SINGAPORE
Crime &
Safety
Singapore is a very safe place for travellers, though you shouldn't
become complacent - muggings have been known to occur and theft
from dormitories by other tourists is a common complaint.
Singapore is known locally as a " fine city ". There's
a fine of S$500 for smoking in public places such as cinemas,
trains, lifts, air-conditioned restaurants and shopping malls,
and one of S$50 for "jaywalking" - crossing a main road
within 50m of a pedestrian crossing or bridge. Littering carries
a S$1000 fine, with offenders forced to do litter-picking duty,
while eating or drinking on the MRT could cost you S$500. Other
fines include those for urinating in lifts (some lifts are supposedly
fitted with urine detectors), not flushing a public toilet and
chewing gum (which is outlawed in Singapore). It's worth bearing
all these offences in mind, since foreigners are not exempt from
the various Singaporean punishments - as American Michael Fay
discovered in 1994, when he was given four strokes of the cane
for vandalism.
In Singapore, the possession of drugs - hard or soft - carries
a hefty prison sentence and trafficking is punishable by the death
penalty. If you are caught smuggling drugs into or out of the
country, at the very best you are facing a long stretch in a foreign
prison; at worst, you could be hanged.
Singapore's police , who wear dark blue, keep a fairly low profile,
but are polite and helpful when approached.
Emergency phone numbers
Police 999 (toll-free) Ambulance and Fire Brigade 995 (toll-free)
Medical
Care & Emergencies
Medical services in Singapore are excellent, with staff
almost everywhere speaking good English and using up-to-date techniques.
Pharmacies (Mon-Sat 9am-6pm) are well stocked with familiar brand-name
drugs, and pharmacists can recommend products for skin complaints
or simple stomach problems, though if you're in any doubt, it
always pays to get a proper diagnosis. Pharmacists also stock
oral contraceptives, spermicidal gels and condoms.
Larger hotels have doctors on call at all times. Dentists are
listed in the Singapore Buying Guide (equivalent to the Yellow
Pages) under "Dental Surgeons", and "Dentist Emergency
Service".
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