A VIDEO of a woman profusely pleading for forgiveness after being caught stealing toilet paper from a Singaporean car dealer recently went viral on social media, drawing both anger and sympathy from netizens.
The video of the incident, which took place at Toyota Leng Kee Service Centre was uploaded onto TikTok on Satuday (May 27) by user Jimmy Ho.
In the video, a man can be seen confronting a woman holding a reusable bag and asking her what she had stolen.
The woman repeatedly said, “I put back” and “toilet paper only” as she revealed what was in her bag.
The man then asked, “How many times already? I have observed you for so many times”, thus suggesting that this was not her first offence. He later said that she had done this at least five times.
@jimmyho94
Throughout the video, the woman frantically begged the man for “another chance please”. She also said that she would “put back” what she had taken and that she would not return to the place anymore.
She complied when told to put down her bag, from which she took out four toilet rolls. The woman then hurried out of the centre and walked to a car parked outside while repeating, “I won’t come again, I won’t come again.”
The video quickly went viral, although netizen reactions were mixed, with some netizens expressing concern that the woman could have mental health issues and pointing out that the man who recorded the video should not have shamed her.
Others, meanwhile, noted that stealing is wrong and comes with consequences, adding that this did not appear to be the woman’s first offence.
User belovedjesusgirl said:
CC said the man should not have uploaded the post and asked the woman to remove her mask. “Why shame her like this? Just settle the issue offline,” she added.
However, some netizens felt sorry for the woman and suggested that she could have been let off with a stern warning.
Donovan Zheng said:
Skybird Sky suggested that maybe the woman did not have money to buy toilet rolls:
Another user pointed out that even if the woman was wrong to steal toilet rolls, she should be pitied as she, too, have a mother.
Some users also argued that wrong is wrong, and that the woman needed to be taught a lesson to prevent future incidents from occurring.
In response to the trending video, local car distributor Inchcape Singapore announced that its partner Borneo Motors was made aware of the TikTok video, reported Shin Min Daily News.
According to a corporate spokesperson, the company promptly launched an internal inquiry to determine the source of the film and the individuals involved.
“We have confirmed that the video was not shot by our employees and that no permission was obtained from any of our employees. One of our subcontractors took it.”
The spokesperson also said the company is working together with the subcontractor to ensure that their personnel conduct adheres with the company’s professional standards and values.
“As a responsible corporation, we do not tolerate any acts of theft or unauthorized removal of company assets from premises. Should such incidents occur, we reserve the right to take legal action.” – June 1, 2023
