'Ultimate culture shock': American tourist surprised by $15k bicycle left unattended in Singapore

While it's common for Singaporeans to leave their belongings unattended in public spaces, this norm came as a huge surprise to one American tourist. 

On Monday (Oct 30) Nick Whitaker posted a picture of an unattended bicycle parked against a pillar at Lau Pa Sat on X.  

"The ultimate Singapore culture shock: a $15,000 bike left unattended," wrote the American tourist. 

The bicycle in Whitaker's post is a Pinarello Dogma F12, a professional race bike. A quick check by AsiaOne shows a similar model on sale for $16,500. 

His post has been viewed more than 1.1 million times and has received about 300 replies from netizens, many who seemed equally surprised that the bicycle wasn't stolen.

The ultimate Singapore culture shock: a $15k bike left unattended pic.twitter.com/RhGiwXPjT7

— Nick Whitaker (@ns_whit) October 30, 2023

 "High trust society," commented a user. 

"I've seen people here reserve food court seats with their iPhones, so an unattended bike is perfectly normal," said another. 

Charlie Hub, a travel writer, also shared a similar anecdote where he saw a woman leave her expensive bag on an outdoor table at the Raffles City outlet of McDonald's. 

"My old NYC brain realised what had been out of place. I no longer needed my urban danger vigilance. It was a deeply cathartic experience," said Hub. 

About a month in Singapore, a woman left an expensive bag on an outdoor table to hold it. She then went into the McDonald's at Raffles City Mall to order. My old NYC brain realized what had been out of place. I no longer needed my urban danger vigilance. It was a deeply…

— Charlie Hub (@TravelsCharlie) October 30, 2023

Whitaker's post also caught the attention of former NFL player Jake Bequette who remarked: "We could live like this in America, but our leaders decide every day they'd rather have crime," reported the New York Post. 

According to the 2023 Global Peace Index, an annual ranking of the world’s safest destinations, Singapore was ranked the sixth safest out of 163 countries, while the United States was ranked 131st. 

'Don't take chances' 

Although foreigners were marvelling at Singapore's level of security, those living in Singapore were singing a different tune online. 

The New York Post article was shared on a local Facebook group, SG PCN Cyclist, and garnered comments from members sharing their experiences of having their bicycles stolen. 

"Please don't take chances. Even with a proper lock, my less-than $600 mountain bike got stolen at an MRT bicycle parking area," said one. 

"My trek carbon racing bike was stolen in 90 seconds when I got distracted by a conversation and took my eyes away from a while," wrote another. 

To prevent bicycle theft, the police advise members of the public to keep their bicycle at home if not in use. 

For cyclists who need to park their vehicles in a public place, choose an area with high human traffic and CCTV monitoring.

Cyclists are also advised to secure their bicycles to permanent structures and ensure all removable components are locked or secured. 

READ ALSO: Singapore 'so safe' that foreigners use iPhones to chope table, says local influencer

claudiatan@asiaone.com