Through an Americans' Eyes

Singapore, 1995

At first glance a visit to Singapore seems near idyllic. The city is spotless, nearly crime-free. There are no pan-handlers, homeless, or dazed substance abusers on the streets. The subway is immaculate, moving silently through dazzlingly clean stations that clearly direct you to where you want to go. And if you want, you can even eat street food at the open air hawker centers where as many as 200 individual vendor-chefs provide a culinary adventure through their vast variety of ethnic foods. The government keeps these vendors meticulously clean with rigid hygiene laws.

"Don't judge a book by its cover," advises one Malay cab driver.

Singapore, in all its pristene wonder, is a teeming conglomeration of races and religions held in tight check under the strict laws of the city-state government.

For example, as I walk down Orchard Street, the "Fifth Avenue" of Singapore, I see dark-skinned Malays, thin, delicate Chinese, Indian women in Saris, and an endless assortment of westerners, tourists, and businesspeople.

But then I reach the street corner. A sign with an icon of a person crossing the street and the familiar red circle with slash drawn through shouts the warning -- do not cross. A yellow sign with a black arrow points to the crosswalk. The red man on the traffic light orders stop. No one in the large crowd on the corner moves. Unlike other cities, there are no people darting into traffic challenging drivers and laws. I think of Bangkok with its death-defying feat of crossing streets seething with cars and motorcycles waiting to run you down or the yellow taxis in New York that appear to aim for unwary pedestrians and wonder at Singapore's order.

There are no moving cars on the road yet everyone remains on the corner the traffic light gives them permission. On cue the light changes to a green man and the people cross neatly inside the thick white lines designated as the crosswalk. This is no surprise. Jay-walking means breaking the law. And since Michael Fay's very public caning for graffitti, the world knows that Singapore takes offenders very seriously. Consider some of the enforced fines (in Singapore dollars):

• $150 for not flushing a public toilet
• $500 for chewing gum in a public place
• $1000 for littering
• $2000 for possession of fireworks (first offense)
• $10,000 or up to 2 years in jail for possession of fireworks (second offense)
• Death penalty can be given for illegal drug sales or possession
  

While these offenses seem extreme, I wouldn't commit them in the first place. The tradeoff is a city-state that is the fantasy of every American urbanite -- clean streets, safety, and crimeless. Is it worth the cost?

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