'Why be unkind?' Woman accuses neighbour of complaining to town council after pram left on corridor gets binned

She had been rushing to get to the airport when she suddenly realised that the pram she left outside her unit along the HDB corridor was missing. 

It was only much later that this mother of two toddlers discovered that a neighbour had allegedly complained to the town council, which led to her pram being discarded.

Upset, this mother with the username Poetwayfarermom took to TikTok to rant about the incident on Monday (Jan 16) in a series of videos which have since been deleted. 

The mother shared that her family, who have been away for 20 years, had recently moved to a HDB flat in Marine Parade some two weeks ago. 

One night, she left her pram by the corridor outside their unit as she was short-handed and her toddlers were fast asleep. 

"The corridor is too narrow [for the stroller], I always have to carry the kids up the stairs first, then take a second trip to carry the stroller, then take another [trip] for my bags." 

"Imagine me and two babies all day every day like that. So tiring," she said, adding that she usually brings the pram into her home.

Lost and found 

However, less than 12 hours later, she and her children were leaving the house for the airport when she realised the pram was missing. 

"I still made it to the airport with the kids, but I called my husband crying that someone had stolen our stroller," she recounted. 

Theorising that another mother might have needed that pram, she decided to accept that the equipment was gone. 

That was until she realised it had been thrown away. 

The following day, the woman's husband asked a cleaner if he had seen the pram, only to have him admit that he was instructed by her supervisor to "immediately dispose of it" as there were complaints from neighbours. 

After this, the cleaner retrieved the pram from a nearby garbage storage facility and returned it to the family. 

'Grateful for this honest worker'

Later, he told the family that he was reprimanded for returning it. 

"So grateful for this honest worker who had the heart to keep it for anyone who might claim it, knowing that it belonged to a family with children," said the mother. 

She revealed that she complained to the Marine Parade Town Council, and also pointed out that other neighbours had personal items "cluttering up the corridor", yet only she had been reported. 

"Why be unkind when you can be kind," she said. 

The mother said she has demanded compensation for the "distress" caused to her family as well as the cost of deep cleaning the pram. She also claimed that she will be suing the neighbour. 

AsiaOne has reached out to the Marine Parade Town Council for their comments. 

As it turns out, residents are allowed to put items along the corridor. 

However, there must be a width of 1.2 metres so that the corridor remains easily accessible in medical emergencies where stretchers or wheelchairs are required. 

When it comes to HDB staircases and landings, keeping anything there is strictly off-limits, as it is usually where the landing valves and hose reels are located.

ALSO READ: Ang Mo Kio resident dumps sofa and blocks corridor, receives scathing 'love letters' from neighbours

melissateo@asiaone.com

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