Singapore Expats

Is it just me or do people walk really really slowly/aimlessly when there is a mass of human traffic? eg. Sundays on Orchard road, or anytime at Bugis MRT!!??

I love Singers, but what's with the zero human traffic rules!! hehe

I don't know what's worse though... whether people here walk like they drive, or they drive like they walk...

or they walk, then all of sudden they'll stop , and you lose the momentum. or they simply love to chat in the middle of the alley/ road, blocking the traffic

I think they don't really know how to walk. When trying to pass traffic lights, people come from every direction. In Europe we have the tendency to walk from the right when I moved here I switched it to left as the reverse direction of traffic, but still many people walk on my side too. There is no escape, you just have to mix with the crowd and find your own route.

Yep, drives me crazy!!
And especially stopping to have a chat at the top of escalators...

The Drifters...

Im flowing with the foot traffic and I get caught behind the drifter I go for the fast pass on the left and they DRIFT to the left. So I change tack and go for the fast pass on the right and they DRIFT to the right.

This may be connected to all those people I see having lunch at Harrys

Not only does everybody walk really slowly and stop at the most inconvenient times but they also drag their feet and make that awful flip flop sound. Orchard on Sunday is an absolute nightmare. I say compulsory sand shoes on a Sunday to help everyone walk properly

They walk slow, chat, and meander in all directions.... no matter which way you try.

i didnt have any problems earlier, but some time ago I had to stop quite a few times that particluar day. think depends on ur mood, attitude

Yup ... the aimless wanderings of the average Singaporean can be rather frustrating .... they shuffle at snails pace and with all the sense of direction of a heard of cats!!

They rarely walk up an escalator, nor will they think of leaving a space for those that do ... (they look at you crazy when you do walk up them too!) in the rare locations (raffles MRT) where walking up an escalator is acceptable, they still have to stop before the end rather than walking off like a normal person.

there is no lane control and as fast as a very slow thing .... with no legs!!! , its GAAAAAAAAh, and probably the only thing that really bugs me here. (even the driving i can handle ....)

Has anyone noticed that the automatic doors in Singapore don't open in time for a 'normal' walking pace..? Only if you move at Singaporean speed to they open in time. Classic specification...

I think it's not the pace so much, more the sheer unawareness of anyone around or near them. People just seem to walk into me.

I think you'll find that it has more to do with the heat and humidity than a lack of spatial awareness. As much as you are cursing them they are laughing at you covered in sweat from brow to ankle from walking briskly.

Chill out, you'll get used to it although I am still liable to say loudly "Let's all hold hands and contact the living!" when caught behind some doddery old fart. The wife tells me they won't understand , she's right but I feel better.

Annoying how the bottom of the escalator seems to be a good place to stop and ponder the meaning of life too isn't it?

robzada wrote:Is it just me or do people walk really really slowly/aimlessly when there is a mass of human traffic? eg. Sundays on Orchard road, or anytime at Bugis MRT!!??

I love Singers, but what's with the zero human traffic rules!! hehe

I can fully understand it. The island is small, not much to do here, so need ways to kill time, wondering near MRT and shopping areas on weekends is a good way . Many expats get excited in the first several years when they arrive here and then sick soon to those pubs, restaruants, streets in their weekly routines, but this is the home for Singaporeans, so locals have their way to adapt, not bad at all. We cannot take it because we dont really live here, we are foreigners who only pass by.

You get used to the walking around outside slowly, mainly as already stated, because of the heat and humidity. My dad was here a couple of months ago and told me I was getting old because I walked nowhere near as fast as I used to! I quickly told him the real reason haha.

Having said that I share the frustration of being in a mall or whenever and having to cut through the wandering masses to where I want to go. You gotta remember that most people do not have air con at home, and head out to enjoy "free air-con". The main reason for visiting malls here is not to shop, but to walk around! Shopping comes second.

i have heard from more than one person that singapore is the 2nd fastest-walking country on earth. anyone who really thinks that has gotta be on crack! you guys are totally right. i guess i will just have to work on my patience, but it does drive me nuts to walk behind these "random number generators" who will wander off in any direction at any given moment.