A safe-distancing officer walks up to you and informs you that you’re breaking COVID-19 rules. What do you do?
Reader: Is this a trick question?
Nope.
Reader: Well, I’ll listen to what he’s saying and stop whatever I’m doing, of course.
Sure, that’s what most of us would do, dear reader.
But not all humans are alike. Some respond to getting caught breaking the law by breaking even more laws.
3 Men Investigated for Hurling Vulgarities at Safe-Distancing Officers
The police are investigating three men for verbally abusing safe distancing officers with vulgarities in three separate incidents.
All three officers, who were from the National Environmental Agency, were simply doing their job when the incidents occurred.
Here’s what happened:
Incident 1: Asked to Stop Drinking, Used Vulgarities On Officer
On the night of 18 July, a safe distancing officer approached a man and three of his friends at Newton Food Centre.
She advised them to stop drinking because it was past 10:30pm, as COVID-19 rules prohibit the serving or consumption of alcohol at F&B establishments after that time.
Instead of complying, however, the man hurled vulgarities at the officer.
She then called the police, and the 36-year-old is now assisting with investigations. He’s also being investigated for possibly breaching the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act.
If he had just taken the officer’s advice, he would have gone home an innocent man.
Incident 2: Asked to Disperse Large Gathering, Used Vulgarities
Believe it or not, the second incident occurred on the same day as the first, and at the same place.
An enforcement officer had approached a man and his five friends and advised them to disperse, since they had exceeded the permitted group size of five for social gatherings at the time.
But instead of listening, the man hurled vulgarities at the officer.
The police were called in, and the 41-year-old is now assisting with investigations. He’s also being investigated for breaching COVID-19 measures.
Incident 3: Asked to Stop Drinking Beer at Closed Premises, Used Vulgarities
The third offender, much like the first, was asked to stop drinking alcohol, but not for the same reasons.
A safe distancing officer told a man at Haig Road Market and Food Centre to stop drinking his beer because the premises were closed for deep cleaning.
Sounds reasonable, right?
The man was also told to put on his mask and leave the premises.
But, of course, the man used vulgarities on the officer instead of complying.
The 58-year-old is now assisting with police investigations.
Offenders Could Be Jailed For a Year
Using abusive words against a public servant isn’t exactly taken lightly by the authorities.
If convicted, offenders face a fine of up to S$5,000, a year in jail, or both.
So if an officer, whether a safe distancing officer or police officer, advises you to stop breaking the law, it’d be wise to do so.
If you, like them are angry at someone, watch this video to the end to understand why nobody cares about your anger:
Read Also:
- New Sinovac Vaccines to Arrive in 4 to 6 Weeks As All Existing Stocks Are Already Allocated
- Updated TraceTogether App Comes with a Refresh Button That Can Check If It’s a Screenshot
Featured Image: Facebook (Chan Chun Sing)