Thursday, November 1, 2007

British tourists bullied our aged trishaw driver

It was just a $15 fare for the trishaw ride but the 3 British tourists did not want to pay a single cent. The aged Mr Lee had to struggle with a total passenger weight of about 200kg, and being made fun of, yet not being paid part of the fare. Worse still, one of the three big bullies, Mr Bo Davis uploaded the video to Youtube. According to Asiaone news article below, he made the following comments:

"If it were three Asian guys and not three white guys. Would it have got the same reaction?"

I feel he did not even think what he had done was wrong. He probably thought it was his consumer right not to pay Mr Lee at all just because he was cycling too slowly. It was not a problem about nationality or race. It was a matter of compassion and respect for someone as elderly as Mr Lee. If they think we Singaporeans are targeting them because they are whites, I suggest they leave our shores forever. We do not need tourists who do not even show decent respect for our people.

Singapore Netizen fury over YouTube video

It all started with a British tourist posting online a video he took while on holiday in Singapore about three months ago. What the Englishman and two of his fellow tourists thought would make a funny video now have them labeled as bullies.

The original video posted up by tourist Mr Bo Davis, 26, was titled "The Slowest Taxi in Southeast Asia" has provoked fiery responses from Netizens.

In the 3 minutes 51 seconds video, the three medium-built guys are seen squeezing onto a trishaw ridden by an elderly man. Clearly struggling under their weight, the trishaw uncle pedals at a snail's pace, while his passengers taunt him for going so slowly.

According to The New Paper, the trishaw uncle is 67-year-old, Mr Lee Shee Lam, who has been riding for 15 years now. Mr Lee told The New Paper that the three tourists had originally agreed to pay him $15 for the ride, but after the ride they got off and left in a taxi. Leaving Mr Lee without paying a single cent.

The original video has been removed by Mr Bo, but someone else has since re-posted it on YouTube and retitled it: "B*****ds bullying Singapore senior citizen…" At last check, the video has been viewed over 31,000 times and commented on over one thousand times.

Mr Lee, who does not understand English, says that he was not aware that the three Englishmen were making fun of him or that they were filming the trip. He has since brushed the incident off as bad luck, saying this was the first time his passengers refused to pay, and that there was nothing he could have done about it.

The New Paper also managed to contact Mr Bo Davis, who said he did not feel they were being bullies at all. On comments that the three of them had bullied Mr Lee, he said: "Looking back, I think we were insensitive. But bullies, no." Mr Bo Davis also believes that the incident's magnitude has to do with nationality.

He said: "If it were three Asian guys and not three white guys. Would it have got the same reaction?"

Update: Further details of this bully case by Mr Bo Davis on Guardian Unlimited and The Daily Mail.

12 comments:

Graham said...

Would be nice if they could be extadited and face criminal charges in Singapore.
That would be good, not feasible, but good

Anonymous said...

WTF. I'd like to see that guy do the cycling himself. What does he mean by they are not bullies? And they should face criminal action for not paying for a service they used!

James Chia said...

mole,
He probably would also have difficulty pedaling with 3 medium-sized guys in the seat.

Illicitus said...

"If it were three Asian guys and not three white guys. Would it have got the same reaction?"

Talk about totally missing the point. Seems like a lame attempt to turn it into a racial issue.

But then again, the comments like 'f*cking ang mohs' blablabla...doesn't help.

Anonymous said...

I feel really sad to know 3 BRITISH guys did these to a old man who was making a decent living because I believe BRITISH to be educated guys will NEVER do such thing. Now I have my second thought regarding BRITISH citizens.
Advise you guys to pay up & apoloize sincerely..

Anonymous said...

As featured on their local papers

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=490946&in_page_id=1770

Anonymous said...

Oh my great gosh.....what era are the three racist idiots living in now? Do they think that they are still living in the time when singapore was ruled by an almighty, all-white and ultimately cowardly British colonial government? Cowardice, lack of foresight and disunity were the main ingredients in causing singapore to fall into the hands of the Imperial Japanese Army. Excuse me, but now we are a reputable, meritocratic, democratic, advanced and self-governed state that does not feel the need to bow to foreigners and let ourselves be humiliated.

One would have thought that the British would have reflected on their actions and repented of their misdeeds after well-nigh half a century's time. These few black sheep have tarnished the British image internationally, sparking such a furore. I sincerely hope that these few 'blackies' would really redeem themselves and save the international British image from ruin by repenting on their moral ways. If not, Confucius shall descend from heaven and spank them hard, then teach them proper ways to respect the elderly and infirm.

Anonymous said...

oh, and incidentally, i have some suspicions concerning the three motherfucker's genders. They were howling in such high-pitch tones
that at first impression, I thought that they were three women in male garb. They sounded for all the world like three mad wolves howling their throats out. Or worse, they are she-males which have undergone transexual operations lately, with male 'outside' but female 'inside'.
They are in the most proper and upright sense, freaks of nature.

James Chia said...

To my readers: I understand we all feel very angry over this matter but please refrain from using vulgarities. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

has the furore died down?

James Chia said...

I doubt so. There are still people all over the world interested in this incident.

DannyWatt said...

i think because of this incident, an ang mo got lynched at toa payoh.