S$3,600 fine for man who stuck toothpicks in bus seats

SINGAPORE — For repeatedly sticking toothpicks on the seats of public buses, Lim Lye Seng, 60, was fined S$3,600 on Monday (Nov 6).

The landscape technician was also ordered to pay damages of S$325.91.

The father of two had in October admitted to two counts of committing mischief, by sticking toothpicks on the seats of SBS Transit bus service 123M on four occasions this year.

District Judge Lim Keng Yeow said Lim's actions were "clearly inconsiderate ... inexcusable ... (and) could have caused harm."

Photos of the toothpicks poking out of the bus seats began circulating online in July. Lim perforated the seat of bus service 123M on three occasions that month, and once more on Aug 4.

No passengers were hurt.

Lim was identified after extensive investigations and examination of closed-circuit television footage by the police.

He had told the court that he committed the offences out of boredom and wanted to play a prank on others.

On Monday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Rimplejit Kaur urged the court to impose a fine of at least S$1,500 per charge.

What Lim did was "a distasteful prank" that should not be taken lightly, said the prosecutor, adding: "The court should not condone this kind of behaviour."

Lim had earlier asked for leniency from the courts, saying that he has to support his two children aged eight and 13, as well as his elderly parents, who are in their 80s. He could have been jailed up to a year, or fined, or both, for each charge of mischief.