'Rapunzel' in HDB? Netizens amused by aunty hangs clothes vertically down HDB block

SINGAPORE— When it comes to finding talented individuals, there is no need to look abroad, as local community is always brimming with creative and skillful residents who effortlessly showcase their talents in their daily lives. Recently, a resident residing in an HDB block captivated netizens by ingeniously hanging clothes vertically down the HDB parapet. On Sunday (2 Jul), a photo was shared on the Facebook group "Singapore Home DIY," revealing a line of clothes hanging vertically down the HDB parapet. Astonishingly, the clothes remained securely attached to the rope. Another TikToker uploaded a video depicting an aunty collecting clothes from a rope hanging vertically along the parapet. The TikToker humorously remarked,  "This auntie must have moved from a fishing kelong (traditional fishing plaform) to a HDB" https://www.tiktok.com/@rixus80/video/7251565394803166465?is_from_webapp=1&web_id=7146457453767443969  

"21st-century Rapunzel in HDB"

The photos have sparked discussions among netizens. Some ridicule the idea, suggesting that the resident might have watched '5-minute craft' videos online and came up with the concept of a vertical clothesline to save space. One netizen humorously speculate that it could be a "21st-century castle with Rapunzel waiting inside". A netizen poked fun that the vertical clothesline could also serve as an emergency escape route if any unfortunate event were to occur. Another comment humorously ridiculed the idea, suggesting that the clothesline could be utilized as a clandestine escape route for individuals engaged in affairs with their upstairs neighbors.

Cleaning the parapet wall?

However, some netizens expressed concern about hygiene issues and jokingly remarked that hanging clothes vertically could help clean the parapet wall, although the freshly cleaned clothes might get dirty again. There were also comments speculating that the clothes might have originally been hung on a clothesline horizontally, but the clothesline broke, leading to the vertical arrangement seen in the photos.

The resident clarified on the 'vertical clothes drying' incident

Despite various speculations, the resident who was captured in the video hanging clothes vertically has clarified that it was simply a misunderstanding, as the clothesline had actually snapped. According to Lianhe Zaobao, the resident, 48-year-old Ms. Lim, who resides on the 11th floor of Block 465 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, explained that the area at the back of her unit for drying clothes had insufficient sunlight. To address this, she recently used cable ties to secure a blue rope on both sides of the corridor's exterior wall for hanging clothes. Ms. Lim mentioned that on the previous Sunday, one of the cable ties likely broke, causing the rope to hang vertically. She has since replaced it with more secure iron rings to fasten the rope. She also clarified that she did not intend to disturb her neighbors and would immediately pull up the clothes upon noticing the hanging rope. Additionally, she mentioned that she usually keeps undergarments inside her home while hanging the clothes outside.