25 in 28 Newton stalls guilty of touting
According to SoShiok.com:
Singapore, March 22, 2009 – Yes we tout. But there’s gentle touting and there’s touting that is thuggish, say the stallholders at Newton Food Centre.
The famous tourist spot was in the news last week when a seafood stall overcharged a group of Americans who had dined on various dishes, including eight tiger prawns that cost them $239.
The stall has been given a three-month suspension by the National Environment Agency (NEA).
Touting remains the key problem at the centre that opened in 1971, with some stalls suspended up to four times for this.
Many hawkers there acknowledge that touting has given the centre a bad name, but insist that they have no choice but to act brazenly in order to survive.
They say stall rentals are high and competition is tough. Those who choose to sit and wait for customers will lose out.
Read the full article at SoShiok.com:
- This is a bunch of bullshit about competition, it is the tourism board who touted Newton Circle to the world as one of the must go tourist attraction to taste a piece of Singaporean food…but end up paying a lot more.
The reputation of a “tourist attraction” is already a boon to many and as we all understand that anyone who goes there are prepared to be “chop head” (over-charged).
My first time when I went there, we were harassed by multiple touters to bring us to our seats and stand beside us to ask for our orders immediately.
When many of us request to order separately as normal food court manners, the touters gave such a black face before walking away sulking like octopus puking black ink.
The last time I was there, I notice there were not a single store that sells “economic” food and the minimum was at least $4.50 for the fried noodles (few years back).
The seafood store are probably the most “popular” but extremely expensive.
Maybe it’s time to set up a list of “blacklisted” locations and post it online…maybe here.
If you feel you had been ripped off, do email me at simontay78@gmail.com and I will compile a list of locations…if possible send me a photo of that shop in particular…and your experience.
I will post it here and I will be neutral party for now…but the best is to get a PR person from that location to contact the person invovle and get some kind of “amendments” to the current situation or CLOSE IT DOWN.
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nicole