Ted Tsai

2020, let’s face it, the world is a mess.

Haven’t we seen enough of job loss, economic downturn, social instability and political unrest? It doesn’t just stop there. Encompassing everyday struggles and personal issues, no wonder people are stressed out.

When I walk down to the shops in my local area, there’s a strange vibe in the air. The atmosphere is markedly different now. While governments are gradually easing restrictions, returning to normal is still some distance away. These days people are wary and guarded everywhere they go. Hand sanitisers, social distancing and hygiene practice have become the new norm.

We’re all trying to remain sane and safe in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Sure, we’re only human, we can only take so much. We get anxious about the future, our job, our bank account and our health. Some have started to show abnormal reaction or over-reaction overtly or behind closed doors, it’s understandable. But under no circumstances, bad behaviour can be excused.

Why have I just said that?

Friday night. Done with my grocery shopping. As I was returning a shopping trolley to the trolley station near the entrance to the supermarket, all of sudden a guy from behind, pushed a trolley hard against my legs. It was a deliberate act, he did it on purpose. In no way it was an accident. The force was so big that it caused my left ankle to bruise immediately. I was screaming in pain.

Who the hell? I looked back. There he was – That idiot, a middle aged male with a grin on his face, showing zero remorse, giving no apology, acting like as if nothing had happened then walked off.

I was carrying 4 bags of grocery in my arms, feeling tired and hungry. I just wanted to go home. I had a decision to make – Either count myself unlucky, ignore him and leave or deal with it.

One witness who came forward was kind enough to ask if I’m OK. I said, I’m alright, fortunately, it’s not bleeding but it’s bruising. With his encouragement, I decided to pursue the matter further. I wasn’t going to let that idiot get away with it just like that.

Excuse me! I yelled as I was trying to call that idiot out. He noticed I wasn’t giving up, took a look at me and said a few words that I didn’t quite hear exactly but certainly it wasn’t a sorry I was hoping for. By the look of his face and body language, I could tell that he was not apologetic, worse yet, he was still wearing the same grin on his face.

Later, I went to speak to a couple of store staff about this incident. With my persistence, the matter was escalated to the store manager.

As I was explaining to the store manager about the incident, I was at the height of my emotion. I was reasonably calm and polite but very firm in my language. I demanded that idiot to be banned from their store. By then, that idiot was already at one of the self-serve check outs finalising his purchase.

The store manager was one fine gentleman, he exhibited a high degree of empathy towards me, apologised for what had happened, he even apologised on that idiot’s behalf.

I told him that as a store, they’re not responsible for an individual’s erratic behaviour as such but they do have responsibility to ensure safety and security of their shoppers while on the premises. I insisted that idiot should be stopped and spoken to. His wrongdoing, that kind of behaviour will not be accepted in their store and anywhere. The store manager promised he’ll speak with him. For my own safety, I agreed not to be present by his side and just let him deal with that idiot.

The next morning when I woke up, I felt there was still an unfinished business from the night before. So I decided to call the supermarket to find out if that idiot was spoken to. As the store manger was off duty till later in the evening, I ended up speaking with the second in charge – the duty manager. A long story short, he promised that he’ll personally follow up with the store manager, call me and let me know. He’ll also raise a safety issue in their next meeting and discuss about having a signage put up around the store.

Then, around 9:55 PM before the store shut their door at 10 PM, I got a call from the store manager. He assured to me that he did speak with that idiot about the incident. According to the store manager, that idiot had a bad day. He knew what he did was wrong, he was remorseful and apologetic for the harm he’d caused. It will not happen again.

Soon after the call ended, I felt a great sense of relief mixed with gratitude and achievement. Now that idiot took note of my loud-and-clear message: Bad behaviour will not be tolerated. For me, it was time to move on… 

How well do you know your neighbours? Do you say hello when you see them? Or do you look away and pretend they don’t exist?

It’s the third time that I have this kind of conviction. When an emergency arises, who are you going to call? The closest people around aren’t necessarily always your colleagues, friends or family but believe or not – your neighbours.

DIY to save money and the hassle? It depends. It’s so true that some things are best left with the experts. I remember 5 years ago, the electricity in my unit went off completely. The outage occurred not due to some natural cause but a faulty switch which I tried to fix it myself. Silly me!

Relying on the only source of power – my smart phone, I managed to find my way in the dark, called my brother and asked two neighbours of mine for assistance. Before I got the problem resolved, their help in the interim proved to be so invaluable.

Through my brother, I got hold of an electrician named Gregor that night. I’ve known him for years. He’s one of those guys – No problem is too big or too small for him. The fact that he could come over on such a short notice, I was very grateful for that. His 5 star service and humble character impressed me once again. What a life saver! 

What’s next? The more recent case saw me getting into a sticky situation, it was almost embarrassing. Two weeks ago, I locked myself out of my apartment after taking the rubbish out in the garage room near the main road. It was almost midnight, cold and dark. Most people would already be in bed that time of the night. Poor me! I was still outside my door, standing alone with a set of keys in my hand. No matter how hard I tried, the key just wouldn’t turn. To not make the situation worse, I decided to ask for help. But ask who?

For the convenience, I thought of the neighbour on my left. I peeked over the side but couldn’t see anything other than the blinds and the lights in the living room. Well, at least the lights were still on. Should I or shouldn’t I? I had no time to think. I rang the bell hoping someone would come and answer the door. A minute passed, it was quiet with no sign of movement. Just when I thought it was going to be a long night, I heard the sound of footsteps coming towards my way. There he was – my new neighbour! I was half relieved to say the least!

I’m sorry to bother you but… do you think you might have WD-40 lubricant by any chance? The lock on my door is stuck for some reason – I asked politely. Hmm… He paused for a second, the look on his face showed some hopefulness, then I saw him walk back in to check. A minute or two later, he came with a can of lubricant similar to WD-40. Yes! I cheered inside.

Just one spray was all it took. That missing clicking sound I so desperately wanted to hear was back. The next thing I knew, the door was unlocked and re-open in front of me! I was overjoyed.

Home sweet home. I kept thanking him for his help, I even commented he’s saved my life. He responded with a smile and a few nice words, before we each retired to our own places.

What can I say? Certainly not everyone is wired about the idea “love your neighbour as yourself”, but at the very least, let’s be civil and be neighbourly. You can never know, one of your neighbours might become your accidental hero one day…