Singabore-Part 1

(Note: Message started in Singapore, completed in HK)
The government is probably monitoring this message as I type, as the ISP I'm using is probably government owned/invested. Even if that's not the case, it's monitoring the web for anything that might cause unrest in this ostensibly harmonious society.

In my fourth trip to Singapore, I've just now begun to see that all may not be idyllic in this uniquely clean-air city-country in SE Asia. As I wander around the streets at 10:30PM in downtown looking for a cab, I wonder why is it that it is so difficult to get a cab in a city that's supposed to be so well-oiled. There are no shortage of cabs flying by, and I believe that skin color is a non-issue, but none stop because they are supposedly "on call". This phenomenom is something devised by something-probably-called the Ministry of Transportation, and seems like a great idea - anyone can advance book a cab for a reasonable fee of SGD 2. However, attempting to advance book oftentimes is an excercise in frustration with a busy signal from all five Singapore cab companies (or they let you know with the automated big brother system that "there are no cabs available in your area). By the way, all five are owned in whole or part by the Singapore government. I've heard that cabbies often pretend they're on call, either to 1) just to pick up desperate passengers that are willing to pay the on call fee; or 2) wait until they do get the on call call. In anycase, my suspicion is that the government fosters this type of environment because at the end of the day, they believe it results in higher wealth for the country. I think my own experience, as well as a look around at the ridiculously long cab lines at the hotels and companies (even during off-peak times), would point to the fact that this belief is founded on faulty assumptions.

During the past weekend, I visited Sentosa (a man-made resort island, which is an amazing feat itself). On the way there, I tried a NYC-style maneuver in the subway. As we came down the stairs, the doors were beeping as they were on the brink of closing. As I've done in almost every city with public transportation which I've been to, I extended my leg into the doors in order to cause it to reopen. However, as 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds passed, I realized that Singapore is different. There are rules, and if you don't follow them, you pay the price! I pulled my leg away from the two sets of doors (subway and platform), a few moments after which the train left. Needless to say, I will never try that again (in Sg).