The Wannabe Economist

This article from The New Paper summed it all.

MEET the demons that turn the Singaporean driver into a devil - impatience and inconvenience.

Both have played a part in the spike in traffic offences.

…

But of these offenders, drivers who beat red lights take the cake.

They accounted for an astounding 86 per cent jump from about 13,000 summonses issued in 2006 to about 24,300 last year.

That the traffic demons are at work is also evident in the number of parking offences.

These jumped 22 per cent, from about 211,500 in 2006 to about 260,000 last year.

When confronted, most motorists usually say they flout the law because they are in a rush.

…

Is trying to save time an acceptable justification of traffic-rule violation?

Mr Noah Hon, chairman of the Singapore Kindness Movement, has this to say: ‘Whether in a hurry or not, a mistake done at high speed could be fatal, cause injury to someone innocent, or even to the driver.

‘The car is a high-powered machine, and damage to life or property could be significant.

‘The question is, ‘Is saving a bit of time worth these risks?’ he asked.

Mr Hon observed that Singapore drivers often like to change lanes just to get a few feet ahead.

‘They tend to be more aggressive and more inconsiderate than those in other countries,’ he noted.

‘Discourtesy on the road is definitely against the concept of a gracious society.’

Assistant Commissioner Ng Guat Ting, the Commander of the Traffic Police, said: ‘Ungracious, impatient or reckless motorists not only make motoring a stressful experience, they are also endangering the lives of other road users, including themselves.’

…

Sums up everything, doesn’t it?

I don’t want to make any sweeping statement and put the blame on the society, culture etc. I also hate to think that there is somewhere else better to live in, where people are more gracious and crime rate slightly higher. (More gracious peers in the society gives me a higher utility than low crime rate, though both are equally important in my opinion.)

I reckon Singaporeans could be more vocal in condemning and thereby create a social expectation on graceful behaviour.

Easier said than done, isn’t it?

I’m sure many of us have gone through this while we were growing up. Laughing at a fellow classmate being gay, or being laughed at being gay. If this didn’t happen in secondary school, in JC there’s this faggot comment going all around.

Many times we don’t mean what we say. We just say for fear of being on the opposite side. To the kids, there are only two sides. Homophobic aka the normal cool side, and the gay side. Even some teachers think this way. I remembered i had a teacher who commented that she would turn a classmate into homosexual right in class, for something that i don’t remember.

I have never taken a strong stand against gays. Against specific gays, yes. Like the middle age man who tried to pick me up at a gym near my place. To me that was downright despicable. A young man who’s barely out of JC, and an experienced gay taking active actions to prep and lure him to his place.

In fact i reckon i shouldn’t be using the word gay here. But i guess that’s the normal way the marginalized group is addressed in this society.

Go watch the movie. It’s funny. It’s entertaining. Yes. But it has its intrisic meaning.

Next time there’s a wear pink and run support gay movement or wear pink picnic movement, i will go out to the nearest mall, grab a pink shirt and show up at the event.

There is seriously nothing wrong with the lifestyle choice. Why marginalize them?