$2 to enter a bookshop

Had a fever over the weekend. Slight increase of temperature, I guess from an overexertion, jogged too much last week.

Anyway bought a Gladwell book called "Outliers" to tide over the idle weekend, good read especially from his previous 2.

Here's some shit to share with fellow "State" Times readers. This joker, News Editor Loh suggested to charge $2 per entry to a bookstore to curb free loaders. Below is a quote of what he wrote, in case the links go missing again.

BOOKSHOPS should really charge people an entrance fee.
I am convinced that this radical proposal will instantly reduce the number of people who now drop into book stores and treat the place like their own playground or personal library.

Loh Keng Fatt
News Editor, Sunday Times

Which brings me back to the point of levying an admission fee - to get the right type of people to come.
I have always wondered why bookshops operate on a model that literally allows customers the full run of the place - and with little prospects of many of them actually buying something....

...But bookshops play Santa, and everyone’s welcome to browse, read, socialise and hang loose.I think they should charge, say, a $2 admission charge.
This would help the bookshops to earn some income and deter some freeloaders from showing up.

Wanted to leave a comment on the website but not sure why it can't go through, perhaps too many people already left their mark.

This was what I wanted to say:

You must go to the same school as the ERP guys, same school of thought. Go join the PAP, I think they need more people like you to help them earn back USD$4.6billion, a waste of talent at ST I say. Couldn't you have suggested having government create an open concept library where people can go read for free, but kids can wonder and roam and make lots of noise like these bookstores? Bookstores are running a private business and their model is to get as much traffic flow as possible. Who are you to pricing everyone out of places? Shall we soon charge for parks and gardens as well, since kids or families are treating them like personal playgrounds, screaming and running around? Choices such as Amazon and Ebay have already made people live like hermits shopping at their computers via online. The world is getting more global yet isolated at the same time, because people like you exist.

Seriously I should have just brought a mini stool and go to Borders to sit there to read my Gladwell book instead of paying $30 for it. $2 for entry fee? What if it doesn't reduce the number of freeloaders? Since we still can read countless books and magazines for just $2? Raise the admission to $10? Then I guess I do expect it to be some rental fee, same reason why I paid ERP but only to find myself still stuck in a jam. And do not bother about writing in to complain as we know what will happen, the way the LTA authorities will think, is the same way as ST Editor Loh would do, raise the ERP fees. Is $ the only solution out of everything in Singapore? Have they not thought about how the other parts of the world resolve problems pertaining to upbringing? Is this the very reason why the moral fabric of our society is now in the doldrums?

Where has chivalry, courage, kindness, humility, patience, diligence, justice and temperance gone to these days?

I could download or purchase the book online, but I enjoyed browsing through bookshops, turning crisp pages of a book. I enjoy poking my close friends for real, instead of doing it on facebook. I chose to walk or cycle to my destination not because I am saving on parking, petrol or ERP charges, but because it gives me the slow breeze of wind on my face and perhaps I am reducing my carbon footprint at the same time. We do things for a reason, and its so sad sometimes money or the lack of it comes to us like that is the ONLY other reason.


Let's not forget the simple joys of doing what we love or enjoy doing, and do stand up to idiotic, brainless ideas such as an admission fee to enter a bookshop.