Feeling Safe in Singapore — and Getting a Little Careless

In the photo, you can see the most reliable lock that many shops in Singapore use. This one, at least, opens onto the street. If the shop is inside a shopping mall, they might simply hang a sign on a rope: “Closed. Please do not enter!” and go home.

I have generally felt very safe in Singapore. I may even have become a little careless and will need to relearn some habits when I travel elsewhere. These early observations are from 2022:

📱 People reserve tables in cafes or food courts with their phones or even wallets: they put their phone on the table and go order food.

🌝 I usually feel comfortable walking around at night.

📣 In the quieter streets I know, a loud argument quickly draws attention.

There was a later correction to my sense of security: my bicycle was stolen. That story did not erase the trust I noticed around me, but it did make “safe” and “nothing can happen” look like two rather different statements.