Since the circuit breaker started, we’ve seen our fair share of disputes that have erupted over individuals flouting the rules by not wearing a mask. These stories have been shared on social media platforms, calling out the unkind, and in some cases, even outrageous behaviours.
First was the spat between a fast-food restaurant staff and a deliveryman at AMK Hub over cancelled orders. Then, who can forget the “sovereign” lady who refused to wear a mask at Shunfu market and got into a heated argument with passers-by?
Even more shocking was the stabbing of the NParks safe distancing enforcement officer after he had approached a man who was not wearing a mask. Thankfully, despite suffering serious injuries to his chest, arm and hand, the officer is now in a stable condition and is recovering at home.
Bad news may travel faster and further, but don’t forget about all the good that is happening around us.
Here are five good-news stories you might have missed in the past weeks.
1. Man turns to food delivery after losing job, kind seller offers him bike for free
Stomp contributor Jeffrey had been retrenched by his company in early April and decided to look for a second-hand bicycle so that he could do GrabFood deliveries in the interim.
He found a bike listed for $120 on online marketplace Carousell. He contacted the seller Allan to negotiate the price but after hearing about Jeffrey’s situation, Allan lent him the bicycle for free without hesitation.
He even provided a new padlock and delivered the bike personally, adding that Jeffrey could use the bike for as long as he needed to and to return it when he was done.
“I even offered to pay him a deposit but he declined and said it is okay,” Jeffrey told Stomp.
“No words can express how much I am thankful to have met him.”
2. Woman receives cake from upstairs neighbour for ‘bearing with their kids’ during circuit breaker
An Ang Mo Kio resident was puzzled when she received a cake that she didn’t order on April 24.
The woman told social news site Mothership that she thought that the deliveryman had sent it to the wrong unit, but it turned out that the cake had been ordered for her by a neighbour.
A message sent with the cake read: “Dear Neighbour, thanks for bearing with my kids during this circuit breaker. Hope you will enjoy this cake. A small appreciation. ❤ upstairs”
The woman told Mothership that her family had never interacted with this particular neighbour before.
However, this act of kindness prompted her to start chatting with them from their respective balconies.
“It was pretty unconventional, but it was the only way we could talk with them without visiting their house,” she told Mothership.
The two families even sang Home together during the “Sing Together Singapore” initiative the next night!
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3. Deliveroo rider gets $20 tip and help from strangers after accident in heavy rain
A Deliveroo rider, Peter Yeo, was delivering a cake to a customer at Robertson Quay in the rain when he fell from his e-bike after skidding on a slippery path.
Fortunately, he suffered only minor injuries but the cake he was delivering was damaged.
Despite that, the customer gave him a $20 tip when she found out he had met with an accident and showed concern over whether he could make his way home.
The customer was not the only person who showed kindness to Yeo that night.
“The guard at the condo I had delivered to also offered me assistance by allowing me to park my e-bike in the sheltered area and offering me a chair to sit while waiting for the rain to subside,” he told Stomp.
“He even loaned me an umbrella so that I could walk back to the accident scene to recover my spectacles.”
“I also dropped by Studio M Hotel to use the toilet and the receptionist was very understanding. She took my temperature before leading me to the toilet entrance as I told her I couldn’t see clearly because I was involved in an accident and had dropped my spectacles.”
“I also dropped by Studio M Hotel to use the toilet and the receptionist was very understanding. She took my temperature before leading me to the toilet entrance as I told her I couldn’t see clearly because I was involved in an accident and had dropped my spectacles.”
“Fortunately, a jogger saw my spectacles and placed it on a bench.”
Yeo told Stomp he was touched to have encountered so many kind people that night.
4. Kind deliverywoman helps wheelchair-bound auntie in Hougang
On Apr 16, Stomper Belinda was walking home in Hougang when she saw a deliverywoman in a purple t-shirt and carrying several packets of food helping an elderly woman in a wheelchair.
The delivery woman helped the elderly lady cross a zebra crossing and down a steep slope.
“Despite this possibly delaying her food deliveries, this woman still took the time out to help the auntie. It is so heartwarming to see Singaporeans continue to help each other despite this tough season,” Belinda told Stomp.
5. Elderly woman so touched by free groceries that she offers her McDonald’s Casio watch to Good Samaritan
Netizen Sheena Ling had been helping out an elderly woman and her deaf and mute sister with groceries once a week, as the place they get free weekday meals has stopped operations during the circuit breaker period.
Ling shared in a Facebook post: “Every time without fail, she would always insist on giving me something before I leave. She works at McDonald’s so she gets a free packet of Ribena ever so often. So in return for the groceries, I would always leave with many packets of Ribena.”
This time, however, the elderly woman ran out of packet drinks because she stopped work as the fast-food chain closed temporarily during the circuit breaker. Instead, she offered Ling her McDonald’s-issued Casio watch, which was a gift after five years of service.
Ling told the elderly woman that she couldn’t accept the gift, but took it when she insisted. She said: “I saw her face beaming away, and I knew I had to take it. I told myself… let this be about her giving, and not about me deserving it or not.”
She received something greater too. The lesson Ling took away is that the gift is in the giving. It is honourable to accept kindness even from those who do not have much when they give whatever little they have: “This post is to honour her. And to honour those around us who in the very little they have, gave more than they could.”
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