this post was submitted on 30 Oct 2023
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Fuck Cars

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[–] MindSkipperBro12@lemmy.world 148 points 10 months ago (17 children)

All you need is to completely disregard human rights and Singapore is pretty decent.

[–] Annoyed_Crabby@monyet.cc 34 points 10 months ago (5 children)

Other than the gross attitude toward people from weaker country and their treament of maid as if they're dog, what other human right issue they have?

[–] MindSkipperBro12@lemmy.world 49 points 10 months ago

They love executing people and long prison sentences like it’s medieval era.

[–] vivadanang@lemm.ee 47 points 10 months ago (14 children)
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[–] Draedron@lemmy.dbzer0.com 91 points 10 months ago (11 children)

Singapore is not the dream. It's a police state and dictatorship

[–] PeterPoopshit@lemmy.world 37 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

Came here to say this. People don't realize how backwards that place is. Just being gay is illegal as fuck over there. Fuck Singapore.

[–] sic_1@feddit.de 22 points 10 months ago

Thank you! Finally someone speaks out, too. Singapore is a totalitarian capitalist dictatorship and the closest thing we have to a true cyberpunk dystopia. It is a horrible place with clean sidewalks.

[–] barsoap@lemm.ee 11 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

The law hadn't been applied decades, male homosexual sex was decriminalised in 2007 and legalised in 2022.

The legal situation before that was inherited from the British Empire, a 1871 law which made all kinds of "sodomy" (oral, anal) illegal for everyone. By now you also have protections against discrimination, hate speech, etc. There's a gazillion things to criticise about Singapore you don't need to make shit up. Other things on the list of "don't criticise about Singapore" include public transit, public housing (though they could ease on the mandatory ethnic mixing a bit), and the food. Oh gods the food.

Dictatorship is also kind of a misnomer... Singapore is one of a kind. Certainly paternalistic as fuck, authoritarian it depends, the PAP is actually listening to people and considers electoral results <70% an issue that must be addressed by fixing shit -- and no they don't mess with the ballot: They mess with media and election timing, as is British tradition.

Two particular things that stand out is the lack of corruption and actual respect for the law, otherwise the whole system would long since have collapsed. That is: All the authoritarianism is actually codified, there's laws you can read, rights that you have, you're not going to prison because some big-wig doesn't like your face or your business idea is interfering with their kleptocracy but because you broke the law, and there's no easily abused laws like Thailand's lese-majeste, either. All that is highly untypical for your usual run-off-the-mill dictatorship where favours and loyalty are the only legal currency.

Things to criticise that aren't caning for littering or insanely hardcore drug laws? Things like the abysmal status of foreign workers. Or, from a more Confucian perspective actually: The failure of the grand daddy PAP to properly see discontent coming, and address them proactively. Lack of connection to younger people who don't happen to be PAP members.

[–] mambabasa@slrpnk.net 16 points 10 months ago

Can confirm Singapore is a one-party police state ruled by a political dynasty.

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[–] PochoHipster@lemmy.ml 83 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Singapore laws play for keeps tho

[–] baldingpudenda@lemmy.world 39 points 10 months ago (9 children)

1 to 2 years for selling gum. 100 to 500 USD for chewing.

[–] Carvex@lemmy.world 29 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Jaywalking? Fuckin life with no parole.

[–] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 19 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Not looking both ways before crossing a street? Straight to jail.

[–] Assman@sh.itjust.works 9 points 10 months ago

Not holding the door for an old lady? Public lashing.

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[–] lobut@lemmy.ca 53 points 10 months ago (4 children)

I know it's almost impossible but I'd be taking the bike out so much more often if I knew I could leave it somewhere and it'd still be there when I got back.

[–] MeanEYE@lemmy.world 22 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Same, and mine is not even close to this price range. I heard Japan is like that as well. If you have any semblance of protection, like tying it up with rope, no one will touch it, ever. Must be nice living in civilized world.

[–] Rooskie91@discuss.online 11 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Crazy how when you design a society around meeting people's basic needs, petty theft almost disappears.

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[–] irotsoma@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago

It's the only reason I don't own a bike. They get stolen even when locked up in the daytime with a good lock. Bolt cutters are quick.

[–] rustyricotta@lemmy.ml 10 points 10 months ago

Absolutely this. The only times I take my bike out is when I know I'll never have to leave it. Which basically excludes using it for transportation purposes, and leaves only cycling just to cycle (which I do still enjoy).

Just too high of a chance for it to get stolen (completely or just parts), or vandalized. It's not even that great of a bike either.

I have a friend who "solved" this problem by having such a junker of a bike that it didn't even look like it functioned.

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[–] djsaskdja@reddthat.com 47 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Is it unattended? Looks like someone is standing right in front of it taking a photo for Twitter.

[–] MargotRobbie@lemmy.world 37 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I'm pretty sure it's because Singapore has security cameras pointing everywhere. Also, caning is a big deterrent to theft.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe 42 points 10 months ago (20 children)

Yeah, we just need less privacy, more fascism, and more brutal cops.

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[–] Diplomjodler@feddit.de 36 points 10 months ago (2 children)

The secret ingredient is surveillance.

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[–] mortonfox@pawb.social 27 points 10 months ago (10 children)

To me, the culture shock would be that there is a bicycle that costs $15K

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[–] portifornia@lemmy.world 24 points 10 months ago (7 children)

How TF is that bike (or any) $15k?!? Does it come with a bike path concierge on every trip?

[–] limelight79@lemm.ee 21 points 10 months ago

Multiple, actually. No one can keep up with him for long, so they swap out. Each concierge (usually called "Domestiques") sweeps the path clean of all gravel, dirt, and random people with strollers for the rider.

(I just realized how much I miss /r/bicyclingcirclejerk.)

[–] Maalus@lemmy.world 17 points 10 months ago (1 children)

How TF are lamborghinis so expensive? A car is a car after all

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[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 20 points 10 months ago (3 children)

look guys! I can leave my unguarded outside in a dictatorial police state!

Eh, sure? Great?

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[–] Otkaz@lemmy.world 19 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (16 children)

I'm more wondering why someone would spend that much on a damn bike. I bought my car for 15k of course that was in 2010 but I'm still driving it to this day. Toyota Corolla before anyone asks.

Edit: I just realized this was posted under fuck cars and now I feel like a dick comparing it to the price of my car. It wasn't intentional but still holy shit that's still a stupid amount of money to spend on a bike. Like how can you even justify that price? It has to be a completely insane amount of markup.

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 31 points 10 months ago

He admits he has a car, get him fellas!

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[–] helenslunch@feddit.nl 18 points 10 months ago

People do that all the time in my area. It's not because it's "safe", it's because they're stupid. Then they want to join my communities so they can spam it with their stolen bike posts and get help finding them.

[–] roo@lemmy.one 14 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] ElCanut@jlai.lu 21 points 10 months ago (2 children)

You have to be very brave to keep your 15k bike with an airtag only

[–] roo@lemmy.one 10 points 10 months ago

In Singapore?

Not in Singapore, but I see a lot of people in my area doing this. I've always wondered how the unafraid part works when the bike is obviously over $5k.

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[–] pHr34kY@lemmy.world 13 points 10 months ago

I've left my bike like this for 50 seconds total in the 25 years I've had it - and I had to chase it down to get it back.

[–] akaifox@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Reminds me of my first weeks in Japan....

I took my Kona Private Jake with me (nowhere near that bike, but $2-3k) which I would expect to be gone in an instant in the UK. I kept placed my bike on the balcony of the monthly apartment in Roppongi, which was only on the 2nd floor, and would check it at night as I thought someone would nick it

This shortly progressed to leaving it outside when going to the conbini, etc

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