SINGAPORE: Is tipping in coins now considered rude? That is the question one FoodPanda customer raised online after an unexpected reaction from their delivery rider left them second-guessing their gesture.

On Wednesday (Apr 22), the customer posted on the r/askSingapore forum, sharing that they had a hectic day packed with back-to-back meetings and were “absolutely starving”, so they decided to order food through the app instead of stepping out.

“I just could not step away from my desk,” they recalled, adding that the pick-up point was “two buildings down.”

When the food arrived quickly, the customer said they wanted to show appreciation to the rider. Since they had some spare S$1 coins, they decided to hand over S$4 in coins as a small tip.

However, the situation took an awkward turn when the rider allegedly returned the coins and told them he “wasn’t a beggar.”

The customer noted that the rider was not “outright rude“ but was clearly “offended“ by the gesture.

Confused by the reaction, they asked the online community, “Was I rude to give my Foodpanda rider coins? Was I in the wrong or unknowingly being offensive?”

“Coins struck his ego.”

In the comments, most Singaporean Redditors were quick to reassure the customer that they had done nothing wrong and that tipping in coins, especially S$1 coins, is generally not considered rude.

One commenter described the rider as “a weird chap,” adding, “If you gave him like 10, 20, or 50 cents, then I can understand, but a S$1 coin is ok. It can come in useful.”

Another chimed in, saying they would have gladly accepted the tip without hesitation if they were in the rider’s position.

A third pointed out that turning down S$4 seemed excessive. “Rejecting S$4 is crazy, I’ve given riders S$1 tips or a packet drink, and they were always grateful.”

Others felt the issue had less to do with etiquette and more to do with personal pride.

One user shared, “Bro, I did Panda before, and even if I got a 1-dollar tip, I’d thank the person and could go buy a drink at 7/11. This person has an ego problem, sia.”

Another wrote, “Coins struck his ego, where he perceived coins were for beggars only. Ideally, he can choose not to receive, but he chose to defend his fragile ego. So, don’t take this to your heart; it’s kind of common, actually.”

A third explained, “It depends on some people, I suppose. I’ve worked with someone who visibly will get upset if they get small change back. When I asked why, they say coins are like for old people and vending machines, which is weird.”

Meanwhile, several users encouraged the customer not to dwell too much on the incident and to continue showing appreciation to delivery riders in whatever way they can.

One individual quipped, “Very sorry, that rider is of higher status than all of us. Please, I would gladly and humbly accept the 4x S$1 coin.”

In other news, a Singaporean woman recently shared online that her boyfriend often gets “annoyed” whenever she asks him to help with small things.

In her post, she explained that her boyfriend gets “irritated” whenever she asks to return their plates or collect their food in hawker centres because he thinks people “should be independent in returning these themselves,” or that he feels there should at least be a “fair exchange” between both parties.

Read more: ‘My BF wants ‘fair exchange’ for every small act of help’ — Woman asks, ‘Is this mindset normal for SG men?’

This article (‘Is tipping S$4 in coins rude?’ Customer’s post about Foodpanda delivery sparks discussion) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.