Ignorant tourists & forgetful parents: News headlines that caught your attention in 2019

Ignorant tourists & forgetful parents: News headlines that caught your attention in 2019

Before we know it, 2019's coming to an end and the new year's upon us.

It's been an interesting year, to say the least. We take a look back at the stories that we couldn't stop sharing on social media.

WHEN IN ROME, DO AS THE ROMANS DO

Tourists who are unaware and disrespectful of local customs and laws, we'd probably never see the end of them.

First, a fitness model from the Czech Republic had her companion splash her butt with holy water from a temple's fountain in Bali.

Then, a Taiwanese woman sent the internet into a frenzy when she flaunted her figure in a minimalist bikini on a beach in Boracay.

In Singapore, foreigners openly eating and drinking on public transport also earned dirty looks from their fellow commuters.

EVERYBODY'S KUNG FU FIGHTING

Kung fu 'masters' better think twice before throwing the gauntlet to a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter.

Several men proclaiming to be well-versed in Chinese martial arts such as tai chi and wing chun were knocked out in a minute when they fought MMA fighter 'A Hu'.

Despite the string of crushing defeats, there are no signs that these challenges will be stopping anytime soon.

Now, what would Ip Man say to that?

PARENTS, DID YOU LEAVE ANYTHING BEHIND?

Kids can be quite a handful and taking them out on road trips can be a chore.

Whether you're travelling with one or seven of them, parents, don't forget to check that your kid is in the back seat before you drive off from rest stops.

Two boys were left stranded in Malaysia in separate incidents because their folks didn't realise they weren't in the car.

Luckily, the kids were spotted by Good Samaritans who helped them reunite with their families, but that doesn't mean that parents are allowed to be absent-minded.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE (PMDs)

In Singapore, errant e-scooter riders blazing down footpaths (and everywhere else) have incurred the wrath of many people.

Not only did their reckless behaviour put themselves and others in danger, they've also got law enforcers into trouble.

In the end, what they did expedited a ban that was under consideration, and jeopardised the livelihood of food-delivery riders.

Guys, this is why we can't have nice things.

AIR PRESSURE

Waiting for your flight at the airport can be pretty uneventful, but not for these passengers.

A Philippine traveller figured out a way to bypass the baggage weight limit by piling on clothes at the risk of a heat stroke.

Another Chinese auntie in a plane that was about to take off couldn't stand the stuffiness and opened the emergency door just for a breath of fresh air.

Meanwhile, a man was schooled by netizens about air safety after he ranted about a 17-hour flight delay while travelling to India via Singapore Airlines.

Passenger antics aside, here are some reminders that it's not easy being flight attendants and we should treat them better.

MIND YOUR MANNERS

Singaporeans spend almost as much time taking offence at other people's behaviour in public as being in public themselves.

A woman in a restaurant received flak for placing her bare feet on the seat next to another diner who had just finished lunch with her family.

Sometimes, the tables were turned. For example, a man was accused of hogging another seat with his bag although it was a relatively empty train cabin.

CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU

Here's one way to become famous on the Internet: be born good-looking.

She might have got the names of footballers wrong in her report, but netizens gave this Chinese sports journalist a pass because she's pretty.

And who could resist a hot dude who had his nose buried in a book on the MRT?

NO JOKE

Laughter is the best medicine. Working in the newsroom, we're often in need of some laughs ourselves. 

From the funny antics of our pets to the wacky things that people did with their family and friends such as this dad and daughter 'blowing' the haze back to Indonesia, and a Japanese mum trying to soothe a clingy toddler with a cut-out, we hope that these short stories have amused you.

THIS MADE MY DAY

Oftentimes, we think that the news brings only gloom and doom. Perhaps, it's time to take a look at the goodness around us.

This year, a new pilot surprised his parents by flying them for the very first time, a kind couple dished out free meals and friendship to their elderly neighbours, and an adorable granny was seen selling veggies at a makeshift stall because she found it fun.

lamminlee@asiaone.com

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