Tourists should know the rule of “chope-ing” – when visiting food markets in Singapore – Photo: THE STRAIT TIMES
According to the newspaper SCMP, this culture is called “chope-ing”. The word “chope” is derived from the English word “chop” which means to hold or mark a position on something.
At popular food markets in Singapore, people can use any item they have to mark their seat, such as water bottles, towels, umbrellas or bags. This means that that position is already occupied and the person coming later must find another position.
In some special cases, Singaporeans even reserve seats by placing their phones on empty seats. However, this rarely happens.
If the person who comes later thinks that the table is empty and pushes the items on the table aside, they have intentionally or unintentionally violated the unwritten rules of dining culture on the Lion Island.
This is why you should know what “chope-ing” is and respect this culture wherever you are in Singapore.
Although it is not legislated and there is no penalty for those who “steal” a previously reserved seat, this behavior can be considered an act of rudeness. So when in Singapore, be respectful of “chope-ing”.
Singapore is not the only country in the world with a culture of using personal objects to mark one’s seating position at restaurants or popular food markets.
Other countries such as Japan, Norway, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates also have similar “hidden rules” at eateries and food markets.
However, what makes Singapore different is that it has its own name for this habit and turns it into a cultural feature of Singapore’s identity.
