All because of a rat. A well-known Lor Mee stall owner said he saw a rat run into his stall and suspected it came from the neighbouring kway teow stall. When he confronted the female hawker and tapped her back, she became upset and called the police.
The incident happened on Monday (Nov 17) at around 10am at the Chang Cheng Coffeeshop at Block 269 Queen Street.
A reader told Shin Min Daily News that the male stallholder from “Bukit Purmei Lor Mee” had laid hands on the female hawker from the adjacent “Shanyuan Teochew Kway Teow Mian” stall. She later contacted the police.
When reporters arrived, several police officers were already at the scene. The female hawker was seated, speaking with officers, while the Lor Mee stall owner continued preparing noodles.
The Lor Mee stall owner, who did not wish to be named, said he and his wife were opening the stall that morning when a rat suddenly ran into their stall and even ran across his wife’s feet.
“I believe the rat came from the neighbouring kway teow stall. I have also seen cockroaches and rats before, so I was worried about hygiene. I told her kindly to take note, but she denied the rat came from her stall and kept muttering.”
Lor Mee stall owner: Only lightly tapped her shoulder
He said he could not tolerate her constant muttering, so he went over and “lightly tapped” her shoulder.
“I did not hit her hard. If I really hit her, would she still be standing there?”
The kway teow stallholder said that when he mentioned the rat earlier, she told him to get a glue trap.
“At that time, I was washing dishes when he suddenly hit my back very hard. I lost my balance and fell forward. Fortunately, the sink in front of me stopped me from falling.”
She said she called the police after being hit, adding, “I feel things can be discussed properly. How can someone raise their hand like that?”
