Bye Bye One Dollar: Chinatown Tissue Uncles Now Want S$5 for Tissue as Price Hikes Hit

Forget rising cost of kopi, ERP and whatnots, you’ll know that price hikes are truly hitting us when tissue sellers like these Chinatown Tissue Uncles are demanding S$5 for 3 packets of tissue.

The street price for 3 packets of tissue from such ad hoc sellers usually range from one to two dollars, and any extra cash they pocket from each sale is out of the goodwill of the buyer.

One “victim” of a Chinatown Tissue Uncle” said that when he was approached, he gave the uncle a S$5 note, expecting change.

But, the Chinatown Tissue Uncle just walked off, leaving him stunned like vegetable.

Another “victim” said that usually the Chinatown Tissue Uncles will tell you it’s S$2 for 3 packs of tissue, but if you give them more cash they’ll just walk off without giving you change.

A third victim said the Chinatown Tissue Uncles have mastered what’s known as the foot-in-the-door technique of sales.

She said that one Chinatown Tissue Uncle saw her feasting on a fine dish of fish head, then approached her and asked for help to buy his tissue at S$2.

When she gave him the money, he saw she had a fair bit of cash in her wallet then tried to guilt her into giving him another S$5 so he could pay for a meal.

She said that such “heartstring-tugging” tactics are very infuriating and the sellers have gone overboard with their antics.