The past four days, I had been at Park Mall, undergoing a course on a computer software run by a private firm. The premises where the course was conducted actually belongs to or is leased to NUS. They called it NUS Extension (whatever it means). Anyway, it occupies the whole of level 12 in the building.
We were into our 2nd day of the training when the trainer, a young Australian woman, found her notebook missing after her lunch break. According to her, she was away only for 15 minutes. And the lecture room, as usual, was not locked. It never has been.
The school staffs were duly informed, and when they tried to view the tape from the CCTV, they realised, to their horror, that the CCTV was not turned on.
Remember the case of a Singapore man who was killed when he fell into the MRT track from the platform? Some people said it was probably suicide. But his widow insisted that it was not, and sought to prove so with the CCTV, thinking that perhaps it would capture the last moment of her late husband. But alas, she couldn't believe her ears when she was told by the SMRT that the CCT was not in operation at that time.
Then there was the 4-D cashier killed and robbed at the Ang Mo Kio (or was it Yishun)outlet years ago? Again, the CCTV was not turned on, and the killer(s) has never been caught.
The trainer left for Australia today, and probably did so with a bitter taste in her mouth. It's really an unpleasent experience for her, and I certainly hope she did not leave Singapore with the notion that we Singaporeans are a dishonest lot. There was so much movement in the bulding. It is, after all, a school, catering to students from all over, notably from China. Anybody could have taken that notebook - the staff, any of the local students, as well as the foreign students, etc.
If anyone's to be blamed, then blame it on human complacency. Why must it always take something valuable, sometimes lives, to make us learn a valuable lesson? The trainer should have locked the room in the first place. And the staff at the school should have turned on the CCTV and leave it running 24/7. As it happened, both did not. The trainer made it a point to lock the lecture room the very next day. But what's the point? Robbers don't strike twice in the same place, or do they? Or is that complacency talking again? LOL.
Category: Musings
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I think the thief probably knows that the cctv was not on. I often conduct training but it's usually in-company. Thanks for sharing. Also tend to get complacent becos my laptop quite old. But still no fun to have it stolen.
Chris, you should always get your facts right even when you are only blogging.
Are you implying that people of a certain nationality are dishonest? Better be careful when you identify people especially when you are saying negative things.
Another inaccuracy - that 4-D outlet where the cashier got killed was in Toa Payoh Central lah (I think Blk 177), what Ang Mo Kio or Yishun?
And please, the MRT CCTV was turned on when that man fell onto the tracks to his death - only that the system had no recording function then.
I wasn't implying any nationality wat. Don't over analyse.
As for the 4-D outlet, ya I added in the parenthesis for Yishun because I'm not sure of the location mah... And I know the alert monkey like u sure will add on one.
So the CCTV was on real-time but the recording was not. U can't exactly considered that as "in operation" wat.
Now you're one of the suspects too, since you attended the class. Why don't you take lessons from me? You can teach me M***** in return.
Post a Comment