In the video below, this karang guni man – or rag & bone man – blares his horns incessantly. Do you feel that these men should be allowed to do so? Should horns be banned for karang guni men?
Take a look at the video before you decide. Don’t forget to turn up the volume.
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
If you like this article, please consider a small donation to help theonlinecitizen.com stay alive. Please note that we can only accept donations from Singaporeans. Thank you for your assistance.Do you have a flair for writing? Volunteer with us. Email us your full name and contact details to theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
I don’t find them a nuisance. They are doing their business after all. And the horn usually last less than 10 minutes. Using the horn, they can “service” customers in the shortest time without having to go floors by floors.
Cheers
hongjun
Not to me. To me, that sound has become part of the cultural din, the HDB soundscape. (Of course Karang Guni men also got visit other kind of estate, but I digress…)
maybe ask him to sing out loudly lor ??? I think for this type of posting should send to Shit Times Forum page cos they are alway good at posting such article. TOC should not be a place to post this writeup.
Horn only on mid-day. Don’t spoil our mornings.
Osamakita
One a day is fine, but at my block at Clementi I get at least 3 separate karang guni fellows each day and a couple more on weekends. The usual guys are barely tolerable but if any of the foreign talents are employed, they have no sense of discretion and blare the horn incessantly. The ‘singing’ karung guni – I have absolutely no problem, and in fact, I look forward to his pleasant tune, hahaha.
Honestly, the people-element is lost in using the (rude) horns. I for one, refuse to provide my recyclables to the paying karang guni and instead pass it to the guys commissioned by SembWaste (sic). Even if I throw out anything large or valuable – 3 monitors are awaiting their fate – I’d wait for the singing karang guni and just give it to him. This is because of the irritation that horn-blaring gives me – they have lost a customer because of something that makes their job easier. An irony?
i agrees that ’singing’ karung guni is a nuisance, the horning-blaring non-stop after one another specially during weekends, after one gone another comes along, specially you need a nap, they will horn non-stop i think more than 10 mins.
They even ransack my things that i packed in a box just outside my house corridor, then choose what they wan, then just left it all messy there.
Those things i packed into a box is for future usage, in case i need to use it, it doesnt mean its for them to take, worst it just open the box n dig all they wan.
I think the karung guni man should leave their name-card or leaflet , so we wan to clear old clothing simply just give them a call, isn’t it easier, also less noise pollution around the housing estate.
I agree that they’re a nuisance – at least those around my area. It really is unbearable at times, especially on weekends. Recently, 5 or 6 of them came on a Sunday – horns blaring non-stop.
I understand that they’re just making a decent living and that being a karung guni man is not an easy job. However, I also feel that they should be more considerate. One is fine but so many – everyday? (Even my mom who is home most of the time can’t stand them anymore.)
I have written to the Town Council, the NEA and is now corresponding with the Police to resolve this issue.
I think if you take a look at the video, you will see how incessant their airhorns can be. And it’s not just one but several of them.
If the Malaysian can be banned from entering Singapore for 6 months recently because he was blaring his horns at the Causeway, I fail to see why such airhorns used by these karung guni men in HDB estates should not be banned as well.
After all, HDB estates are residential estates where people live – hoping to have some peace and quiet, esecially now that S’pore is such a noisy place everywhere.
I for one certainly don’t want such nuisance when I am home.
I’m not for banning their horning as it helps them in their business, and also they add color to the heartland milieu; but they ought to be told not to horn incessantly! But I would not advise residents to confront them as they could turn nasty or hostile. Better to inform the Town Council people to talk to them first that we are not against horning but tell them of the din they are making if they horn non-stop! Then if they do not listen, the town council must find ways to deal with them or blacklist the intransigent ones and restrict their presence, with the help of the law if nec.
Cant we be a little more tolerant? The poor guy (usually senior citizen)is
trying to make a living. If we would to complain at every minor thing, how
gracious can our society get.
Next, are we going to complain to the TC about
the ice-cream man ring the bell?
I don’t need to watch the video to know how bad it is!
There were so many days when my sleep was incessantly disrupted by the loud horns of karang guni men/women, once every hour!
And not to mention, my beautiful Sunday mornings…. argh!
I seriously prefer those days where they just went round singing…
I’m living abroad and I return home once a year for 3 weeks of hols since 1980. I think if the K. G.s make less noise, they will be appreciated more for the job they doing. In europe we have specific days, time and a long way to bring what the K. G.s collect at our doors in singapore.
Karung guni man not as bad as those Ah Beng who drive cars with modified exhausts that make a lot of noise. One of these comes to Thomson Ridge Estate every day in his super-loud two-door sports car, together with a woman in a saloon. The woman would leave her car by the road, transfer things to the guy’s car, and get into the guys car. Later in the afternoon, the Ah Beng car will return and the transfer thing happens again, this time to her car. Most times, the woman will also throw something (used condom and tissue?) into the nearest trash bin. The two will then drive off separately in their own cars, with the Ah beng revving his engine and distrubing the neighbourhood.
I was glad TOC put this topic up. Just last saturday, i was awakened by the large horns used by garang guni. They are really a nuisance, and they horned in void deck and corridors non stop. Every floor they will horn 3 – 4 times. May goodness, every weekends you bound to hear their horns. Which relevant parties can ban their using of horns? I still prefer their yelling at least they do get tired but trigger happy horns, no way!
FG
One part of me does find them to be a nuisance, but another part of me tells me that they are just doing their jobs.
I believe that the karang guni trade nowadays is much more intense; it is not uncommon to see two or three of these people trying to outdo each other in a single neighbourhood. Such a method of doing business is not only inefficient, but could possibly lead to boiling tempers.
Any simplistic solution to try and regulate and limit their trade may cause unhappiness with these people; they may feel that a difficult trade is being deliberately made more difficult, or that the competition, within a more limited frame, might get even more intense. Introducing a new way of doing business for them might be resisted, as this is a very old trade with well-established traditions.
Therefore, I believe there won’t be any easy and quick solutions to this problem; any solution will have to be discussed with all relevant parties carefully and a few compromises might have to be made.
The way of the government – tax the living daylights out of them?
I wonder if we could implement ERP in this case? Seems to be the standard solution of recent times – Road Congestion, Poor Public Transport, High Vehicle Population.
I think nowadays they are using those really big and loud horns to get our attention and with flats going higher than 13 floors, these KG are using their means to ensure that those living on the top floors hear them too. Plus competition is quite stiff… this business seems lucrative!
I’m staying on the 5th floor. I have a baby at home who happen to be a light sleeper. Especially for weekends, 4-5 KGs will come at different timings horning away… my poor baby’s sleep is always disrupted and then she’ll get cranky. Sigh!
I don’t mean to complain but I believe there are many ways this business can be conducted! I never find them noisy previously when they come floor by floor singing and pushing their trolley…
There is another group of useless non-karang guni breed. When they come to pick up friends, they use the car horn like a doorbell. Go up to the front door and call out the friend you are picking or use your handphone please !
Osamakita
My area (Hougang) has apparently become a Karang Guni hotspot. During thursday, fridays and weekends you can hear those karang gunis blast their horns for minutes straight. This happen most of the time around 9 to 10 am.
I find them super irritating as I need to sleep due to long hours at the school from Monday to Wednedsay.
You are damn right they are a nuisance. Whoever thinks that a middle aged, yellow toothed proletarian man sounding his horn at the steps of your residence is reasonable ought to have your head looked at. My seething hatred and vendetta against them can never be fully expressed in words. Let me put it this way, if I ever come to power, I would already have detailed plans to mete out draconian punishments which would, without a shadow of doubt, violate every single human rights law. Better still, I would just work hard, be productive and move out of Singapore. Lake Como would be an ideal choice.
I am a resident living in Yishun Ave 4 (near SAFRA Yishun and Northland Primary School). Since 2005 and for the past 2 years, I have been putting up with the unnecessary loud blaring noises from the karang gunis’ handheld horns. It has become extremely irritating and noisy especially when I am trying to sleep in the morning and having my peaceful moments at home with my family during the weekends. These noises have kept on irritating not only just me but all the residents living within the vicinity. Imaging these inconsiderate people irritating those who are sick, the elderly and young children who are trying to rest in the daytime. And the problems gets worse as the time goes by during these years.
During weekdays, especially in the morning, I will hear at least one karang guni blaring loudly at the open carpark and sometimes there can be as many as three karang gunis blaring within an hour or two karang gunis blaring at the same time. Most of the times these people will start their unnecesarry racket as early as 9am and can last until late afternoon. In the weekends, the situation is no better too as these people can blast their horns without stopping. I have noticed that these people are blaring unnecessarily, etc, they blare the horn but without looking up at the blocks of flats for “customers”(so what is their purpose of blaring the horns?), some like to blare the horn even they are packing up to leave in their trucks, some will walk within the same place for two times and thus irritate the residents for a second time, some will like to go up every floor in the block of flat but keeping blaring. There were a few occasions that I was so irritated that I shouted
at them from my apartment to tell them to stop making such a din but they just ignore me and carry on with their blaring. I was really very angry but I really do not know what to do then.
I am extremely angry, irritated and sadden by such kind of people. Why do such people being so inconsiderate by blaring such noises without considering the peace and quiet that most residents want to enjoy when living in HDB flats? It seems to me that these people are really selfish and unethical when they are doing their business. Do they know that this is a residential area where people live in and regard the place as their home for some peace and quiet when they want to stay at home with their family? Why are they allowed to blare such horns in housing estates in the first place? Over the years, I have been living in the estate and the place is nice, quiet and peaceful although there may be some noises from the traffic, other households, lift upgrading construction but such noises are understandable and accepted by many residents. But over these two years, I have to put up such unnecessary and inconsiderate actions and noises produced by these inconsiderate people.
Ever since till now, I have trying to be outdoors as much as possible and sometimes was very agitated when these people are disturbing my sleep and my life at home. I feel that the place is getting more and more unbearable to live in as the time passes. I really missed the moments where the quietness and the tranquility of the estate during the day more than two years ago before these people came in with their inconsiderable acts.
Over the years, the government, the authorities and the residents themselves are trying very hard to reduce noise pollution within housing estates and there is a great improvement over noises such as blasting hi fis, late night majong sessions, etc. Every resident are playing their part and being considerate and civic minded to think for other residents in the estate. However such efforts seems to be like a waste when all these inconsiderate people who are so selfish that they do not care about the peace and quiet that the residents want in their homes. In Singapore, around 85% to 90% of Singaporeans are living in HBD flats due to the high population and the encouargement from the government to live in flats so as to save more land space in land scarce Singapore. Thus due to this high density living, it is important that the place needs to be quiet and having a good living environment. This is one of the main attractive point why many people choose to live in HDB flats.
In the past, karang gunis work their way up the flats to do their business, i.e. going every floor to ask for old newspapers and goods. They do not need to sound any horns, most of them are even older and more hardworking than the present ones, and their situation is no better when the lifts in the estate do not stop every floor before lift upgrading schemes and they have to climb the stairs to every floor.
However, for the new generation garang gunis, I have seen many of them younger and fitter but are so lazy to the extend that they only use their handheld horns and blaring away non stop without considering the residents. Even there are lifts now stopping at every floor for more convinence, however they choose the “easy” and unethical way to do their business. To get as much “customers” as possible, they will come almost everyday, blaring their horns almost every hour without thinking for others. Who are these people? They are merely just business people who wants to earn some money but to the extend of ignoring the peaceful needs of the residents and these people do not belong to the estate in the first place. I wonder why these people are allowed to use such handheld horns in the first place to do their business? Is there a licensing scheme for being a karang guni? It seems that anyone can be a karang guni and they are pleased to do anything they want to get their
sales going. One of my friends complained to the police once but they say they cannot do much. The police are law enforcers and I find it ridiculars when they are not able to do anything to get rid of these inconsiderate people. They aren’t even the residents there, so why is it so hard just to ask them to stop blaring the horns or pack up and go? It is not overpowering or abusing their power but the police are doing their jobs as well for the public and I don’t understand why they can’t even get rid of these inconsiderate people. Although it is understandable that these karang gunis are also trying to make a living, but by doing such inconsidearble acts to irritate the residents, this is unacceptable. I cannot tolerate such inconsiderate acts, even though I’m trying to over the months. Comparing with the older generation of karang gunis, these people should be banned from the trade.
I hope the town council can help me and the residents in alleviating the situation. The town council is consider partly as the voice of the residents’ concerns and needs and I’m certain that the town council has the ability and the responsibility to help the residents to return the peace and quiet once more for the residents living in the area. I hope that the town council can monitor the situation in the area and stop this kind of inconsiderate acts. I will also hope the town councils can voice out such concerns to the related governmental authorities to ban such uses of handheld horns by karang gunis if they want to do their business in these areas. I’m not all out to ban the trade of karang gunis, but I think the authorities such ban such uses of horns in housing estates. They should also look into guidelines for garang gunis when they are doing their businesses in housing estates, without irritating or causing unnecessary inconvinence to the residents in the housing
estates, such as limiting the number of karang gunis through licensing, setting up signs that shows no using of horns by these people, or even fines for these poeple. There should be a limit and be ethical in the way of doing business, especially if it is one that can affect many people. They can still do their business in the traditional floor by floor way and they can use the new lifts to ease their workloads. If the older generation of karang gunis can do it, why don’t they?
I hope the town council can help the residents in the area by returning them back to the days where the living environment is quiet, peaceful and tranquil more than two years ago. BAN the use of such horns but without banning those karang gunis who have really considerate the needs of the residents of a quiet living place. I really hope that the town council, as a public service body, can listen to the voices of its residents and make considerable improvements in such concerns. Such inconsiderate actions needs to be stopped and I certainly hope that the town council can do something to improve the situation in future. I really look forward to the day where there will not be such irritating rackets anymore as soon as possible and hopefully the town council can help us. I look forward to your good news and I would like to thank you on behalf of all the residents in Yishun if the situation is monitored and improved in future.
This is the complaint letter I have written to the Town Council last year. I had also worked with the Police for the last 4 months and written endless emails to the Town Council and HDB. So far, there is a slight improvement. But I don’t understand why is it so hard for the authorities to tell these people just to stop using the handheld horns to do their business. if this goes on, I may have to go down personally to chase them away! They are disturbing my weekend peace.
I agree with all of you. I am also suffering the same noise pollution. I am from Jurong West Street 91.
Complaining to our Town Council, Neighbourhood Police and NEA do not work.
I know of some neighbours who throw “water bombs” at these irritants whenever the noise become untolerable.
I have also written to the Feedback Unit (Reach), asking for the relevant govt agency responsible, then I will nag at that particular agency for action.
I thought we are a first class country but we now have this social problem nobody wants to solve. In western countries noise pollution is a non-negotiable issue.
Yup, ‘garang’ has surely replaced ‘karang’.
Lets all flail our arms in the air and rejoice for, and there is no other way of putting this, prices of used news paper has collasped to a record low, pushing many of these noise polluters out of business mainly because used news paper comprises most of their income. It has been pretty plain in my estate as the noise polluters at most come twice in a week. Of course it would be heartless to kill of a trade which many depend on a livelihood. Perhaps HDB could arrange for news paper to be weighed and collected at a given point. The price would be set by HDB and tenders could be called for. Highest bidder wins and residents would get their funds via EZ Link or other means. In short, all form of noise pollution has to go, including neighbours blaring music.
The only way out, and there is no other way as I had this worked out, is to work hard, earn more money and move out of Singapore or purchase a bungalow. I am only 16 and have hated every single moment in Singapore. The bus is to slow, frequency too slow, it is too noisy, cars which happens to be my passion are too expensive and above all it is so damn noisy. As a result, the act of putting on a pair of noise insulating ear phones is a necessity. I would miss the food, clean government but the desire for peace is too great.
Zhangjia, care telling me more about the water bombs and their effectiveness.
Hi Tyranny,
My next door Malay lady told me she threw water bombs at them whenever there are too many of the karang guni men. Now there are lesser compared to months ago.
I have told my Town Council and some officers were seen chasing them away.
The most effective way is for NEA to enforce noise-pollution penalties against these nuisance and confiscate their horns.
Have any one of you reported your grievances to the NEA. Perhaps with more and more people complaining, NEA will be moved to take action.
I am a HDB resident that has recently made a complaint to the NEA and they have been helpful in reducing the noise pollution from the KaranG Guni men.
The NEA has also been very diligent in following up via email and mobile phone, ensuring that their efforts are effective.
Like Zhangjia2008, I’d encourage those who are unhappy with the Karang Guni practice to feedback to the NEA.
Email: Contact_NEA@nea.gov.sg
Tel: 1800-CALL NEA [1800-2255 632]
The following letter was sent via E Mail to NEA on Saturday, 13 December 2008 at 12:55 AM. I will be posting the reply and effectiveness of my complaint. I do hope that my fears of NEA not acting on my complaint are unfounded. Addresses are concealed to protect my identity.
Dear Sir,
I am writing to inform you of a Rag And Bone Man who would toot his horn at the
foot of my block every Sunday starting 10 00 hours and ending late in the afternoon
after having collected his trash from all neighbouring blocks.
He would park his motor bicycle attached with a red side car on a parking lot designated
for the handicap or an loading/unloading bay. His presence coupled with his incessant
blaring of horn at such an hour has caused me and many others much distress and disruptions in our daily life.
Whats more, his inconsiderate behaviour of utilizing a parking lot meant for the less fortunate
would certainly have brought along much inconvenience to residents.
To make matters worse, as the day idles by to the tooting of his horn and this Rag And Bone Man accumulates his
trove of newspaper which ultimately never fits in his small side car, the reams of waste would be left next to his side car taking up a further lot
intended for the handicapped or loading/unloading. All this never gets cleared till circa 1600 hours when a lorry arrives to discard of a mountain of unsightly,
fire hazardous and, for all we may know, bacteria infested newspaper.
I seek your kind understanding on this matter
and sincerely hope actions of great measures would be taken upon this noise belching, life ruining harbinger of disruption Rag And Bone Man
for it is he who has woken me up from my slumber many a times on a day which I together with everyone else is supposed to rest.
Tyranny
For those parking at “handicap” parking lots, you can call 1800-2721409 (HDB), not the NEA. The wardens from HDB are very efficient and they come rather promptly.
If the NEA do not attend to your noise problem, you can throw “water bombs” or rubbish at the Bone & Rag man, but be careful not to be caught. The best is not to throw from your own window, but from some common corridor or landing.
usually they sound for 10 min sometimes 15 mins. But when they come 6 to 8 times in a day some times more, that really pissed me off. There are at least 6 active Gurang in my area, just a few blocks need 6 to come daily meh? The town council should limit the number that come to each area. this would also prevent fight, i herd some gurang guni one on one with each other to claim territories lucky my area dont have fighting.
Some of the guang guni also getting creative, got one in my area is si bei high pitch one, who know maybe next time we can get a chinese oprea singing gurang guni
I find it extremely irritating, especially when all the blocks are encircled into one huge amplifier-like acoustic environment. There are days when 2-3 garung guni man appears in my area, and they seem to only stop after they are about to leave.
Imagine yourself studying or working on something that requires much concentration, and the next thing you know is that you’ll be in for at least 15 minutes of senseless horning. YES YES, WE KNOW YOU ARE HERE ALREADY, so please STOP and GIVE US THE PEACE! :(
So GG-uncles/aunties, please understand our situation, and horn for the first 3 min only and we’ll trade with you if we need to.
I’m really frustrated about this and I wish that the authorities would put an end to this. Not everyone works in the afternoon. Think about people who work during odd hours. I live in hougang and it seems like a hot spot for these people. On a sunny day, they come by and spam they horns about 3-8 times a day (different people). They are very inconsiderate.
I have been making complains to the local authorities (e.g. the police, town council and so on) for the last 2 years and NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. They often revert the issue to someone else.
I am extremely disappointed and agitated by this (till the extend that i have been having violent thoughts). Of course, I don’t intend to act it out but I really hope that someone would do something about this.
I think the local media could play apart by putting some pressure on the local authorities to do something about this. Yes, they are doing business but this is not the way to do it. Noise should not be made in residential places as people need to rest.
Can we come together as a body to resolve this issue? I had enough of this.
Residential areas are allocated for a reason. Sigh.
i guess i’m one of the unlucky ones who got bombarded by these guys. fair enough they are making a living, i respect that. but it gets real unbearable during the weekends when up to 5-6 of them come in one after another with their horns and and shoutings. and if that is not enough, some of them will walk past the corridors.
i’m working night shifts and have a 8 month old daughter. if i am to be tolerant to them making a living, will it be too much to ask for them to do the same to me? are they being tolerant to people like me?
glad this was brought up here, i’ve been trying to live and let live these past few months after my daughter was born. and i have not complained or anything but it does drives me up the wall every single week.
nuisance @!!
Hi everyone,
I know how you feel. The above video was taken by me from my flat in Yishun in 2008. The video is just from one day. They came every single day and it was truly unbearable. I’d complained to the town council but nothing much was done. The town council told me they’d alert their people to look out for them and tell them not to use the horn so much.
But the problem is that it’s hard for the town council to catch these people.
Anyway, I am considering doing a follow-up report on this. And perhaps to write directly to the relevant authorities.
Please email me your area (estate and block number) where these karang guni men appear and we will investigate this further.
Our email is: theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
Thanks!
Why can’t we leave the garung guni men alone?How many of you would like to spend your sunday morning sacrificing your voice shouting?Please lah.The problem is not with these people.The problem is with many of you who think that you are educated and literate and thus ,are getting less tolerent which many of you are not aware.
When one garang kuni man was charge for a threathening offence,I am not surprise that it is again another case of intorelent.Sadly,people who speak dialects and loud are often seen and mistaken as uneducated , abusive ,threathening and rude to others.I speak dialects with these people.They are also human being made of blood and flesh.They also have feeling.They dun horn for fun.Their livelihood are also threathened by foreign karang guni women who may prefer to go doors to doors.
Its better for them to let you know their arrival by horning and visit your house than those who knock on your door without announcement and these are the real security threat as they may pick up anything at your door step if no one around.
The worst is that Company that just throw a yellow plastic bag at your door step and any thing that you put in it is considered legally their property to them.Remember a case that they got into a commotion after a garang kuni man pick up that yellow bag.Who gave them the authority to put a yellow bag at my door step?Is this legal?Isn’t it a case of littering?And littering is less trivial than noise pollution?
Karang guni man do not want be jobless and depend on others.They also have family to feed.
Ya lar.agongkia,you dun have a 5 year old baby sleeping ,you dun work on shift,you stay high floor…….
Let me tell you that I am also like many of you.But I DO NOT FIND THEM A NUISANCE .because we must learn to live and let live.Be more gracious and tolerent especially those who are earning an honest living.
37)Andrew
The above video was taken by me from my flat in Yishun in 2008…. They came every single day and it was truly unbearable. I’d complained to the town council but nothing much was done. The town council told me they’d alert their people to look out for them and tell them not to use the horn so much.
But the problem is that it’s hard for the town council to catch these people.
Sorry to hear about your situation but how is hard for the TC to catch them if they come everyday?
Perhaps you should seek help from your friendly neighbourhood NPC(Yishun Nth or Sth) the next time.They are more professional and may be able to help you.
28)
“The NEA has also been very diligent in following up via email and mobile phone, ensuring that their efforts are effective.”
My friend made few calls to them to report about neighbouring country’s trailers leaving their engine running the whole night every night with thick smoke at Penjuru lane .
They say they only work office hour and can’t do much.You call that diligent?Maybe only diligent with the garang guni men.
I think the Town Councillors should do something about this. Its really about learning to be considerate and who knows – that might even improve the karang guni business if residents appreciate their service and presence in the neighborhood.
PS I have also dropped Aljunied Town Council an email on this air-horn nuisance but…they neber response.
My honest view is that the horning is quite annoying.
But this does not mean that i am against the trade of Karanguni.
They help all HDB dwellers get rid of unwanted stuff.
Without them, HDBs could prolly be dirtier if more throw away unwanted items at the lift lobby etc. Could this lead to increase in S&CC ?
I think these men are usually older men who may not be educated to a high enough level such that their age and their qualification may have made them unable to land a good job. With so many FT and FW and ease of access to foreigners, it is even more tough life for them.
But at least they earn an honest living. Not like liars who boast about their inflated ‘achievements’. where liars can say what they want to say , anyway they want it . Who is bothered to question them? Karanguni’s earn not by cheating, forcing or distroying people or instilling fear in people . They do not sell their souls. They turn garbage into cash. They are helping to save the world.
Else, you come and do their job lah. You can tahan this kind of work or not?
Not anyone can do the job. It takes a certain ability.
Now, i hear that even foreigners are competing with local karanguni’s?
Yes, some of them may be annoying. But they are doing their job. Next time, go and tell them that its annoying and I am sure they will horn less annoyingly.
They may not be as smart as you but they are just trying to earn a living. Why would they want to annoy and not get business when their business is tough enough thanks to foreigner competition?
Imagine if foreigners also allowed to be Taxi drivers. what will happen to the many citizen cabbies? But I am not sure if PRs can do taxi. I ever boarded a taxi driven either part time or as relief by someone who sounded or appeared like a foreigner. But of course, my assessment could be wrong. I do not know. do you?
Ng Swee Ting ,
I agree with what you have written fully.
All of you are lucky now that they use only horns. Wait till they use recorded messages that broadcast through loudhailer.
I live right beside an MRT station and every time the train arrives, it causes a fair amount of noise. I should probably write to SMRT and request for them to disable all train services.
Come on ladies and gentlemen, leave them alone. Its just a little noise. Its part and parcel of the heartlands. Besides, would you rather some pretentious wanker in a suit and tie and nice leather shoes actually ringing your doorbell and asking you for junk, everyday, as the KG man does? Be less selfish.
@Ng Swee Ting,
awesome essay, but OUT OF POINT, 0 marks. =)
No one’s against the trade or anything, PLEASE OPEN EYES BIG BIG TO READ.
Why talk about FT? What liars? Are you a garang-guni person? That’s not even a case to defend them.
@Tiredman,
are you ng swee ting’s clone? You know that she’s off the topic, don’t you? Or are you the same person with a different nick?
@theinkhorn,
“I live right beside an MRT station and every time the train arrives, it causes a fair amount of noise. I should probably write to SMRT and request for them to disable all train services.”
You can move away, we can’t. :) They are everywhere!
And because of our population density, we don’t have a choice.
BUT for garang-guni problem, they HAVE a choice, and we HAVE the right.
Seriously, ” Its just a little noise” ? 20-30minutes of horns 2-3times a day for some days? A little noise? YOU”RE KIDDING RIGHT? Perhaps you have it better over at your estate, but again, staying beside the MRT track, I pity you.
Mr theinkhorn, i think you’re trying to portray a nice-person or even heroic persona online, with your BLOG URL tagged to your nick for whatever reason, however, using the phrase “pretentious wanker” doesn’t really help your ratings, you know? :)
Pretenious wanker, suit and tie, oh, are you insulting the sales personnel? Your stereotyping is indeed “considerate”, and very “respectful”. If you truly respect people, and in this case, you in an attempt to stand up for the garang-guni man, i suggest you TAKE BACK those words. (and stop trolling)
“Be less selfish.” <– WHAT SELFISH? WE PAY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS PAYING FOR OUR RESIDENCE AND WE JUST WANT SOME PEACE FOR THAT HALF-A-MILLION DOLLARS WE BUST OUR BUTTS ON HALF OUR ENTIRE LIFE, that's selfish? DO YOU EVEN PAY FOR IT? No, you probably don't. Chances that you're a student living off your parents.
All we want is garang guni man to adjust their method of trade. That's selfish? YOU TELL US.
Yawn…what’s next…ban malay weddng???
this theinkhorn talk like real only lah, want to act macho only, see his blog, haha like girl writing diary like that, hahahha joker lahh
Richard Tan
I’m not trying to portray anything. I merely stated my understanding of what it means to earn a hard living. You seem rather insulted by the pretentious wanker comment though. Hit a sensitive spot did i?
I grew up in the heartlands where as a kid, i had to listen to the exact same noise you did. To tell you the truth, i’ve grown fond of the honking. It reminds me of a much much simpler time, for me at least. I don’t know what it means to you, neither do I care to be honest. I can tell you though that the honking will persist, and it is, as i said before, part and parcel of living in the heartlands.
If you’re so unhappy about it, find a place in the city, where there’s no KG man honking at all. There might be traffic though so i guess you should probably move somewhere else. Say, a farm. But then again, there might be roosters waking you up in the morning. So you might want to consider camping in a jungle. But then again there’s that pesky clapping of thunder that no doubt will amplified many many times due to the lack of walls. Why not makes things easier for yourself? Buy ear plugs. Or, alternatively, you could try… not complaining. Certainly a lot easier on yourself.
I take nothing back. In fact, I put some more out there. It is downright WANKY to complain about 10 to 20 minutes of honking when your television set is right there, your computer is right there, your shower is right there. So many ways to drown out the noise, but only one way for the KG man to get your attention.
In fact, lets take Upturner’s advice. Lets ban all malay weddings, AND funerals, and any other sort of activities. Lets leave void decks as they are meant to be. Void.
Quite honestly Richard, I really don’t think you thought things through before you entered your comment. Your assertions are foolish and laughable, and do not deserve any dignifying. You claim to “have spent half a million dollars on your residence”. I urge you then, Richard, to grow up.
Logging on to TOC and attempting, unsuccessfully i might add, to demonstrate your wit does not gain you any respect you may be lacking in the real world.