American tourist says S$20K bike left unattended is ‘ultimate Singapore culture shock’

SINGAPORE: For many foreigners in Singapore, one of the biggest shocks is seeing people’s personal belongings left unattended. Sometimes, this is done to reserve a space or seat somewhere, as part of the famous “chope” culture. While it’s understandable when some leave their tissue packs, others have been surprised to see designer handbags, phones, or even laptops left alone for a while, and when the owners come back, they’re still there.

For one man from the United States, seeing an expensive bicycle left unattended was the “ultimate Singapore culture shock.” An Oct 30 post on X (formerly Twitter) from Mr Nick Whitaker of a Pinarello Dogma F12 bicycle, which sells for around US$15,000 (S$20,500), has gone viral, getting over 1.1 million views.

The ultimate Singapore culture shock: a $15k bike left unattended pic.twitter.com/RhGiwXPjT7

— Nick Whitaker 🇺🇸 (@ns_whit) October 30, 2023

The post has also gotten hundreds of responses, with many people underlining that Singapore is a very safe country for several reasons, including a very strictly upheld rule of law with high penalties for lawbreakers. Others chimed in that because Singapore is such a small place, there’s practically nowhere to run and hide.

One offered a gentle correction to the post, writing, “It’s not unattended, it’s attended by thousands of CCTV cameras and a very strong public security apparatus.”

Others, however, compared Singapore to other big cities such as Paris and Berlin, where thefts are everyday occurrences, and people are encouraged to watch out for pickpockets and secure their belongings.

Some said that Singapore’s safety standard should be the norm everywhere else in the world, and some X users said that elsewhere in the world, including the Isle of Man, Japan, Taiwan, and some parts of Australia, it is similarly safe.

Others, however, said that, nevertheless, bikes do get stolen in Singapore, and it’s still better to be safe than sorry—so secure your bike.

Read also: Woman leaves dangers of San Francisco for safety of Singapore

Even the Singapore Police Force has issued an advisory for keeping your bike or Personal Mobility Device (PMD) safe, which they consider a common target of thieves.

The police have shared these Crime Prevention Tips.

“Here are some measures you can take to avoid having your bicycle stolen in the future:

• Keep your bicycle at home when you are not using it.
• If you need to park your bicycle at a public place, choose one with high human traffic, preferably with CCTV monitoring.
• Secure your bicycle to a permanent structure such as a bicycle rack.
• Use a good quality lock such as a U-lock.
• Ensure all removable bicycle components are locked or secured.
• Make permanent identification marks such as engravings on the body of your bicycle.” /TISG

Read also: People are sharing what they love best about Singapore, and the list includes the library, safety & food