http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Courts%2Band%2BCrime/STIStory_235052.html
8-year-old boy robbed of handphone
An eight-year-old boy was robbed of his $200 handphone last Sunday at 10pm.
He was returning from a trip to the provision store at Block 230 Tampines St 23, when a man accosted him and demanded to see his handphone.
The man then grabbed his handphone and ran off.
The suspect is described to be of fair complexion, 1.7m in height, and having a mole under the right side of his lip. He was wearing a cream shirt and long black pants.
Anyone with information can contact the Police at 1800-255-0000.
Why on earth was an 8-year old boy given a mobile phone and be expected to make by himself a trip to the provision shop?
ReplyDeleteI was making trips to the provision shops since I was in primary one (7 years old) IIRC. My dearest mother not only had to take care of the house, cook, feed us but also look after babies. So, naturally making runs to provision shops from time to time for stuff urgently needed was the job of the eldest, meaning yours truly. In those days of course we didn't have handphones and from time to time I would get the wrong item which naturally entailed some slapping, caning or ear-twisting depending on the time of the month. Being able to call my beloved mother might have made a difference.
ReplyDeleteI was even in charge of fetching my brother back from Kindergarten, and in years he is but one year my junior.
Presumably more privileged kids never had run errands to provision shops except perhaps their own un-sanctioned errands which usually consisted of getting some tik-kum tik-kum.
Good job on the part of the kid remembering such details as a mole.
Didn't have provision shops around where I lived when I was 7, but I did bike around the neighbourhood, without a penny in my pocket.
ReplyDeleteWhether it is a $200 mobile phone or a gold chain given by grandma, it is still a magnet for robbers where an 8-year old is concerned.
Things were different when we were kids - there are other alternatives today besides equipping junior with a mobile phone to run a short errand downstairs, but a shopping list is probably easiest to help him remember, or just give to the shopkeeper. May not work so well in the past when shopkeeper may not speak/read the same language, but should be okay today.
Right, a list would have worked as well. Now why didn't I think of that when I was 7?
ReplyDeleteA lot of reasons ...
ReplyDelete#1 You're expected to learn to remember a simple shopping list - it is good training.
#2 Mum's too busy to write one.
#3 Shopkeeper can't read one.
#4 shimmi list ... you think paper and pen grow on trees izzit?!!
That's not it. Basically, we did do things differently when we were younger.
The main diff probably would be we didn't go out in the neighbourhood on our own wearing expensive jewelry or watches.
Or to keep it tucked out of sight if we have to.
I was already running errands to the neighbourhood minimart and provision shops when I was 8 or so. And, like Ur's mommy dearest, how my mother reacted to the stuff I brought back was very dependant on the time of the month. It was either go back to the shop (if I was lucky), get a cuffing and go back to the shop (not so lucky), or get a cuffing and an earful then go back to the shop (very unlucky). Heh.
ReplyDelete