Angry motorists pull no punches on traffic wardens

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TONGUE IN CHEEK
DO NOT TRY THIS

They get sworn at on a daily basis, and frequently have summons slips crushed in front of them, with drivers sometimes throwing the slips back in their faces.

An increasing number of traffic wardens are being physically and verbally abused as they go about their jobs.

In the case of Mr Pannirselvam Muthusamy, 47, he also had hot noodles thrown in his face and was punched in the ribs as well, when one lorry driver became unhappy after being issued a summons for parking illegally along Upper Serangoon Road.

But no one came to his aid. Instead, people at a nearby coffeeshop began clapping.

Female traffic wardens are not spared the abuse either.

31-year-old Ms Amuthavathi Nagayah says she does not feel safe when doing her job.

Last month, she got drenched when she had a high-pressure water hose turned on her by a construction site superviser after she issued him a ticket along Geylang Lorong 34. She was also grabbed and shoved in the chest by another unhappy male motorist before.

The company says the wardens undergo a one-week training programme to learn how to avoid confrontations with unhappy members of the public. They also have a hotline to call if they feel they are in danger.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) also has its own pool of enforcement officers on top of those they engage from Certis Cisco. A spokesman told the English daily that LTA officers have yet to encounter any cases of physical abuse.

Last year, there were 19 such police reports filed by traffic wardens, with six still under investigation. This year alone, 22 reports have already been made and 15 cases are under investigation.

In the UK recently, a traffic warden got karate-kicked in the face. Police are appealing for witnesses. Watch the video >>>