'Kids too free nowadays': Youths smash trolley into staircase at Aljunied, anger netizens

While it's certainly normal for kids to play, most wouldn't expect them to be quite so destructive.

A teen was seen playing with a shopping trolley near block 96 Aljunied Crescent in a video uploaded to Complaint Singapore yesterday (Aug 7), albeit very roughly.

In the video, a young boy in a grey, long-sleeved T-shirt can be seen pushing a trolley across an open area beneath the HDB block. What appears to be a football is wedged in the trolley's child seat.

He suddenly bursts into full sprint as he pushes the trolley, sending it crashing and flipping into a staircase.

Another boy in a blue T-shirt can be seen chasing after the trolley and the video ends as the two inspect the aftermath.

Their antics weren't well received by netizens, however.

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"Your parents will be so proud of you," a user snarkily said, addressing the teens.

Another simply expressed disappointment, stating that she was "sad".

While most netizens weren't too happy with what they witnessed, others found humour in the situation.

"They are learning physics through physical interaction," a user deadpanned. "That's good."

Another added: "Learning science about push, force, speed, impact and the aftermath of being caught doing it on camera."

While these boys are having their fun with the trolley, their actions might be part of a problem that supermarkets face every year.

"On average, the costs of repairing, replacing and retrieving unreturned trolleys is about $150,000 a year," a FairPrice spokesperson told the Straits Times last year.

So widespread is the problem of unreturned trolleys that the Municipal Services Office (MSO) has a "Spot Abandoned Trolleys" feature in its OneService app, which was launched in April 2016.

Five supermarket chains - FairPrice, Sheng Siong, Mustafa Centre, Giant, Cold Storage - and furniture chain Ikea joined in 2021.

MSO, under the Ministry of National Development, said in the same report that it received 6,559 reports of abandoned trolleys in 2021 through the app.

In 2019, 5,429 reports were made, and 6,662 in 2020. 

"We will continue to look at ways to enhance our efforts to reduce trolley abandonment," the FairPrice spokesperson added.

Ding-dong ditch in Kallang

In March this year, two boys found themselves in a predicament after they tried their hand at ding-dong ditch — ringing a doorbell before making a quick escape.

They rang a doorbell around 2.40am at a unit in Kallang Residences — waking up the residents and their baby — and ran off.

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However, CCTV footage showed them in the act, even smirking before they pressed the doorbell.

When Stomp picked up on the complaint and publicised the matter, the youths returned and apologised to the affected residents.

khooyihang@asiaone.com

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