Free Load

Free loader. Many of us nowadays use that word without essentially realizing the meaning and the context of the word itself or experiencing one before. The proper definition as per the dictionary is to take advantage of the charity, generosity, or hospitality of others. Something terribly small like sitting in a an air conditioner room just due to the fact that there is free air-condition is actually called freeloading. You might even see signs in "Burger king" or a "Mac Donald's" that ask students not to study there as the staff may think that people are using up their space without actually contributing to the company. But persisting at something despite it being wrong is definitely a form of severe freeloading although the degree of seriousness itself might vary.

Today at approximately 2 p.m. my friend an i had a late lunch at the "K F C" outlet at Ang Mo Kio after our tution. While i was ordering my lunch a particularly Round, bald, and shabby looking man in white entered the shop and approached the counter beside me. He then proceeded to order a zinger burger. After receiving the meal he blatantly opened the packaging and ate the burger in a few messy bites. The counter assistant politely asked the man to sit down. However he did not heed the advice and asked for a cup of water. The assistant complied. Around that point of time my friend i received our meal and decided to sit nearby the action. The man gulped down the water as soon as he received it and asked the assistant for some more. This process repeated around five more time and was starting to get on everybody's nerves especially since a long queue had developed. The manager arrived at the scene and told the man that they cannot give the man so many free cups of water and that he had to move to a seat as a queue had developed. The man did not take kindly to this and started yelling in singlish "What rubbish service is this, i just asked for a few cups of water and then you treat me like this! What the hell is wrong with you people?"; he then bolted out of the room in angry frenzy. The staff, myself, my friend and all others who witnessed it were apalled and some including myself laughed at the man's ridiculous behavior.

Soon enough i had finished my meal and was returning to the counter to ask for a bag to place my cup of pepsi in it. Suddenly the same man as before dashed into the room and asked to fill his 1.5 litre bottle with cold water. The manager explained to him that they could not do that due to the same reasons as before and he had to buy something before asking for a refill. The man again burst into an angry rage and i just as before burst into a seemingly unending fit of laughter that hurt my stomach. My friend boldly went up to the man and tried explaining things to him but ended up getting a good reprimand. I quickly took my plastic bag and dragged my friend away before things got ugly. I am not sure as to what happened after that but i know for sure that the manager could have called the police if the man continued to persist with the act.

I am still in a shock and i am sure my friend is in too because that man could have paid severly for that act of stupidness.