Week 5 – Safety and Secrets
I’ll start off by saying that Singapore is one of the safest nations in the world. It is actually common practice to leave bags to reserve seats in the food court, and no one would touch them. If you leave your bike parked, your wheels won’t get stolen (cough Boston). An auntie even noticed a wallet under my seat and pointed it out to me, thinking it was mine. I’ve occasionally dropped my glasses (very infrequent I swear!) and always had someone point it out to me if I don’t notice.
That being said, it’s still good practice to be a little vigilant with your items (zippered bags). There are no “unsafe areas,” but you should generally avoid the Red Light District(s) (even blocks of Geyleng and certain parts of Clarke Quay); even then the worst that’ll happen is that you’ll get approached for services.
The number one open secret I’ve learned is that the “Michelin star” food places are equal to many stalls next to it. I learned that the cooks of the famous Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice had a fallout with the owners and opened Ah Tai. The queues are much shorter and the taste is absolutely wonderful. The Newton Food Centre is pure hype; go to the food center near Bugis station instead. Also, just don’t go to restaurants except for Tim Ho Wan. The dim sum is generally average, but the cha siu bao is heaven in a bun. Only get that item from the menu, nothing else!
