A condominium security guard was seen throwing a customer’s bubble tea delivery order on the ground after the delivery rider left it on a chair at the guardhouse. This incident occurred on Sep. 15 at the Central View condominium complex in Hougang around 4:40 pm, according to a video recorded from the delivery rider’s point of view and uploaded to the SG Road Vigilante YouTube channel. The altercation arose because the customer did not indicate their unit number for the delivery address and was uncontactable when the delivery rider arrived.
Background
The video, taken from inside the condominium complex’s gate, shows the delivery rider attempting to leave the customer’s order at the guardhouse for the customer to pick up. However, the security guard grabbed the bag of drinks and, pointing outside the gantry, can be heard saying: “I throw ah? Put here I throw already ah.” The rider calmly told the guard not to throw away the order, but the guard insisted that the guardhouse was not a permissible location for leaving deliveries.
“Guardhouse cannot put”
The rider explained to the security guard that he had sent the customer a text message instructing them to collect the order from the guardhouse. Despite this, the security guard gestured that he was about to throw the drinks and shouted, “Wait for the person to come ah!” The rider reiterated that he had tried contacting the customer multiple times without success. The guard, however, remained adamant, stating, “That’s your problem!” and eventually tossed the bag at the rider, causing the drinks to spill onto the road.
Against regulations
A Shin Min Daily News reporter visited the scene on Sep. 16 to speak with the security guard. The guard explained that he did not want to throw away the milk tea but became furious when the delivery man repeatedly ignored his warnings. “This is not in compliance with the management office’s regulations, and for safety reasons, I can’t let him leave the goods anywhere he wants,” the guard said. He added that he would be more cautious in the future and would not allow delivery riders to enter the condominium complex without the exact delivery address.
Grab protocol
The drinks appeared to have been ordered via GrabFood, based on the order receipt seen in the video. According to the GrabFood guide for delivery riders, if they cannot locate the correct delivery address, they must call the customer and chat with them through the Grab Driver App. If the customer remains uncontactable after at least three calls and is not responding via chat, and the rider has waited for at least 5 minutes, they have several options. For cash bookings, they can contact Grab’s hotline for assistance. For cashless bookings, they should take photos of the attempted calls and messages as proof of contact, leave the food at a safe place, and take a photo of the food left at the safe place as evidence to send via chat to the consumer. Examples of safe places include a reception area, guardhouse, grille, shoe rack, and chair. If no safe place is available, riders are instructed to dispose of the food and send a photo of the disposal if requested by the customer.
Previous incidents
This incident is not isolated. In a similar case in Malaysia, a woman ‘treated’ a delivery rider and a security guard to a bubble tea ‘shower’ after being told she could not receive her order at her doorstep. Such incidents highlight the ongoing challenges and tensions between delivery services and residential security protocols. As delivery services continue to grow, it is crucial for both parties to find a common ground to ensure smooth and respectful transactions.
