Visitors to the island country never leave feeling impressed at how orderly and efficient the place is run. Like a precision instrument, everything is so predictable that anything that seems to run against the rule is unthinkable.
Arriving at the airport, you clear the immigration in less than 10 minutes and you'll be able to collect your luggage the moment you reach the conveyor belt. There's a queue for taxi or you can take the subway or public bus, which are all conveniently located. The journey to your hotel is a smooth ride and check in is a breeze. The government has a strategy of controlling the traffic during peak period into the city known as Electronic Road Pricing (ERP). The local people like to call it the "Ghost Gate" cos when the system is in operation, you have to pay a charge every time you pass through one.
The public services run like a well-oiled engine. Any information you need from the government, you can find it online. Responses are fast compared to other countries and prompt actions are taken to rectify the problems (though this is not always the case).
People queue orderly (except when there's a Hello Kitty Promotion in MacDonald) and obey the traffic. The cars slow down when the traffic lights turn amber and those that are speeding will jam brake to make sure they stop in time. Its citizens have been trained to follow the laws by instillation of fears. They have speed cameras installed all over the roads to capture vehicles violating the traffic laws.
Well, this is the right thing to do. Imagine the chaos and danger on the road if there's no laws. And the government is really good at catching people breaking the rules. If you are caught littering, you get fined. If you park illegally, you get fined. They have those uniformed attendants going round to places they know people always park illegally to issue summons. We like to call them the "little lambs" cos they come in little scooters (which looks harmless). People who park illegally will drive off once they spot these attendants. It's like playing police and thieves.
Thanks to social media, these drivers are now sharing information on roads that were installed with speed cameras to warn other drivers to slow down when passing by these roads. This serves as a reminder to all the drivers out there from getting fines. After all, we tend to forget about slowing down or following the speed limits especially when we are in a rush.
This beating of traffic reminds me of when we were young, we always like to play a little truant or naughty tricks when our parents or teachers have their backs turned on us. Reading comics during lessons, stealing a piece of the chocolate cookies for the birthday party when mum was not looking. Although fearful of being caught, you feel thrilled in doing what's not allowed and there's a sense of achievement when you succeed.