ON SATURDAY, The Straits Times led the charge in a campaign called "Goodness Gracious Me!", meant to galvanise Singaporeans into trying a little kindness by clearing their trays at food courts after dining.
Five Kopitiam outlets were festooned with posters, decals and hanging mobiles reminding diners that leaving a mess 'is not okay' and urged them to 'return their dirty tray'.
The mop squad - five journalists who spend their spare time lurking behind pillars to spy on diners - got reactions from the Kopitiam patrons, but what about the food court cleaners? Yes, we're talking about those aunties and uncles who on a very busy weekend, have to juggle stacks of dishes and utensils like seasoned circus jugglers.
In an earlier series that placed Singaporean social graces in the spotlight, some cleaners The Straits Times spoke to said that having to put up with the nastier habits of diners was the part they least liked about the job description, especially when they too, were simply trying to make a living.
And it seems that the cleaners are pretty confident that even with this campaign, Singaporeans are definitely going to need them around.
Miss Tan Swee Cher, 52, who has worked at Hougang Mall's Kopitiam for the past six months said that diners would not have the skills that were needed to manage clearing their trays in the most efficient way possible. "It's very busy on weekends and the turnover is so high! If I let them clear their trays, they won't know how to do it properly and everything will slow down!", she quipped with a laugh.
She said that it would require some time before mindsets begin to adjust and people become attuned to the habit of clearing their own trays.
In the meantime, she would be content to take on some heavy-duty work as long as diners treated her politely. She said that she had already seen five or six of the younger set who had cleared their trays after seeing the posters and was heartened by their efforts. "The younger people are usually quite good," she said. "They thank me when I clean up for them, and that makes me happy."
Over at the Plaza Singapura outlet, Madam Luong Poh Lin, 57, said that while there had been a slight jump in the number of diners who had returned their trays, she was certain her services would still be required as returning trays was only one part of ensuring that the tables are kept clean. She recalled incidences where diners had eaten watermelon like '3-year-olds', leaving the skin of the fruit on the table-tops and on the floor, which required her to pick up so as to ensure that no one slipped and fell.
Madam Luong also said that she wasn't afraid of being put out of a job since she was fairly certain, as was Miss Tan, that a mindset change was in order before many patrons would even begin to clear their trays.
They're both right I'd say.
But returning our tray in a culture that's accustomed to having things done for us will definitely take time. But it's not impossible. The Goodness Gracious Me! campaign wants to be the baby steps that are taken toward the larger goal of being more considerate to your fellow diners.
So, best foot forward everyone?