"Just Order Lah!": Singaporeans Vent About Inefficient Hawker Orders
If you've ever been stuck behind someone at a hawker stall who takes forever to order despite having ample time to think, you're not alone. A recent r/askSingapore thread has Singaporeans sharing their biggest pet peeves about inefficient hawker orders—and other daily frustrations that make them go "wah lau eh."
The Infamous "Blur Sotong" Order
Redditor TheTeetotaler kicked things off by ranting about people who hold up the queue at hawker stalls:
“Guy waiting in front of me at the chicken rice store definitely has had at least 5 full minutes to think of what he wants. Once it reaches his turn, he orders, ‘Chicken rice.’ OF COURSE LA, BRO. THEN YOU GO THAT STORE EAT WHAT? Aunty had to ask him what kind of chicken, steamed or roasted. Suddenly mid-order he decides he wants a set. Like wtf, can you just order what you wanted from the start in just 1 sentence?”
Hawkers work fast, but some customers seem to treat the ordering process like a high-stakes decision-making game.
“Thinking that you are next in line to order at a hawker stall, but then you realize the person in front of you is ordering for his whole family, and each of his family members has specific preferences (e.g., no spring onions, no chili, less chili, more sauce, etc.).” – OkFudge7724
“Fishball noodle stalls have it worst since there’s such a variety. I would go in with a er hao (2nd option as clearly stated on their sign boards), mee pok, San Wei (chili, ketchup, vinegar), da bao, he zi (box as opposed to a bag). And then some patron will order a ‘mee pok’ and play 21 questions with the overworked stall auntie.” – TheTeetotaler
Some hawker veterans simply have no patience for such nonsense.
“NUS arts canteen western stall. U hesitate on ur order one sec and the guy will wave u away and shout ‘next’… best times… no f**ks given.” – Wonderful_Ad_2519
“Wait, is this the stall that used to be in NUS Biz canteen? Guy is somewhat of a legend. Fast and never gets an order wrong despite taking 10 orders in a row. Urban rumour is that he used to be a lawyer.” – shiningject
The Grabfood Queue Nightmare
Sometimes, the queue looks short, but surprise! The stall is flooded with online orders.
“Or stall is completely empty, but actually filled with Grabfood orders.” – johntrytle
“When you only have an hour for lunch in CBD and think you have enough time to queue for that popular roast meat rice stall at Maxwell, and then the old uncle queueing in front of you in casual home wear orders 12 packets… True story.” – rhysnomer
And in extreme cases:
“This just gave me a flashback to the time I went to order at that stall in Maxwell and someone in front of me ordered 100 sets.” – undercoverchad85
Cai Fan (Economy Rice) Order Paralysis
Cai fan stalls are another breeding ground for inefficiency.
“Yes, the worst is eat cai png, and each dish need to think.” – freshcheesepie
“Worst when the person had ample time in the queue to look at the dishes but decided to use the phone instead, and then errr errr when it’s their turn.” – ailes_d
“Wow, and here’s my autistic self physically unable to even join the queue until I have seen all the dishes, decided my whole order, and rehearsed it 2x in my head.” – a_splendiferous_time
And then there's the clueless one:
“The worst is those asking stupid questions. Clearly, the stall no more sell cabbage. Still ask ‘eh got cabbage anot?’ Like bro, you got 2 eyes also can see no have right?” – ilovenoodles06
Self-Ordering Kiosk Woes
While self-ordering kiosks were meant to speed things up, they have introduced their own frustrations.
“Love the self-ordering kiosks. Even better when scan QR to order online. McDonald’s suddenly became awesome—literally order online, then walk in to have food ready to pick up.” – yinyangpeng
But kiosks are only as efficient as the people using them.
“I have a love-hate r/s with self-ordering kiosks. Love it for efficiency, hate it if I’m behind some auntie poking around the screen to decide what they want.” – caelestismagi
And then there's this nightmare scenario:
“I watched as each of them scrolled to read the menu and place in their orders together in one bill… there were last two ladies who were just going ‘if u don’t order then I don’t order’ ‘u order then I order’ ‘u order lychee then I order rose’ ‘no u order rose I order lychee’ back and forth with each other like WTF JUST SUBMIT THE ORDER ALREADY!!!” – ephemeralcandy
Other Singaporean Pet Peeves
While inefficient hawker orders dominate the thread, many Singaporeans shared other annoyances that grind their gears.
Public Transport Chaos
“When you’re about to tap your EZ-Link card when alighting from the bus, but the person behind you taps their card first.” – -BabysitterDad-
“Ngl I just give a look that hopefully conveys how stupid I think they are as I tap after but exit before them. Like did you think tapping your card first gives you priority to exit?” – SituationDeep
“People not moving in the bus, standing randomly in the front half or at the exit.” – Tiger_King_
“Group of commuters who are not familiar with the place (nothing wrong with not being familiar) and stop right after the escalator while deciding whether to go straight, turn left, or right.” – Double_Trick2020
Lift & MRT Etiquette (Or Lack Of)
“People who only start digging through their bag for their EZ-Link card right in front of the MRT gantry. FFS.” – silentscope90210
“Ohhh this is my pet peeve too! I once had someone reach out from behind me to tap at an MRT gantry.” – basilyeo
“The guys who stop at the top of the escalator before thinking whether to turn right or left?” – josemartinlopez
Other Iconic Annoyances
“Pointing over the glass panel of the cai png stall. Yes, we definitely need more ‘liao’ in our dishes.” – mr_justdive
“Not queuing at bus interchange. What’s the point of queuing when people are just skipping the queue to go directly to the entrance?” – Underdog1952
“Long queues at the ATM because someone is updating their bankbook. Worse if they have multiple bankbooks.” – GLTCHD_
Conclusion: Just Be Efficient Lah!
Whether it’s slow hawker orders, clueless commuters, or people who take forever at kiosks, inefficiency drives Singaporeans crazy. The common theme? Just be prepared, be considerate, and for goodness’ sake—order quickly.
As Handbrake_yank perfectly sums it up:
“This happened to me a couple of weeks ago. College-aged girl with boyfriend flirting around in the super long and slow queue. Only to look shocked that she had to decide what to choose. Then when she did, she replied in the softest voice that the uncle couldn’t hear.”
Singaporeans might be kiasu, but when it comes to ordering food, efficiency is king.
