Seat-hogging in libraries

I visited the Serangoon library on Sunday and was walking around with some books in hand, looking for a seat.

I finally found an unoccupied seat, but there was a stack of magazines on it. I put them away and took the seat.

Five minutes later, a woman picked up the magazines and told me that was her seat and that she had just returned from the toilet. She also said the magazines were hers and asked why I had moved them.

I told her that no one is allowed to reserve seats, and that the seat and magazines belonged to the library, not to her.

She commented that I was not a gentleman and then walked off.

This was not my first such encounter. At the Woodlands library, someone left her bag on a seat and returned after an hour.

Can someone reserve a seat then walk away, depriving others of the seat, especially on a busy day? Surely everyone deserves a fair chance to get a seat.

I hope the National Library Board and its staff will continuously educate users on why they should not hog seats.

Tan Wee Tat

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