'He pushed my pots onto the floor': Circuit Road hawker and diner get into fight over cutlery

Tempers flared at a food centre in Circuit Road when a stall owner and a diner got into a physical altercation over cutlery. 

The incident occurred at Block 79 Circuit Road last Thursday (May 2) at about 4.30pm, reported Shin Min Daily News.

A 64-year-old laksa stall owner surnamed Liang told the Chinese evening daily that a young man had bought food from the fishball noodle stall next to hers. 

He then asked Liang for a fork and spoon, but got upset when Liang said no. 

"I tried to tell him nicely, but he was very angry. He pushed my pots and utensils onto the floor." 

Outraged, Liang grabbed the pendant that the man was wearing. He then hit her on the head, she claimed.

During the tussle, the pendant dropped onto the ground, which escalated tensions. 

The food centre's manager eventually broke up the fight and called the police. 

"He asked the man to sit on the other side [of the table] and helped retrieve the pendant," said Liang. 

When police officers arrived, they escorted the man away, said Liang, who added that she was worried that he would return.

She alleged that he was very aggressive during the confrontation and told her he would stab her if he had a knife. 

She said she felt dizzy after getting hit on the head and had a headache when she was showering that night. 

Liang insisted that she wasn't at fault for refusing to give him the cutlery as the man did not patronise her stall. 

Because of the incident, she said she had to work later that day. "It was tough but because some customers had ordered food in advance, I continued working and only closed the stall at 8pm." 

Liang said the man once bought laksa from her. She remembered him because he poured an entire bottle of pepper and soy sauce into his food. 

"He even asked me if I had more pepper and soy sauce. I thought his behaviour was strange, that's why I remember him," she recounted. 

The owner of the fishball noodle stall, Helen, told Shin Min that she did provide the man with cutlery. 

The 62-year-old said he might not have noticed and hence tried to get cutlery from the laksa stall. 

"He has patronised my stall before. As long as I don't shout at him, he doesn't cause any problems." 

In response to Shin Min's queries, the police confirmed that a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.

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claudiatan@asiaone.com