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I had spent over a month in Singapore for work around 2010 and really enjoyed it. Now married with young kids I wonder how things would be. Anyone have any ex

I had spent over a month in Singapore for work around 2010 and really enjoyed it. Now married with young kids I wonder how things would be. Anyone have any experience with this? I am wondering with respect to prejudice and safety. My wife and kids are fair skinned blondes.

GordonS 11y ago
I'm blond, as is my daughter. Me, my daughter and wife are all very (too!) white. I love Singapore and have visited several times over the past few years, and never once have I had the slightest concern for my/our safety or had even the slightest feeling that we stood out, even when visiting the less visited parts; Singapore is just so culturally and racially diverse I think you'd have to really try to stand out!
- theuri 11y ago
  I lived there for 3 years as an expat - it's one of the safest places in the world. I feel much safer in Singapore than I do in most parts of the US.
- twic 11y ago
  I know a bunch of European ex-pats in Singapore, and one thing they all bang on about is how safe it feels. Women feeling perfectly safe walking about on their own at night, that sort of thing. I don't to what extent that is rooted in fact, and to what extent it's really about not having a scaremongering media constantly telling you you're about to get knifed, as we do back home.
  - GordonS 11y ago
    That's a good point - the media certainly plays a big role on our fears and how we feel about safety, however irrational those fears may be. Having said that, the very first time I went to Singapore was with work, and I literally knew nothing about the place, and yet instantly got a good vibe from the walking around it - I can't say that about many other major cities. Thinking back, I wonder if the lack of graffiti, chewing gum all over the pavements and generally cleanliness that plague so many other cities has an impact on the way we perceive safety and risk (Singapore is without question the 'cleanest' city I've ever visited).
  - rorykoehler 11y ago
    I have left my macbook pro unattended in Starbucks for 15+ minutes on multiple occasions and it is still there when I come back. In no other country would this be considered ok.
erdle 11y ago
You're heterosexual — so there will be no issues. People seem to not want to touch on the subject that the Singapore gov't has invested major bucks into companies like Square... while also having some rights issues. Even Salesforce maintains offices in Singapore, despite all their issues with Indiana hinting about an unwelcoming climate earlier this year. But seriously — Singapore is extremely safe. But it's also safe because it's tightly controlled. There are undercover policemen everywhere, tons of CCTC, and some strict rules. And I think they also block Wall Street Journal online.
- GordonS 11y ago
  Do you have any references about how much CCTV there is compares to other, statistically less safe cities, such as London? Same question about the 'undercover policemen everywhere'. Also, AFAIC WSJ is not blocked in Singapore. I asked a Singaporean colleague of mine, and he said he can reach it just fine... so again, any references?
  - markdown 11y ago
    I doubt CCTV anywhere in the world would come anywhere close to the level of coverage that London has. But the plainclothes policemen are everywhere, and they'll fine you on the spot if you're found breaking the rules. There are booths all around the city where you can pay your fine. In New York you can buy a souvenir t-shirt that says "I <3 NY". The equivalent sold on the streets of Singapore reads "Singapore is a 'fine' city". Us HN privacy/freedom types would hate that, but I loved the fact that my wife felt safe walking alone at night through a city she'd only spent 2 days in.
    - ValentineC 11y ago
      > But the plainclothes policemen are everywhere, and they'll fine you on the spot if you're found breaking the rules. I've never been fined in Singapore, nor have I felt like I'm constantly being observed. If you walk around and observe the surroundings in the residential zones, there are people breaking minor laws like jaywalking and littering all the time and getting away with them. > There are booths all around the city where you can pay your fine. I've never seen one. > In New York you can buy a souvenir t-shirt that says "I <3 NY". The equivalent sold on the streets of Singapore reads "Singapore is a 'fine' city". You can purchase I <3 SG T-shorts as well. But yes, it's a running joke among both locals and tourists alike that Singapore is a 'fine' city.
sixQuarks 11y ago
wait, have you really been to Singapore? Why are you even asking about safety? You should have seen first-hand how safe the country is. I was there for a few days and never felt safer.
- OneOneOneOne 11y ago
  Good question. From my perspective it was very safe though I'm neither small nor cute.
erickhill 11y ago
I lived there for 3 years as a child. I'm white, blue eyed and had blonde hair back then. There was virtually no crime to speak of (and everyone understood the consequences). As a youth, frankly, I considered Singapore a near utopia to grow up in. Excellent English-based private schools (my parents taught there), a vast melting pot of cultures and foods, a major asian hub for endless travel opportunities, most everyone spoke english, etc. If I were a young-20-something without kids, I might find it a bit uptight, repressed and boring after a while. But as a kid, and now a dad, the pros far outweigh the cons for a place to raise a young family and explore.
- markdown 11y ago
  The young 20-something without kids would prefer Hong Kong. HKG is better by every measure other than security and clean air.
denzil_correa 11y ago
> I am wondering with respect to prejudice and safety. My wife and kids are fair skinned blondes. Singapore has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. There's nothing to worry about in terms of safety. In terms of prejudice, you are on the right side of the coin too.
- CyberDildonics 11y ago
  According to Singapore. A lot of crime happens and isn't reported. There are gangs and organized crime, human trafficking, lone sharking, violence against foreigners, theft, you name it. What gets reported and dealt with is a very different story.
  - ValentineC 11y ago
    > There are gangs and organized crime, human trafficking, lone sharking, violence against foreigners, theft, you name it. Sounds like most cities in the world. There's very little violent crime in Singapore though. It's 99.9% likely that you won't get mugged if you walk alone in a dark alleyway. I should add that theft of unattended items does happen. Don't leave your cellphones or laptops unattended.
    - CyberDildonics 11y ago
      That is very much not true. I don't think there are too many areas that are dangerous in the same sense as most cities, but there are many situations where being alone and the wrong race is not safe. Crime is low enough that any sort of competent police work might be able to deal with it, but by and large the police don't do anything.
rorykoehler 11y ago
Singapore is the safest place I've ever been. You get prejudice everywhere but in Singapore you have to be a special type of crazy or incredibly unlucky to have your safety threatened.

GordonS 11y ago

I'm blond, as is my daughter. Me, my daughter and wife are all very (too!) white. I love Singapore and have visited several times over the past few years, and never once have I had the slightest concern for my/our safety or had even the slightest feeling that we stood out, even when visiting the less visited parts; Singapore is just so culturally and racially diverse I think you'd have to really try to stand out!

theuri 11y ago
I lived there for 3 years as an expat - it's one of the safest places in the world. I feel much safer in Singapore than I do in most parts of the US.
twic 11y ago
I know a bunch of European ex-pats in Singapore, and one thing they all bang on about is how safe it feels. Women feeling perfectly safe walking about on their own at night, that sort of thing. I don't to what extent that is rooted in fact, and to what extent it's really about not having a scaremongering media constantly telling you you're about to get knifed, as we do back home.
- GordonS 11y ago
  That's a good point - the media certainly plays a big role on our fears and how we feel about safety, however irrational those fears may be. Having said that, the very first time I went to Singapore was with work, and I literally knew nothing about the place, and yet instantly got a good vibe from the walking around it - I can't say that about many other major cities. Thinking back, I wonder if the lack of graffiti, chewing gum all over the pavements and generally cleanliness that plague so many other cities has an impact on the way we perceive safety and risk (Singapore is without question the 'cleanest' city I've ever visited).
- rorykoehler 11y ago
  I have left my macbook pro unattended in Starbucks for 15+ minutes on multiple occasions and it is still there when I come back. In no other country would this be considered ok.

erdle 11y ago

You're heterosexual — so there will be no issues. People seem to not want to touch on the subject that the Singapore gov't has invested major bucks into companies like Square... while also having some rights issues. Even Salesforce maintains offices in Singapore, despite all their issues with Indiana hinting about an unwelcoming climate earlier this year. But seriously — Singapore is extremely safe. But it's also safe because it's tightly controlled. There are undercover policemen everywhere, tons of CCTC, and some strict rules. And I think they also block Wall Street Journal online.

GordonS 11y ago
Do you have any references about how much CCTV there is compares to other, statistically less safe cities, such as London? Same question about the 'undercover policemen everywhere'. Also, AFAIC WSJ is not blocked in Singapore. I asked a Singaporean colleague of mine, and he said he can reach it just fine... so again, any references?
- markdown 11y ago
  I doubt CCTV anywhere in the world would come anywhere close to the level of coverage that London has. But the plainclothes policemen are everywhere, and they'll fine you on the spot if you're found breaking the rules. There are booths all around the city where you can pay your fine. In New York you can buy a souvenir t-shirt that says "I <3 NY". The equivalent sold on the streets of Singapore reads "Singapore is a 'fine' city". Us HN privacy/freedom types would hate that, but I loved the fact that my wife felt safe walking alone at night through a city she'd only spent 2 days in.
  - ValentineC 11y ago
    > But the plainclothes policemen are everywhere, and they'll fine you on the spot if you're found breaking the rules. I've never been fined in Singapore, nor have I felt like I'm constantly being observed. If you walk around and observe the surroundings in the residential zones, there are people breaking minor laws like jaywalking and littering all the time and getting away with them. > There are booths all around the city where you can pay your fine. I've never seen one. > In New York you can buy a souvenir t-shirt that says "I <3 NY". The equivalent sold on the streets of Singapore reads "Singapore is a 'fine' city". You can purchase I <3 SG T-shorts as well. But yes, it's a running joke among both locals and tourists alike that Singapore is a 'fine' city.

sixQuarks 11y ago

wait, have you really been to Singapore? Why are you even asking about safety? You should have seen first-hand how safe the country is. I was there for a few days and never felt safer.

OneOneOneOne 11y ago
Good question. From my perspective it was very safe though I'm neither small nor cute.

erickhill 11y ago

I lived there for 3 years as a child. I'm white, blue eyed and had blonde hair back then. There was virtually no crime to speak of (and everyone understood the consequences). As a youth, frankly, I considered Singapore a near utopia to grow up in. Excellent English-based private schools (my parents taught there), a vast melting pot of cultures and foods, a major asian hub for endless travel opportunities, most everyone spoke english, etc. If I were a young-20-something without kids, I might find it a bit uptight, repressed and boring after a while. But as a kid, and now a dad, the pros far outweigh the cons for a place to raise a young family and explore.

markdown 11y ago
The young 20-something without kids would prefer Hong Kong. HKG is better by every measure other than security and clean air.

denzil_correa 11y ago

> I am wondering with respect to prejudice and safety. My wife and kids are fair skinned blondes. Singapore has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. There's nothing to worry about in terms of safety. In terms of prejudice, you are on the right side of the coin too.

CyberDildonics 11y ago
According to Singapore. A lot of crime happens and isn't reported. There are gangs and organized crime, human trafficking, lone sharking, violence against foreigners, theft, you name it. What gets reported and dealt with is a very different story.
- ValentineC 11y ago
  > There are gangs and organized crime, human trafficking, lone sharking, violence against foreigners, theft, you name it. Sounds like most cities in the world. There's very little violent crime in Singapore though. It's 99.9% likely that you won't get mugged if you walk alone in a dark alleyway. I should add that theft of unattended items does happen. Don't leave your cellphones or laptops unattended.
  - CyberDildonics 11y ago
    That is very much not true. I don't think there are too many areas that are dangerous in the same sense as most cities, but there are many situations where being alone and the wrong race is not safe. Crime is low enough that any sort of competent police work might be able to deal with it, but by and large the police don't do anything.

rorykoehler 11y ago

Singapore is the safest place I've ever been. You get prejudice everywhere but in Singapore you have to be a special type of crazy or incredibly unlucky to have your safety threatened.