SINGAPORE: Amidst the public outcry against the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) SimplyGo system, one intriguing story recently floated online told the tale of a 26-year-old woman in the guise of “Miss S” who found the system “creepy”.
“Once, I went to Plaza Singapura, and my dad questioned me the moment I came back. I know he can go to the SimplyGo app to double confirm if I am telling the truth about my whereabouts. It feels worse knowing that he can track my movements via the app. There’s literally no privacy!” she expressed her horror.
Miss S explained that because her card is linked to her father’s account, SimplyGo has enabled him to track her movements. She stated that the app “literally” kept her father informed about her whereabouts, including the places she went, the stops she made, and the fare she paid.
She also added that the app updated her dad in real-time because whenever her sister would travel home from work, her dad would check the time her sister boarded the bus.
“Sometimes he’ll go: ‘Oh, she’ll be back soon. She just boarded the bus.’ It’s so creepy,” she said.
Because of this, Miss S sometimes paid for her journeys using her bank card rather than her SimplyGo EZ-Link card, pretending that she had just forgotten to carry it.
Redditors: ‘Suddenly there will be overwhelming support for SimplyGo from helicopter parents’
After coming across this story, one S’porean Redditor, u/Fatgenie, reposted it on r/askSingapore and gave it the title: “Simply (find out where she) Go”
In the comments section, one Redditor said: “Suddenly, there will be overwhelming support for SimplyGo from helicopter parents.”
While another commented, “Singapore, nanny state in 2024. Way to be consistent!”
SimplyGo facing backlash
In Rice Media’s latest piece on the SimplyGo system, several Singaporeans in their early to late 20s talked about the SimplyGo system, and most of them expressed dissatisfaction with the unnecessary changes.
While Ezlink’s website claims that SimplyGo offers commuters “more convenience and benefits,” some people disagreed and said that it was a “backwards technology” and a classic case of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Those who meticulously manage their budgets found the system particularly bothersome because it cannot display the card balance at the MRT fare gate like it used to.
There were also some legitimate concerns that seniors might find the new system more difficult to use, as they would now have to learn how to use a different app to access its services.