The Happy Earth vs The Happy Owners

There is absolutely no doubt hawkers in Singapore are indulging themselves charging people an extra 20 cents for takeaways.

... and I am never tired of filing numerous complaints against them, if they're being an arse.

If you enjoying eating out but eating out at home you will know exactly what I am talking about. Apparently, the hawkers in Singapore like charging people an extra 20 cents for takeaways for no apparent reasons.

According to Alberto, which I think is the only logical explanation, they charged you 20 cents for a lame plastic container. Perhaps, also according to Alberto, they want to reduce the amount of containers used to protect Mr Earth.

So no more plastic bags nor polystyrene.

Hmm, very environmental and wallet friendly!

I like eating takeaways but I do not like eating in public. First of all, the cutleries will be cleaner if I washed them; second, I seriously doubt if they washed and scrubbed the tray properly and third and the most important fact, I just like eating takeouts at home.

So after being charged a few times for the plastic containers, my container siblings are all happily piled up in Alberto's kitchen.

It's very easy to reduce the use of plastic containers to protect the earth. Either you spend a big amount of money buying Tupperware or Zebra products and use them for the rest of your life, or you use and reuse the crap plastic containers for a few times then recycle them.

So, let's take the latter option, why don't we reuse the pile first eh?

I did exactly what my mother, any other aunties in Asia or any international environmentalists would do, bring your own container for takeouts.

It was never a problem until one day, that afternoon at 3:20pm sharp, I tried to do the same thing at the noodle stall, a.k.a. "Quan Dan Mian" in Rivervale Mall.

The aunty told me, they give their own containers so I didn't have to use mine. Looking at my expression, she had to say something to support her former point, so she claimed the office forbids them to allow customers to use their own containers.

What the fuck, aunty?! How can the office disallow such a thing?? This is total bullshit, I bought from the opposite stall with the same method yesterday night.

She also did not look so firm when she was talking, it looked like she didn't even believe what she said, so clearly, it's not true.

She then again, nicely and auntily explained, this cheap container I was using is not good for multiple usage, what a fucking lame excuse.

It's my body and it's none of her concern if I got cancer eating from the same containers.

I told her I had many containers like this at home and I didn't wish to add more to my collection, so if she would kindly let me use it, blah blah, I would totally appreciate it. I was literally "begging" her.

She once again, told me the office won't allow that so I guessed that's the end.

Planning my evil complaining plot while buying food from another stall at the same time, I wondered why containers are a big problem only to that specific stall.

The solution is easy, perhaps I should just eat out and go home, true, but perhaps they should just stop charging people.

You see, dining-in comes with soup or some side dishes, takeaways don't, so basically, they sort of balance out without an extra charge.

I am quite an environmentalist, but I prefer doing what I like, what is convenient to me and be aware at how my kitchen looks at the same time.

If Singapore wants to make the earth a greener place, they should start putting recycle bins in every apartments or living areas. Hell I was forced to throw away a lot of stuffs because there's no recycle bins nearby.

Charging an extra 20 cents doesn't make the earth happy, it just makes the stall owners smile.