Video: Jerks of the year nominees

Three British lowlifes with a video camera taunt and bully an elderly pedicab operator in Singapore (hat tip – USAT On Deadline), rip him off, and humiliate him by posting their craven antics on the Internet. The New Paper tracked down the pedicab driver, Mr Lee Shee Lam:

The good-natured man works every day from about 5pm to 3am, and sleeps the rest of the day.

On a good day, he earns about $30 but on most days, he pockets much less.

Asked if he has had a hard life, he said: ‘There is no need to bring it up to other people. As long as I know, that’s enough. ‘Whether I am happy or not, I have been doing this for 15 years.’

Mr Lee was born without a right ear, and other than rheumatism in his legs, he does not suffer from other illnesses.

He lives with his wife and grown-up daughter in a Sembawang flat. His son, who is in his 30s, is married and living on his own. Although his children give him money, he still needs to work. He bought the trishaw for over $300 when he was 52.

He said: ‘I had no choice. No one wants to employ you when you are old.’ Mr Lee was an odd-job labourer when he was younger, and proudly said: ‘I also worked in construction sites. I had a lot of strength back then.’

He reckons he has two or three more years left in him as a trishaw rider. He said: ‘You need a lot of strength and I think I won’t have enough strength by then.’

Singaporeans and YouTube users are disgusted. So should we all be.

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The New Paper tracked down one of the jerks. First-class jerk all the way:

Responding to our queries, Mr Bo Davis, 26, said he did not feel they were being bullies at all.

‘I don’t abide bullying,’ he said.

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