First World Problem
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(I have to admit, I am pretty much a "follow the rules" girl, so when I stayed in Singapore, I fit right in. 555)
With its wide floors, floor-to-ceiling mirrors and a ready audience, the underground passage connecting a train station to Singapore's iconic Gardens by the Bay had served as a practice ground for aspiring dancers for years.
Until 1 January, when they showed up as usual only to find the mirrors frosted.
Hundreds of commuters and tourists walk through the spacious tunnel every day, many of them on their way to the city's number-one attraction. People had complained that the dancers were "blocking pedestrian flow at this high-traffic area", local media reported.So, the mirrors were frosted, triggering a debate – not just about space, but also Singapore's fixation with orderliness, the low bar for people to complain, and its many, many rules.
All of which arguably stifle the abandon, or even the havoc, that is often characteristic of the world's biggest cities.
This is not the first time Singaporeans have crossed swords over how common spaces should be used in the land-scarce country, where more than 8,300 people jostle for each kilometre.
From whether frisbees should be allowed in parks, to benches fitted with dividers to deter rough sleepers, Singaporeans are often split on whose needs come first.
and
Some Singaporeans said the dancers in the walkway were inconsiderate, as they would sometimes block the path with props. "If they had kept to one side, no-one would have complained," read a comment on Instagram with more than 3,000 likes.
Others pushed back, calling the move to frost the mirrors "blunt" and "rigid". Several said they enjoyed watching the dancers while passing through and sympathised with them because the cost of renting a studio was so high.
"Seeing other dancers around me was really motivating," says Wilson Tay, who used the walkway for dance practice twice a week. "It was also fun when tourists stopped by and tried to mimic my moves."Now there are no catchy K-pop beats and lingering onlookers who groove along.
Some dancers, like Tay, now practise at a train station two stops away, where five full-length mirrors have been put up in a corner, carefully marked with yellow tape. -
A few suggestions for Singaporeans to be more considerate and relief congestions at the same time:
- Work from home more
- Entertain at home more - don't go out for movies or concerts, just stream entertainment to your home
- Eat in more - don't go out to restaurants, just eat at home
- Use delivery service more - don't go out to shop or buy stuff, have them delivered instead
- Have fewer babies - Singaporeans are already doing great here, this is one rare area where Singaporeans defy their government's stated direction
- Date virtually - just stay home and date through video chat, no need to go out; dovetails into the suggestion immediately above
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Seems a little over the top. Especially given some of the, ah, public disorder that they tolerate. Or so I’ve heard.
@jon-nyc said in First World Problem:
some of the, ah, public disorder that they tolerate. Or so I’ve heard.
You aren't talking about Orchard Towers, are you? LOL
(That used to be one of the well known areas for "red light" nightlife. Nightclubs, disco pubs, etc. The nickname I heard for it was ***NSFW content***
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Hmmmmmmmmm, if the walls could talk!!!!!!! 555
