Patrons of food courts and hawker centres either have a habit of not clearing their trays or they think it is the cleaner’s job, with which they do not want to be associated.
At the Singapore Management University food court, where I lunch regularly, the cleaners are unable to cope with the lunch crowd.
Patrons would leave their trays on the table after their meal, and the next group who sits at that table would have no choice but to move the trays to an unoccupied table nearby, or a tray trolley if all the tables are occupied.
This would go on until the crowd thins. In short, the practice is to clear someone else’s tray before one’s meal.
In hawker centres, a group of patrons may stand around a messy table while one among them hunts for the cleaner to clear and clean the table. Tray-clearing points near the exits and signs on the tables and walls have no impact.
The problem is habit. If one can carry a heavier tray from the food stall, why not carry the lighter tray to the clearing points after one’s meal?
I suggest that to start the ball rolling, uniformed ambassadors, similar to those on MRT station platforms during peak hours, could be employed to move around and remind patrons to clear their trays on their way out.
Retirees, with their elderly looks and tact, may suit this job best. Given time, clearing one’s tray should become a habit. Patrons needing a table could then also ask other patrons to clear their own trays before they leave.
At the Singapore Management University food court, where I lunch regularly, the cleaners are unable to cope with the lunch crowd.
Patrons would leave their trays on the table after their meal, and the next group who sits at that table would have no choice but to move the trays to an unoccupied table nearby, or a tray trolley if all the tables are occupied.
This would go on until the crowd thins. In short, the practice is to clear someone else’s tray before one’s meal.
In hawker centres, a group of patrons may stand around a messy table while one among them hunts for the cleaner to clear and clean the table. Tray-clearing points near the exits and signs on the tables and walls have no impact.
The problem is habit. If one can carry a heavier tray from the food stall, why not carry the lighter tray to the clearing points after one’s meal?
I suggest that to start the ball rolling, uniformed ambassadors, similar to those on MRT station platforms during peak hours, could be employed to move around and remind patrons to clear their trays on their way out.
Retirees, with their elderly looks and tact, may suit this job best. Given time, clearing one’s tray should become a habit. Patrons needing a table could then also ask other patrons to clear their own trays before they leave.
