I have got my bowl of noodles cleared from me right under my nose, at the SGH Kopitiam canteen, when I took a pause in eating. The idiot did not even ask me whether :
a he has my permission to clear my bowl of noodles;
b I have finished with my bowl of noodles.
He just came snooping in and took the bowl of unfinished noodles and poured it into the waste bin!!!
Let me put it in another perspective - whether they have their own territory to clear or not, or whatever kpis, I do not bloody care. What I want as a customer is for me to eat my food in peace, without idiots coming in to snatch off unfinished food, or have them watching me like a hawk and coming in to snatch my bowls. Whether I have finished eating the food in the bowl or plate is besides the point. The important point is that they need to respect the customers' privacy and personal space and leave them to finish their food in peace. The only time they should come in to clear is when I leave my seat, indicating very clearly I have finished with my eating.
Whatever the circumstances of the hawker centre or food court, whether it is busy or full of customers, it is time that cleaners and their supervisors to learn to show some respect to customers and leave them alone to finish their food in peace. Otherwise, the Alice episode is likely to happen again and again. Also, let not the dumb within the internet be mislead by the media or others to always think that the issue is that cleaners ought not to be 'abused???' even if they display disruptive behaviour against customers by clearing off their food before they have finished.