Canadian visitor in Singapore gets confused with Singaporean sidewalk etiquette after ‘so many watching their phones walk right into’ him

SINGAPORE: A Canadian visitor in Singapore recently took to an online forum to ask about the city-state’s sidewalk etiquette.

Posting on the r/askSingapore forum on Friday (Feb 28), he shared that this was his third visit to the country, yet he still encountered the same issue of people bumping into him. He also mentioned that it happened regardless of whether he walked on the right or left.

“I’ve tried the left side and right side, and the same things happen. My favourite was getting off the MRT. This guy was staring at his phone and standing in front of the doorway. It was crowded so I told her (Singaporean wife) to grab the back of my shirt to stay close.

The train stopped, doors open, and he took a step towards me when I said very loudly, ‘Hi There’. This guy’s eyes opened like he was standing in front of Godzilla!” he wrote.

Wanting to understand why this kept happening, he asked locals on the forum, “When using sidewalks outside or hallways in MRT/Shopping centres, do you walk on the left or right of someone approaching?”

“Also, why are so many watching their phones? I am Canadian,188 cm and 115 kg. I feel like a giant here, and even though I stop for these people, they walk right into me. Can anyone shed some light on this?” he added.

“Keep to the left…”

Locals quickly responded to the post, telling the Canadian to always walk on the left side.

One individual said, “Keep left, and if they don’t notice their environment, walk right into them and continue walking. It isn’t your fault they choose not to look where they are walking.”

Another commented, “Keep to the left, and if there’s any upcoming challenger, brace for impact, do NOT evade.”

A third wrote, “Left. Cars also drive on the left side of the road. Stand on the left side of the escalator. I just follow how cars drive in those countries. Korea drives on the right side, so walk on the right.”

According to Singapore’s code of conduct for public path users, pedestrians should always “keep left on all paths” and utilize footpaths or pedestrian crossings whenever available.

They are also encouraged to stay aware of their surroundings and avoid distractions like using mobile devices or listening to music to ensure they can detect potential dangers or oncoming obstacles.

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Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)