaner are trained, places are also small as compared with hawkers centre, so the cleaner does not need to run about unlike the hawker centre. At IKEA, if you do not clear your tray I think peoples will stare at you or gossip behind you if you do not do it.

The cleaners are often the cashier or front counter who take your order, these people are of different caliber as compare with senior uncles/aunty cleaner at the hawker center.

Food court & kopitiam are smaller in term the size as compare with hawker centre. Their cleaner tend to be younger and better trained. Kopitiam cleaner also double-up as order taker. In fact, I seldom see any notice to encourage customer to bring the tray to cleaning station. Because the cleaners are more efficient and better mindset and attitude.

So the campaign is talking about will you do it at the Hawker Centre ?

I believed majority of peoples don't mind bring their tray to the station after their meals. It talk only a couple of minutes really no big deal. But will it help to improve how the Hawker Centre runs or will it help the employment of cleaner Uncles and Aunties ? Will it lessen the jobs of the cleaner ?

Obviously these are none of our concerns and business.

All cleaner services at the hawker centre is sub out to private contractor and they do not care the who work there, they only care to employe the cheaper labour. There is why we often heard these Uncles and Aunties complained that they are getting very low pays and show unhappy faces when they came to clean your table.

It is about are you civic-minded enough to care for the next patrons in-line waiting for your table and hopefully lessen the cleaner’s job. Whether you want to return the tray or not it is very much individual choice of action.

It will take very long time before all Hawker Centres can employ Uncles and Aunties cleaner that happily working as cleaner and pay them well. Sadly to say, lots of older Uncles and Aunties end up doing this kind of lowly pay job because there is not much others job they can work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzr9A5hkux8

 

[UncleFai]

For fast foods like KFC, McDonald, Subway, IKEA. etc, etc. Culturally, majority of peoples are already doing it to return the trays.

Just to be contrarian, a friend of mine also once told me: "Return tray at Mac? You know how much they charging me for a sandwich? Why should I help them save on labour cost? NEVER!"

Full disclosure: I myself kuai kuai return trays just like most people - hawker centers or food courts or fast food restaurants - unless the arrangements is such that they is no where for me to return them to.

 

[Sion]

Full disclosure: I myself kuai kuai return trays just like most people - hawker centers or food courts or fast food restaurants - unless the arrangements is such that they is no where for me to return them to.

There is a manager office in every food court. Return your empty trays there.

:bsmilie:

 

[Bukitimah]

I hope you can be as cheerful as her clearing trays and wiping tables when you are old.

Trust me it's no fun job as I've been doing it for the last 3 years.

I am sure many old folks given a choice would not be doing this job but many need the job. What I am trying to say here is, can't we facilitate them a better environment to earn a living? It is not always just about making more money and clamping the seats so close together that you can't even walk. Even SCDF dont bother with fire safety!

 

[Bukitimah]

All cleaner services at the hawker centre is sub out to private contractor and they do not care the who work there, they only care to employe the cheaper labour. There is why we often heard these Uncles and Aunties complained that they are getting very low pays and show unhappy faces when they came to clean your table.

... all Hawker Centres can employ Uncles and Aunties cleaner that happily working as cleaner and pay them well. Sadly to say, lots of older Uncles and Aunties end up doing this kind of lowly pay job because there is not much others job they can work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzr9A5hkux8

MOM is protecting these people with their 'Progressive wages' or something like that. A MOM officer once asked if employers would support MOM initiatives by increasing their contract value to support low wage workers. My question back to them is, would the workers be paid the $1K even with the increase in contract value.

The answer I got is 'YES workers are paid min $1K!' I am so surprised and ask how they got this answer. They told me they have checked with a few cleaning companies and they reported that they are already paying their cleaning staff $1K.

Instead of checking with the cleaners themselves or even look at their CPF contribution statements, why do they check with the employers? Many actually earn more than $1K per month but they work 7 days a week and more than 12 hours. Many bigger, more established cleaning contractors are laughing all the way to the bank with the initiatives.

Today, most cleaning contracts value went up by more than 20% or more. Did our uncles and aunties get the pay promised? :sweat:

 

[auron]

Nobody wants to clear the tablet at old age but the reality is many don't have a choice but to do it to put food in their stomach. Let's say A food court needs 5 person to clean the table and collect the trays, now no more trays collection to do, do you think they will still employ 5 cleaners or just 2 to wipe the table only? One coffee shop and foodcourt minus 3 cleaners, how many will loss their job in the thousands of Makan place in SIN? Where does the saving of cutting 3 staff goes to? Reduce rent or Food price? We all know where the money will goes to in truth. So who do you want to help?

totally agree with you... money saved went to big towkay only... n i don't clear my table.

 

[coolhirako]

When I eat mac, I dont clean the tray when their service bad and slow haha

 

[ArchRival]

Allow me to quote something somebody important said sometime ago:

...I think we should help our Singaporeans to continue to remain employed, to continue to earn
a good living, continue to have good jobs, and at the same time contribute to CPF because the
more money they have in CPF, the longer they defer the use of the CPF...

- Somebody Important

Therefore we must make our old people work so long as they can work. And the cleaner job is one of the few available to them.
Anyone who suggest returning tray is not only depriving the old ones of a job, they are also going against garment policy. :bsmilie: