A pregnant woman and her husband were dining at a frog porridge restaurant in Geylang when they encountered a fellow diner smoking. Feeling unwell from the smoke, she politely asked him to stop.
However, the man reacted aggressively, throwing porridge and alcohol at her. Police later arrested the man and issued him a stern warning.
Smoker Angrily Retaliates After Being Asked to Stop
According to a news report, the woman shared her experience on the social media platform Xiaohongshu. She recounted that on the second day of the Lunar New Year, she was dining at a frog porridge restaurant on Geylang Lorong 16 when she politely asked a man at the next table to stop smoking in the public area. However, instead of complying, the man became agitated.
He deliberately walked over to her and continued smoking near her while questioning where she was from.
“At that time, my husband had gone to place an order, leaving me alone. I was terrified and didn’t want to respond, so I just pretended to look at my phone.”
Since she ignored him, the man began hurling insults at her before returning to his seat. Moments later, he suddenly threw porridge and alcohol at her before being pulled away by his friends.
The woman also stated in her post that the man had come close to her and “maliciously took photos” of her. Due to this, she and her husband decided to report the incident to the police, citing sexual harassment.
She further explained that she did not mention her pregnancy at the time since she was still in the early stages and her belly was not visibly showing.
Restaurant Owner advises Woman to Call Police
When Shin Min Daily News contacted the restaurant, the owner confirmed that the woman had complained about being harassed. Given the severity of the situation, she advised her to call the police.
“She told me someone had touched her. The person seemed to be a tourist. I didn’t witness the incident myself, so I couldn’t do much to help, but I told her she should report it. The police arrived quickly, and we provided CCTV footage for their review.”
She added that, according to regulations, smoking is not allowed inside restaurants or coffee shops.
The Singapore Police Force confirmed that they received a report of the incident at around 9:10 PM on January 30. Officers arrested a 37-year-old man at the scene.
After a thorough investigation and considering the facts of the case, the police, on the advice of the Attorney-General’s Chambers, issued the man a stern warning. He was found to have committed the offense of “criminal force” under Section 352 of the Penal Code and had also violated the Protection from Harassment Act 2014.
While the porridge landed on the woman’s skirt, she was fortunate not to suffer burns.
Woman traumatized after porridge-throwing incident
The incident had a significant emotional impact on her, and she said she was still feeling unwell a week later.
“My skirt is clean now, but I just can’t bring myself to wear it anymore.”
The restaurant owner stated that, based on what she knew, the dispute arose when the man accidentally bumped into the woman while walking past, and the restaurant itself was not involved.
She emphasized that the restaurant maintains a safe environment and that customers only drink in moderation, with no prior incidents of drunken disturbances.
“The man was a tourist. Our restaurant has been open for six years, and we’ve never had problems with drunken customers causing trouble.”
Woman Returns Three Hours Later to Complain About Food Being Cleared
Interestingly, about three hours after leaving the restaurant, the woman returned, unhappy that her food had been cleared.
The restaurant owner revealed, “She came back complaining that there were still a few pieces of frog left and blamed us for removing them. It was a busy festive period, and when customers leave, we have to clear the table. I need to run my business, and she never mentioned she would return to continue eating.”
To avoid further disputes, the restaurant eventually refunded her $12 for the uneaten frog legs.
