Singapore Expats

West Australia = efficient government services

Discuss about the latest news & interesting topics, real life experience or other out of topic discussions with locals & expatriates in Singapore.
Post Reply
User avatar
JR8
Immortal
Immortal
Posts: 16522
Joined: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:43 pm
Location: K. Puki Manis

Post by JR8 » Mon, 18 Nov 2013 5:12 pm

Strong Eagle wrote: Sounds like a lot or whinging over your own failure to plan and research.
Well, QED. Next time I need a simple stamp I will commit to spending several more hours ‘planning and researching’ where to get one. What next, having to spend a few days planning and researching an ATM that I can use?
zzm9980 wrote:It's not, if you try to do it during normal business hours, Saturday morning, and/or carry a NETS card like most of the population does. You said as much in your post.
I also am not sure why your Axis/SAMS machine was so far away. I find them all over the place in convenient enough spots.
I have a NETS card but I don’t carry it (or any bank cards) by habit, and I don’t expect to have to use a bank-card for any form of transaction with a value of say just one dollar. In fact I have something of a disdain for people who never carry any cash, and will ‘charge’ even 10 cents to a bankcard at a shop check-out. But hey, call me old-fashioned.

@PH. Thank you. That might well be useful for the future.

x9200
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10073
Joined: Mon, 07 Sep 2009 4:06 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by x9200 » Mon, 18 Nov 2013 5:27 pm

JR8 wrote:
Strong Eagle wrote: Sounds like a lot or whinging over your own failure to plan and research.
Well, QED. Next time I need a simple stamp I will commit to spending several more hours ‘planning and researching’ where to get one. What next, having to spend a few days planning and researching an ATM that I can use?
For one nice pint of Hoegaarden I will show you how to do it in less than 10 min.

User avatar
zzm9980
Governor
Governor
Posts: 6869
Joined: Wed, 06 Jul 2011 1:35 pm
Location: Once more unto the breach

Post by zzm9980 » Mon, 18 Nov 2013 7:30 pm

x9200 wrote:
JR8 wrote:
Strong Eagle wrote: Sounds like a lot or whinging over your own failure to plan and research.
Well, QED. Next time I need a simple stamp I will commit to spending several more hours ‘planning and researching’ where to get one. What next, having to spend a few days planning and researching an ATM that I can use?
For one nice pint of Hoegaarden I will show you how to do it in less than 10 min.
+1 :lol:

User avatar
zzm9980
Governor
Governor
Posts: 6869
Joined: Wed, 06 Jul 2011 1:35 pm
Location: Once more unto the breach

Post by zzm9980 » Mon, 18 Nov 2013 7:32 pm

JR8 wrote: I have a NETS card but I don’t carry it (or any bank cards) by habit, and I don’t expect to have to use a bank-card for any form of transaction with a value of say just one dollar. In fact I have something of a disdain for people who never carry any cash, and will ‘charge’ even 10 cents to a bankcard at a shop check-out. But hey, call me old-fashioned.
You're old fashioned. Happy? :P But in fairness, so is Singapore's payment network. Most Westerners are probably used to almost instant credit card transactions for any amount. Or say something like Octopus in Hong Kong. Touch (or swipe) and go, just works, no fuss. Faster and easier than cash. Singapore is making a recent push with Visa PayWave, but even that is flawed as I often see transactions time out or clueless cashiers that can't work a simple payment terminal.

User avatar
zzm9980
Governor
Governor
Posts: 6869
Joined: Wed, 06 Jul 2011 1:35 pm
Location: Once more unto the breach

Post by zzm9980 » Mon, 18 Nov 2013 7:36 pm

Tried to reply to Nak's post, but it is gone.

I'm guessing this asking a lot from someone who doesn't carry a NETS card, but you could install one of these on your phone:

https://itunes.apple.com/sg/app/singpos ... d647986630
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... m.singPost

User avatar
Strong Eagle
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 11618
Joined: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 12:13 am
Answers: 9
Location: Off The Red Dot
Contact:

Post by Strong Eagle » Tue, 19 Nov 2013 12:01 pm

JR8 wrote:
Strong Eagle wrote: Sounds like a lot or whinging over your own failure to plan and research.
Well, QED. Next time I need a simple stamp I will commit to spending several more hours ‘planning and researching’ where to get one. What next, having to spend a few days planning and researching an ATM that I can use?

More "blah blah woof woof", methinks.

User avatar
JR8
Immortal
Immortal
Posts: 16522
Joined: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:43 pm
Location: K. Puki Manis

Post by JR8 » Tue, 19 Nov 2013 12:38 pm

Perhaps you believe spending several hours figuring where and how to buy a stamp is not unexpected, or in fact reasonable; strange, as I'd have thought an American entrepreneur would see the anachronism (and potential) in that.

'More "blah blah woof woof", methinks.'

Well, you know, at least I live in Singapore. And am merely recounting my experiences on the ground.



@ZZM thanks for that. I will look into it further. That option did not come up at all during my aforementioned research.

User avatar
Strong Eagle
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 11618
Joined: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 12:13 am
Answers: 9
Location: Off The Red Dot
Contact:

Post by Strong Eagle » Tue, 19 Nov 2013 1:07 pm

JR8 wrote:Perhaps you believe spending several hours figuring where and how to buy a stamp is not unexpected, or in fact reasonable; strange, as I'd have thought an American entrepreneur would see the anachronism (and potential) in that.

'More "blah blah woof woof", methinks.'

Well, you know, at least I live in Singapore. And am merely recounting my experiences on the ground.



@ZZM thanks for that. I will look into it further. That option did not come up at all during my aforementioned research.
After 8 years in Singapore, JR8, I figured out how things work... after 6 months, actually. Life is what it is. Trying to find lots of things in Singapore (in addition to postage) can sometimes be a challenge... particularly when everything from coffee powder to heavy machinery is sold under "Happy Trading, Pte Ltd", or some such equivalent. Oddly enough, though, I was able to find what I needed, and when I needed it because I took the time to learn how things work in Singapore.

Surely, since you "live in Singapore", you must realize that your pedantic outrage at the situation says far more about you than the actual situation in Singapore?

User avatar
JR8
Immortal
Immortal
Posts: 16522
Joined: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:43 pm
Location: K. Puki Manis

Post by JR8 » Tue, 19 Nov 2013 1:21 pm

I'm not 'outraged', rather, frustrated at the inefficiency of the state, that every day proclaims it's efficiency.

p.s. You only spent 8 years here? Yeah, well, then what do you know.

eastcoastsg
Member
Member
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 9:02 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by eastcoastsg » Tue, 19 Nov 2013 2:50 pm

So you present ONE stupendously trivial scenario (which also exposes your supreme inflexibility, I mean self proclaimed old fashioned-ness) and proceed to proclaim the inefficiency of the entire state. Says a lot!

OP: Good on WA. Sadly, can't same the same for NSW. :(

User avatar
sundaymorningstaple
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 40376
Joined: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 1:26 pm
Answers: 21
Location: Retired on the Little Red Dot

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Tue, 19 Nov 2013 3:38 pm

I'd say, by Asian standards, this country is highly efficient. And by the majority of western standards as well. Just that one needs to think like an Asian in order to understand it. :lol:
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

User avatar
JR8
Immortal
Immortal
Posts: 16522
Joined: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:43 pm
Location: K. Puki Manis

Post by JR8 » Tue, 19 Nov 2013 4:53 pm

eastcoastsg wrote:So you present ONE stupendously trivial scenario (which also exposes your supreme inflexibility, I mean self proclaimed old fashioned-ness) and proceed to proclaim the inefficiency of the entire state. Says a lot!
OP: Good on WA. Sadly, can't same the same for NSW. :(
Says you the person with 30 posts.... hahaha.

'Trivial and old fashioned': Wow you complete tosser! I'm handicapped by the way. Do I have to spell that out especially, like 'I'm 'Special Needs' and therefore don't really favour spending 2hrs staggering around to buy a stamp.

eastcoastsg
Member
Member
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 9:02 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by eastcoastsg » Tue, 19 Nov 2013 5:01 pm

Correction: think like the Singaporeans :P I've lived in a couple of other Asian countries and they were all different :o

eastcoastsg
Member
Member
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 9:02 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by eastcoastsg » Tue, 19 Nov 2013 5:23 pm

JR8 wrote:
eastcoastsg wrote:So you present ONE stupendously trivial scenario (which also exposes your supreme inflexibility, I mean self proclaimed old fashioned-ness) and proceed to proclaim the inefficiency of the entire state. Says a lot!
OP: Good on WA. Sadly, can't same the same for NSW. :(
Says you the person with 30 posts.... hahaha.

'Trivial and old fashioned': Wow you complete tosser! I'm handicapped by the way. Do I have to spell that out especially, like 'I'm 'Special Needs' and therefore don't really favour spending 2hrs staggering around to buy a stamp.
And you resort to counting posts? If that makes you feel better, go ahead. But the joke's on you, angry dude with reading comprehension problems.

User avatar
JR8
Immortal
Immortal
Posts: 16522
Joined: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:43 pm
Location: K. Puki Manis

Post by JR8 » Tue, 19 Nov 2013 6:21 pm

eastcoastsg wrote: And you resort to counting posts? If that makes you feel better, go ahead. But the joke's on you, angry dude with reading comprehension problems.
Your post count, Einstein, is << on the left there.

What I recall, is that when/before you arrived a month or two back asking about freighting a box here from Australia, I (and others) went out of my way to try and help you.

Now you're here and have your feet under the table, you think you're so effing clever you can go around gratuitously abusing people.

This is not a place for such behaviour. Consider.

Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “General Discussions”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests