Five years in Singapore - reflections

[sundaymorningstaple]

The only thing that really gets to me is the Singaporean way of driving.

I suspect I’m a minority of one but I’m reasonably happy with the “Singapore way of driving”

[bgd]

Coincidently (or not I guess) my closest call here involved "an average Caucasian woman driving a SUV" who stopped in the centre of the ECP to look at something behind her.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Speaking of which, I was driving home last night and passed a young woman driving a rather new black Jag XK . Nothing unusual in that except when I pulled up along side her (she was in the right lane, toddling along (everybody in the middle lane was passing her and those in the right lane backing up behind her - evening peak hour) I glanced over in the drivers direction and saw a young lady driving by herself and she could barely see over the dashboard. In fact, had it been an older car, she would have been actually looking through the steering wheel. I have my doubts she could see out of the side view mirrors at all

[PrimroseHill]

what side mirrors? Thats just the latest trendy fashion acessory.
Driving standards in SG is appalling. Like, Steve, I have only been here a short while and his bug bears are pretty much similar to mine and those aren't solely a SG issue.
However, driving standards here sometimes I am shock at how they obtained their licence to begin with.
There are drivers that do not use indicators at all. Many pull out without actually that there maybe cars/ pedestrian around them- on the right/left/behind. When they decide to pull out, they just pull out. Whatever happen to mirror signal manuever?
Then you have folks that drive, no idea which are worse, the drivers way above the limit or the ones that are slowly pottering along on the right lane, once again oblivious to their surroundings. Take over can happen on the left lane, middle lane or cross all 3 lanes. Apa pun boleh
The other day on the way home; in a taxi, witness a near collision, woman drove a tiny Kia, nearly being blindsided by the no 75 bus. I mean, how can she not notice that the bus is on her left side. Bus honked, she was oblivious. My taxi driver honked & gestured and she then notice and she over corrected her mistake and nearly ran into me in the taxi. Nice. Mirrors!!

[beppi]

There are drivers that do not use indicators at all.

A friend of mine developed the theory that, in Singapore, cars are delivered with a certain, limited number of indicator "blinks", which due to Kiasuism then must be used as sparingly as possible.

[sundaymorningstaple]

They ought to make side view mirrors and signal indicator lights optional equipment as they never get used anyway.

[nakatago]

I mean, how can she not notice that the bus is on her left side. Bus honked, she was oblivious. My taxi driver honked & gestured and she then notice and she over corrected her mistake and nearly ran into me in the taxi. Nice. Mirrors!!

If it happens when they're just walking, of course it's gonna happen if they're encased in a rolling metal cage!

[aster]

+1. How locals ride/drive is very predictable. Much more predictable, pardon moi this generalization, than an average Caucasian woman driving SUV in Singapore.

One almost ran me over when I was crossing the road on a normal pedestrian crossing with the green man lit.

Ang moh woman driver and an expensive SUV is a dangerous mix.

[JR8]

Ang moh woman driver and an expensive SUV is a dangerous mix.

It would be worse if the short-sighted locals could afford them.



[since we're now dealing in stereotypes, it seems]