Maids in the condo pool?

[road.not.taken]

Last I heard was that assumptions were statements. I believe all three of my sentences were questions. Therefore your reply didn't indicate but instead obfuscate.

Nope, assumptions are the act of taking something for granted, could be in any form: statement, question or haiku pantomime poetry slam.

Loops, I agree -- anyone -- maid, martian, mogul - whatever - if enjoying the pool and not disturbing others, would be fine. My guess is, too many tenants complained and that was that.

I remember two very ugly incidents at the American Club pool, probably 5 or more years ago. A man swimming in a lap lane on a crowded Sunday afternoon, berated a child for getting in his way then whacked him over the head with his kickboard. He was kicked out permanently and hopefully sought rigorous anger management.

A week or so later, also on a Sunday -- some crazy lady started screaming at her amah (what she was doing there on a Sunday I have no idea) in front of everyone at poolside. Really, really screaming, spit flying, obscenities, the whole thing. It brought the poor maid to tears. I wasn't there, but the Club publicized both incidents in the monthly magazine - described what happened without names and let everyone know the repercussions for bad behavior: in both cases expulsion.

Bad behavior has nothing to do with race, color, nationality, religion or socio-economic status.

[sundaymorningstaple]

But in both cases a whole class of people were not banned were they. Just the individual perpetrators, right?

More obfuscating?

[road.not.taken]

SMS, I don't know what you're after. I'm not trying to obfuscate anything. I have an opinion, I don't need any smoke and mirrors to justify it. The incidents I related were not meant to strengthen my stance, my opinion needs no bolstering since it is entirely subjective. I only added them because this discussion reminded me of them and I thought they were interesting.

[QRM]

Remind me not to sit between you two if we ever all go out to dinner.

[phil30k]

The right to enjoy the facilities that derives from owning and renting a condominium property does not automatically devolve to all the persons in the home.

Maids are considered guests and may not reserve/book facilities or invite other guests and may only use the facilities when accompanied by a resident.

Not being in proper swimming attire is grounds to request a user (whether resident or guest) vacate the pool, as is swimming during a thunderstorm, eating in the pool, rough-housing etc.

Providing there was no breach of such rules, if the security had asked a maid who was accompanying the resident's children to leave the pool solely on the grounds that she was a maid, then the security guard was in the wrong.

He should be reported to the Management so that they can explain the logic to him to prevent a recurrence but would likely not discipline him beyond requiring an apology to the maid.

[Turtle]

It really comes down to the attitude of society as a whole, the "never lose" thing. I don't think it's so much that people think maids are dirty, but it's more "give them (all people, not just maids) an inch and they take a mile". That's why there are so many rules and regulations everywhere, for virtually any situation. That's why there are fences around everyone's property and why no one's kids can play on the neighbour's lawn. If you leave one single loophole anywhere, someone will make a great game out of exploiting it. The Singaporean psyche is that if someone will always let you have 10 cents, do it again and again until you have a million dollars. Let's face it, people here derive a huge amount of pleasure from one-upping others (and avoiding getting one-upped), even if they get little to no actual benefit from it.

If household workers at condominiums were allowed to use the facilities freely without any restrictions, I honestly would not be surprised if tenants started charging strangers to be registered as their workers (without actually working) so that they could use country-club style facilities whenever they wanted.

That of course doesn't make the situation any less sad - people just don't trust others to be reasonable and follow the spirit of the rules, because most of the time here they won't.

[cutiebutie]

Either on this or another Singapore expat forum, there was a thread on "Only in Singapore".

This is a classic example: Maids not allowed in the pool.

The world upside down: Only in Singapore you find moron security guards, earning as little as 500 S$ per month, telling Fillippina / Indonesian maids, earning 500 S$ per month, they CANNOT swim there lah!!!

If it weren't sad, it would be the ultimate stupidity.

Bomb the country, wipe it off the earth, a human disgrace this little red dot.

Good topic this one. 'Bout time we had something meaty on here. WIMH would have something wonderful to say..where IS she ? I miss her.
And as for you Dutch boy- jeezaloo can't you be constructive?
One minute you're bashing up other motorists and the next you're wishing to obliterate Singapore ! Is violence the only response you have ?
Sigh......

Oh dear. Superglide is on another testosterone-high, advocating blowing up a country because maids are not allowed to swim in private pools.

Dear, may I suggest that you also blow up Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, ANYWHERE in Africa, the Middle East and South America and almost anywhere else you find a servant-culture.

Are you just all so upset because you can't have a maid in your lovely country?

Your anti-Singapore rants are so childish, it is incredible that you can even use a keyboard. Or is Mommy typing for you as you spit your venom along with your hearty breakfast of Duck a l'orange and Pommery?

[Global Citizen]

Better you than me, CB.

I refused to rise to the bait and give him the satisfaction but I will respond to you because I suspect SG is what's known commonly as a shit stirrer. He derives an almost perverse pleasure from denigrating Singapore every opportunity he gets.

You were right on the money when you referred to his childishness; in this day and age to speak of bombing a country on a public forum is not only a reflection of (his) stupidity but also smacks of juvenile and immature tendencies. On one hand, he's advocating for the equal rights of maids to use private pools and on the other, he's advocating that an entire country and her citizens be bombed!

Grow up and get over it SG! Your continual tirades are becoming monotonous and tiresome! (yawn)

[Superglide]

you know me GC, so you know better, right?

I am a child, which makes me behave like one.

[cutiebutie]

If GC knows you then she must have even more reason to put you in your place.

I think calling you a child is too mild, as children know may not know better, an apt description for you would be infantile.

So, do you advocate blowing up 80% of the world because domestic servants are not generally allowed to swim in their employer's pool?

[Turtle]

This isn't about pools, but it's more to do with the same things about maids/cleaners being treated badly or society's attitudes towards them:

Last Friday, I was at the Burger King near Orchard MRT. Now I know nobody here ever clears their tray for reasons I can't fathom. Anyway a mother and child (probably 6-7 years old) were just finishing up at the table next to me, right next to the rubbish point. The kid was about to dump his rubbish, when his mother told him (quote) "No! How many times I must tell you leave it there! Only amahs and cleaning aunties must do that kind of job!"

Made me seriously mad. While the kid was getting scolded, I cleared both their trays. Honestly that attitude sums up exactly what I can't stand about this place.

[cutiebutie]

Turtle, please have a look at the thread title.




(Aside form that you are correct, Singapore is breeding many spoiled little brats who will have problems adjusting to the real world. Having said that, Singapore is not alone with this attitude. I live both in Thailand and Malaysia and it is the same, even worse)

[road.not.taken]

"No! How many times I must tell you leave it there! Only amahs and cleaning aunties must do that kind of job!"

Made me seriously mad. While the kid was getting scolded, I cleared both their trays. Honestly that attitude sums up exactly what I can't stand about this place.

Yes, and if more people cleared their own trays, there would be no work for the cleaning aunties. It's OK to clear your own tray, I do -- but I always apologize to the Auntie if she's around. I'm insunuating that I do a better job than she does, even if I don't mean it that way. This is a different culture, you don't have to like it, but you should respect it.

[Loops]

what I do is pile all my stuff onto the tray but leave it there - the reason being that if you take the tray, the table looks clean and doesn't get wiped. If you leave the tray they clear it and wipe the table.

I used to take my tray but after sitting down and putting my elbow in a nice sticky ketchup slick a few times, I changed to the tidy but not completely clear method

[Turtle]

"No! How many times I must tell you leave it there! Only amahs and cleaning aunties must do that kind of job!"

Made me seriously mad. While the kid was getting scolded, I cleared both their trays. Honestly that attitude sums up exactly what I can't stand about this place.

Yes, and if more people cleared their own trays, there would be no work for the cleaning aunties. It's OK to clear your own tray, I do -- but I always apologize to the Auntie if she's around. I'm insunuating that I do a better job than she does, even if I don't mean it that way. This is a different culture, you don't have to like it, but you should respect it.

Sure, I mean there's nothing really wrong with not clearing your tray, it's just different and that's fine. My problem is with people (and there are a lot of them here, or at least obvious ones) who don't do certain things because it is not befitting of their self-appointed stature in life. There's always an undertone of I make more money than them so therefore I am better than them so therefore they should do my bidding. And you know, I could understand it if they were Donald Trump or somebody, but they're not. They probably live in HDBs like everybody else, which is why they like to pick on those who are truly "downtrodden" to get their kicks and feel superior.

I don't have a problem with places hiring old aunties, disabled people, others who can't get a job elsewhere, to do simple tasks and earn a bit of cash. I think it's a nice thing to do. What I don't like are people who look at them as though they're lepers, like the job they do is akin to scavenging through rubbish dumps, the whole "taking your trash out is a job only fit for the rejects of society and is therefore far, far below my station", like they're some kind of Victorian gentleman.

And sorry for the thread hijack.