From Money to Mayhem: The $2 Change Show‑down in Chinatown
What started as a simple refueling of a shopper’s drinks turned into a scene that felt straight out of a soap opera, right at People’s Park Centre.
So, what exactly went down?
- It was the middle of a Saturday afternoon, around 1:10 pm.
- A 76‑year‑old woman with two kids had just bought a batch of drinks for $10.
- When the stall owner handed over the change, it was all ten‑cent and twenty‑cent coins.
- “Why are they all coin‑only?” the mother complained, noticing the original bill was a $2 note.
Things took a dramatic turn.
- The woman’s frustration sparked an instant flare‑up with the stall owner, who responded with rising voices and an unmistakable growling tone.
- Witness Chua reported seeing a tiny scratch on the mother’s neck and a plastic cup lying on the floor—likely discarded as a hasty jab.
- Not just in words: a male stall owner, standing nearby, happened to slam a kitchen knife at the counter in an attempt to scare the mother. Slow‑motion picture perfectly unnecessary.
- Chua’s daughter had a moment of “real life” horror and began crying hysterically.
Chua wasn’t the only bystander on the scene. A nearby stall owner remarked that “they’re—hot‑headed, always shouting when dissatisfied” – a catchphrase almost as consistent as lunchtime rushes.
Police and fallout.
- Authorities confirmed that the 37‑year‑old woman was conscious during transport to the hospital.
- Investigations are underway, led by a 23‑year‑old officer whose name remains undisclosed.
- A reminder of a March incident in Yishun: a patron complained her kopi‑o was tossed aside when paying with small coins—though the shop denied that $1.20 “was discarded.”
Bottom line: A whole lot of drama over a simple $2 change. Cheers to owning your coins—you never know when they might spark a full‑blown showdown!
