All the courtesy campaigns I remember from my youth, which reach back 30 yrs or more, obviously have not had much effect on making people kinder and more considerate in Singapore.
At the adidas warehouse sale, people were shoving their way and grabbing things they wanted even if they had to reach across various people. And I thought the sometimes overzealous rush for an empty table at food courts was something. Kiasu-ism has scaled new heights.
The common reaction when a car signals to change lane in Singapore is for the car in the other lanes to speed up and cut you off. (might as well be a danger to society and cut in without signaling!)
When traffic merges its everyone for himself, the meek and timid be damned. (the unspoken rule of alternate cars applies in Malaysia and other countries I’ve driven in)
If you’re turning out from a side road and traffic is heavy on the road you’re turning into, you can forget about any car giving you way.
When I happen to look into the eye of an on-coming Singaporean & smile (male or female), most look away or pretend they never saw the smile. (I started doing this recently in Malaysia and in other cities I visit and I usually get a smile in return if not at least an acknowledgement.)
All the courtesy campaigns I remember from my youth, which reach back 30 yrs or more, obviously have not had much effect on making people kinder and more considerate in Singapore.
At the adidas warehouse sale, people were shoving their way and grabbing things they wanted even if they had to reach across various people. And I thought the sometimes overzealous rush for an empty table at food courts was something. Kiasu-ism has scaled new heights.
The common reaction when a car signals to change lane in Singapore is for the car in the other lanes to speed up and cut you off. (might as well be a danger to society and cut in without signaling!)
When traffic merges its everyone for himself, the meek and timid be damned. (the unspoken rule of alternate cars applies in Malaysia and other countries I’ve driven in)
If you’re turning out from a side road and traffic is heavy on the road you’re turning into, you can forget about any car giving you way.
When I happen to look into the eye of an on-coming Singaporean & smile (male or female), most look away or pretend they never saw the smile. (I started doing this recently in Malaysia, I usually get a smile in return if not at least an acknowledgement.)
I feel I get more angsty and my blood pressure rises slightly in Singapore compared to when I’m in KL or overseas.
Sigh … do as the romans do or shrug and wonder how long it’ll take people to chill and take things easy.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Agree with all. When you have lived in other places besides Singapore, you cannot help but notice how rude and kiasu people here are in general. I don’t know why or how but this is just how it is here
It’s like how SF is SF and there’s this vibe about the place and its people. And how LA is LA and that’s how it is over there.
welcome back to singapore
hahaha
Agree with you. It’s really bad at the sales where people can get everything they can get and then slowly choose those they don’t want and throw it back.
I do meet some friendly drivers on the road sometimes, though not often and not sure if they are singaporeans. And I do meet really horrible caucasian drivers as well. Horrible as in reckless, dangerous with poor driving skills!