Singapore Expats

I'm moving to Singapore in December with my wife and newborn baby and have been considering looking for a condo in the West Coast area. My primary concern with this area is the fact that my wife would be taking the bus with the baby stroller (durable, non-light-weight) daily. I understand that she should probably avoid rush hour like the plague, but during non-peak hours, is it terribly inconvenient to ride the bus with a stroller? And if the condo has shuttles to the MRT, are these usually stroller accessible?

Don't risk it. Rarely will someone help her on or off the bus, the driver will take off before she has found a seat (if she can get one as quite often there is standing room only), then drive there is no tomorrow etc.etc..

If you really have your heart set on the East Coast and you have young children you will better off with a car or be prepared to take taxi's. The taxi rides are not expensive compared to most countries however can be hard to get during peak periods and when it is raining. You will also need to get used to people walking a few yards down the road and getting the cab just before you.

Cheers

try using the MRT instead of taking the bus..or just book a cab

i have two children and would never dream of taking the stroller on the bus (well...i mean i DREAM of taking it but it'd never happen it's true - no one would ever help you and unlike NYC or london where there is room to store - if not have your buggy unfolded - there is no room on the bus. i've actually sat on the bus several times thinking about that! usually i take my older one and cab it back from where ever we are b/c he won't walk the whole way - but i can never take the baby. we usually do the MRT which is pretty stroller friendly (ramps, elevators and people will sometimes move out of the way)... and also taxis.

OK, good to know-- no buses. Thanks for all the advice. Finding a condo near an MRT station seems to be my best bet, but I'm worried about availability and cost. I'm ok with my wife taking taxis, but if they are difficult to get at times, I don't want her to end up stranded somewhere.

cbavasi, do you have trouble with getting taxis? My wife can be pushy and tough, so she might have a fighting chance out there, but I'm just curious as to how hard she'll actually have to fight for a taxi. I'm wondering what kind of situation I'm sending her into.
Thanks!

one thing I've notice here is that people like to queue! They say we brits can queue but bloody hell the people here will stand in a queue for god knows how long when all they have to do is walk round the corner to get a taxi!

Very bizarre!

They'll even queue to go up one escalator when there are 2 side by side. They just stand there looking at the second one (which is completely empty by the way coz god forbid they should walk another 2 yards or so!).

So as long as your wife is prepared to queue or walk another 50 yards she'll have no problem.

As far as MRT is concerned I'd take that anyday over a bus. Time is pretty much bang on time - and I mean bang on time. Normally they come every 6 or 7 minutes, are very clean, cool and have excellent access. Plus people might just get out of the way of a buggy/pram thingy where they might not on a bus!

Just tell her to practice her stare! All women have a stare!!

there is a very big difference hailing a taxi here than in nyc or london... people DO wait in line. although when i first came here on a 'look see' i was standing in line at raffles place with my 2 year old and 8 months pregnant and couldn't understand why people kept jumping into taxis that came... i was like 'hey! i've been waiting!' all fired up... what i didn't realize is that you can call ahead and preorder a taxi for a nominal fee
in the end we paid more and moved where i could walk everywhere i needed when i'm with the kids ... which was fantastic when it's not raining. if you're coming from the US you might want to look at something called a Joey Safe. i can't find it here - but know several people who have one for those kids 1 year and over. it can be used to buckle them into the taxis.
hope this helps!

All very good info. Thanks so much for the feedback. As for the Joey Safe, we have a stroller with a detachable carseat, so I think we’re covered in that area. And as for my wife’s stare, trust me, we don’t need to worry about that. I’m more concerned that her mouth might get her in trouble. She definitely does not shy away from confrontation, which actually worries me more than her being played the fool. Ideally she could avoid the need to be confrontational altogether. While she can definitely handle it, I wouldn’t exactly say it makes her happy. That being said, I’m definitely going to make it a priority to find a condo near an MRT line, even if it costs a bit more. The reduced hassle is probably worth the money, even at this market’s ridiculous prices.

i had an incident when we first moved and i was pushing a buggy and 9 months pregnant going through a crosswalk on a very residential street and i was about 3/4 of the through and this woman came barrelling from the other side of the street into me! i stopped and yelled 'HEY! it's a crosswalk!' as she went flying by and she actually stopped and rolled down the window and started yelling at me to not yell at her. i told her i should call the police and then she started screaming i should go back to my own country and get out of hers.... it was insane. i was so mad i could have spit - but just sort of shook it off and called my husband who was like 'could you PLEASE control yourself until you get your permit issued?' oops! after that i just zipped it and really make sure that i'm not going to get hit by any cars while on a crosswalk. also, your wife will learn to use the stroller as a 'weapon' getting on elevators - sort of the box out stance you learn in 8th grade

Well, you didn't exactly calm my worries with that story, but if that's how it can be, then I guess we're better off being prepared than not. My wife can be very tough and even though she never played basketball, I think the concept of boxing out is one she'll take to quickly. To be honest, I'm not really worried about her being able to handle the Singapore pace, I just worry about the mood it'll put her in. Moving to Singapore is an exciting adventure for us both, and while I know there are two sides to every coin, I really want the experience to be a positive one. In the end, there are simply some things one can't worry about though. Thanks again for the advice and stories!

Regarding the stroller on bus issue, for a mum on her own, at times its difficult cos you have to make sure the stroller fits on the way up the bus.. some buses have a bar in the middle at the entrance, generally speaking the stoller should fit, not unless its those double stroller (like for 2 babies)types. As for a place to store the stroller, some buses now have standing room area or a particular seat that has some space right next to it, likewise as what was said, it really depends on what time of the day you are travelling and how lucky you are to get that particular spot/ seat. To share an experience, (not that i think you your wife is going to do the same) i once encounterd a couple who placed the stroller plus kid at the standing area, while they sat at the seat right next to the standing area, the bus made a turn, the stroller n kid went hurling down the steps n i stopped the stoller in time before the kid went flying down the steps.. this despite the stroller having been "locked".

Now for the wonderful "flagging a taxi" issue.. i believe it has become a little better somewhat after cab fares went up. I noticed many foreigners/ expats sometimes flag for cabs at the "wrong" places. It would prob take a while to learn where you should or should not flag cabs. Places with zig zag yellow lines on the road (some or most cabs would not stop cos they might get fined) or the wrong side of the road!! i have seen many a tourist/ expat try to flag for a cab on the right side of the road which is the fastest moving lane.

Regarding the odd thing about singaporeans liking to Q, its simply cos the taxi companies are trying to prevent touting or unfair practices such as taxi drivers cutting each other off/ fighting for fares, so the drivers are REQUIRED to pick up passengers from a taxi stand if there is one within that few metres (if you get what i mean) and passengers are REQUIRED to q-up at a taxi-stand to prevent them from walking a few yards in front of someone who has been waiting for a while. All these apply to areas where there are taxi-stands, usually in town/ business district/ malls/ clubs etc.. in housing areas, there arent any so at certain times of the day where demand is high, taxis are scare, you get that situation of someone walking a few yards ahead of you to get a taxi first..
of course, it is not impossible for one to "turn a corner" and flag a cab while a long line of people continue to wait stupidly in the q.. sometimes its due to the driver not wishing to drive into a particular area, cos its jammed or the person has walked far enough away from the taxi stand.

last bit of advice would be, as someone new to town, you would learn where are the places/ streets that would be easier or more probable for you to flag a taxi. It could be as simple as crossing the street or walking to a particular area. I have never been able to get a taxi when i walk to the main road right next to my place, but if i go to the back, where the little roads are in the housing area, i always get one, plus the coffeeshop is where all the drivers take their break!

Hope all these help!