As I lined up to withdraw from an ATM at Singapire’s Changi airport, I became aware of a disturbance . An elderly Sikh gentleman was clearly struggling to use the machine. Firstly, he did not appear to know how to insert his card. A young couple behind him showed him this. Entering the pin stumped him next.
Dressed simply, in sandals, open necked shirt and a wrap and clutching an ID card, atm card and some cash, he looked vulnerable and out of place in this vast bustling mega airport.
At this point, some of the airport help staff arrived. They persuaded him to take his card out of the machine before he lost it! They questioned him as to what he was doing.
He explained that he was wanting to visit the daughter in Membourne. Australia and showed them the money clutched in his hand.
One said “you will need more than 30 Singapore dollars ” and led him gently to the airport information desk. There they called his daughter in Australia.
I wonder how often airport staff deal with that sort of situation?
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