For something as simple as "cleaning up after meals in public spaces", the people in Singapore gave themselves a score of 5.52, just above the pass rate, in the latest Graciousness Survey by the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) (Lower score for cleaning up after meals and keeping public loos clean; June 28).

While Singaporeans love hawker centre food, it appears they do not love their hawker centres equally.

Showing a little consideration to the next user of the table is basic courtesy. It brightens one's day to see a table that has been cleared of the dirty plates and empty cups.

It is surprising that the people in Singapore find this so difficult to do.

In school, students are taught to take their cutlery, plates and cups to the tray-return point in the canteen once they have finished their meal.

However, once they leave school, this practice seems to stop.

We must work at changing this bad habit. All it takes is one person to start doing it and it will have a ripple effect - others will follow suit. The onus is on every one of us to act.

Tan Wye Yan (Miss)