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WHILE the expression 'only in America' generally refers to something bizarre, when people say 'only in Singapore' generally they are referring to how safe it is or the exceptionally honest people.
As an expat I sometimes find this honesty bizarre in itself, because it is not the norm all over the world.
I have actually had shopkeepers chase after me to give me the change I had forgotten.
When I first arrived in Singapore I accidentally left a bag full of the latest electronic gadgets in the back of a taxi when I was out shopping. When I realised what happened I took it for granted that I would never see them again - until a Singaporean friend who was surprised by my reaction said that I should call the taxi company.
I made the call and, sure enough, the driver had handed in the bag at the depot at the end of his shift. He didn't want a reward or even leave his name, they said that he just 'wanted to do the right thing'.
More recently, a guard working for the Matriq Security Firm which protects the complex in which I live returned my wallet - stuffed full of cash and credit cards - that I left in the gym.
This same guard had previously returned my solid-gold Rolex watch after I stupidly left it down by the pool.
Both times, Maran absolutely refused to accept a reward because he said he was 'just doing his job'.
All of this means two things:
- Singaporeans are exceedingly honest, and
- I will eventually lose everything I own if I ever move away from Singapore.
I have lived in quite a few cities around the world and I can tell you that, generally speaking, people in the rest of the world on minimum wages are not in a great hurry to return lost goods or money to stupid, rich, forgetful, accident-prone foreigners.
People like Maran may not be a rarity in Singapore but out there in the big, wide world they absolutely are.
Gary Anthony
A CITY UNLIKE OTHERS
People elsewhere on minimum wages are not in a great hurry to return lost goods to stupid, rich, forgetful foreigners.
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