PUBLISHED ONNovember 14, 2023 4:26 AMByClaudia TanAn elderly couple merely wanted to enjoy a simple lunch but were unceremoniously forced to bring their meals home instead.
The reason? They were allegedly told that their personal mobility aid (PMA) scooters were parked inappropriately inside the mall.
Chen Zhenxing (transliteration) told 8world news that he brought his family out to eat at AMK Hub last Saturday (Nov 11) at about 3.20pm.
Before entering the restaurant on the second level, Chen said his parents parked their scooters at a corner near the mall's customer service counter.
He added that they took extra care not to block other shoppers.
Just as their food was served at about 3.45pm, Chen said a security guard entered the restaurant and asked Chen if the two scooters parked outside belonged to his parents.
The security guard also allegedly insisted that the two devices be moved to the designated parking lot on the first floor.
Explaining that his father and mother are 86 and 75, respectively, Chen said he tried to reason with the security guard, as the couple had trouble walking on their own.
"If they could climb from the first floor to the second floor, they wouldn't need mobility devices," he said.
However, the security guard did not heed Chen's explanation and issued him a parking advisory slip.
The disgruntled man also took to TikTok to share his encounter with the security guard.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@laihengong76/video/7300504536592960770?_r=1&_t=8hJnP43PIKw[/embed]
In the clip, Chen's elderly parents were seen being led out of the restaurant.
The elderly woman was hobbling as a man held her hand, while the elderly man was trailing behind her with a walking stick.
"They can't walk and yet you want them to climb the stairs," a man said in the video.
At the time of writing, Chen's video has racked up almost 200,000 views and about 800 comments from netizens.
While most felt that the mall should have given Chen's parents some leeway, there were others who felt that Chen's parents should have used a wheelchair instead.
Another opined that a rule could have been implemented to prevent delivery riders from parking their vehicles inside the mall.
Chen told 8world that the parking advisory slip "scared" his parents, who were afraid that they would be fined if they did not move their scooters.
They ended up insisting on packing their food and taking it home to eat.
"Even the waiters at the restaurant told my parents to eat slowly, but they didn't dare continue eating and wanted to leave as soon as possible."
Chen, who lives in Ang Mo Kio with his family, shared with the Chinese media outlet that this is the first time they've experienced something like this.
He also shared that his parents have previously visited shopping malls with their scooters and did not run into any trouble.
"I understand that the security guard was merely doing his job, but with the ageing population in Singapore, many elderly people have problems with mobility, I hope the mall management can be more understanding towards them."
A spokesperson for AMK Hub said that its security guard advised the family to move the scooters for "the safety of other visitors", reported The Straits Times.
"We would like to assure all that AMK Hub is an inclusive mall for shoppers of all ages and abilities.
"The safety and well-being of our shoppers, tenants, and employees are of utmost importance to us," the spokesperson added.
claudiatan@asiaone.com