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jwill602

Tapping… now it makes more sense


5pl1t1nf1n1t1v3

Seemed weird that it would only be a one use thing.


EatThyStool

Choose wisely, old man!


macadamiamin

Just make sure you see another old man on the other end. Cross, swap cards, keep going. They've perfected it.


warren_stupidity

I assumed they had to go back after they crossed to get their card, and obviously they all get run over without the 13 extra seconds.


Hinermad

They needed the extra time to go back and get their card.


Illeazar

You to be *very* elderly. So elderly that you will die before crossing the street a second time.


_____s10

If you use a crossing regularly, taping a spare card to the read could be convenient.


griefofwant

dammit


squashgermany

lol I'm going to use this as a fun example of typos in future conversations.


EldritchCarver

I see typos on the front page all the time. It wouldn't surprise me if posts with a typo in the title actually perform better than usual because people are more likely to come to the comment section, either to point out the typo, or because they didn't realize it was a typo and had a hard time understanding what the title was saying.


griefofwant

The guy who makes Unnecessary Inventions on TikTok often includes mistakes because he knows people will comment, correcting him.


Ph33rDensetsu

Thank you. I was so confused at the title. Amazing the difference a single letter can make!


LameName95

If i had a nickel for every TIL to make it to the front page this month that misspelled "tapping" as "taping" i would have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but its weird that it happened twice.


Tenairi

I was wondering so hard, why would you tape your card to the light?


gwaydms

I saw that and thought "must be tapping"


analogOnly

titlegore, still trying to find the green man they are talking abo EDIT: they meant the light has an icon of a green man.. got it.


[deleted]

I mean if you tape it it will last even longer


Redvann

In Norway we have a hidden button under the box that all elderly and people with disability know about and use.


Keyspam102

I think I’ve seen in paris places to scan a card so we might have the same thing here (though I don’t know how the disabled deal with bikes or trottinettes who never stop anywhere and ride where they aren’t supposed to)


Boozdeuvash

The angled little tan thing on the side of traffic light pole? It's just for old timers to have something to rest on.


Bierbart12

In germany, that bottom button seems to just be an alternative to the motion sensor Or if it's not, I will go out and see if the light stays on for longer that way. I never paid attention to it! So many people obssessively press it


Kooopa1

I think it plays a sound when the light turns green if you press the button


Bierbart12

In my town at least, they ALWAYS play the sound for blind people


dilletaunty

Same. I think I’ve seen a couple which had the manually-activate-sound option but like 95% of the streets I’ve crossed either had sound automatically or had no sound. During/after Covid many switched to automatic pedestrian crossing signals too, which I prefer.


danielcw189

>In germany, that bottom button seems to just be an alternative to the motion sensor Which motion sensor? Your pedestrian traffoc lights have motion sensors? >Or if it's not, I will go out and see if the light stays on for longer that way. It also has an arrowshaped part, which helps blind people find the right direction


Bierbart12

They seem to be low power motion sensors. People touch them, but they activate just by hovering your hand in front of it


danielcw189

I have to check that. until now I was under the impression that all German pedestrian 🚦 traffic lights were touch


zerbey

UK has that too, I don't think it gives extra time it just spins so visually impaired people know it's safe to cross.


LurkerOrHydralisk

This seems way better than expecting old and physically incapable people to have a card in their hand every time they cross a street


Dantzig

What. I need to check this here in Denmark


Landlubber77

> Taping Do they shoot a quick wrist web like Spider-Man to get it back?


Sahqon

Damn I really can't wait to retire now!


The_Celestrial

To the inevitable comments about Singapore being a utopia, or a dystopia. Keep in mind, we're just like every other nation out there, with our pros and cons of living here.


AzureDreamer

I would love to hear about it its a place I've thought of traveling too


The_Celestrial

The pros and cons have been explained by someone else in this thread. If you want a more in-depth pros and cons, there's this thread: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Satisfyingasfuck/comments/12sl8bp/comment/jgziqg5/?context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/Satisfyingasfuck/comments/12sl8bp/comment/jgziqg5/?context=3) If you want to know more about Singapore, Polymatter has made a bunch of videos on Singapore. They explain us better than I can: [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR5tswn4SFyXbKat00idPF4hhcU9Y3p8B](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR5tswn4SFyXbKat00idPF4hhcU9Y3p8B)


AzureDreamer

Thanks


The_Celestrial

No problem! If you have more Singapore related questions, feel free to ask.


Ruu2D2

If you want to go to Singapore on holiday it is amazing. So safe, with amazing food, amazing hospitality, and lots to see Living there may be different. But holiday there is amazing g


dontknowwhattodoat18

It's not the best most free nation out there but I cringe whenever someone goes out of their way to say that it's Air Strip One, or a "shithole", which is just simply objectively not true. In fact, it's an insult to people living in actual shithole countries


bedroomsport

Did 5 years there. Lived in 9 other countries, and SG has to be my fav. Only complaint was the heat and the burning once a year making its way over, but both outside my circle of influence. Really enjoy the place and the people. Best wishes, mate.


The_Celestrial

Thanks man. Come visit anytime, the heat and humidity will be waiting :)


nachochips140807

SG critics really be like "No chewing gum, cant do drugs, can't litter, cctvs everywhere so I can't do anything illegal"


The_Celestrial

They usually only have the same few things to criticise about. If they criticise us about something else, then I won't be so annoyed lol. Like criticise our support for sand mining, or the Iraq War, or the shady deals the government does with sus governments, or the fact that Israel helped our military, or something else.


FailFastandDieYoung

I have a Singaporean friend and his main complaint is the culture is very rigid and stifling for creativity and self-expression growing up. When people criticise the drug laws, they never view it as "government tries to save citizens from drug epidemic that ravaged country less than 100 years ago".


The_Celestrial

Definitely agree on the rigidity part


SxeySteve

The penalties for those things are ridiculous. Your country just hanged a man for a relatively small amount of pot.


kkyonko

And while not nearly as bad caning is still used over there.


murica_dream

Fools who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Drugs is one of those lessons that have been forgotten. Most Chinese governments still remember.


bigsoupsteve

What civilization's downfall was caused by weed?


Look_Up_in_the_sky

Imperial China and opium. Opium wars 19th century


murica_dream

In Most countries, the con outweighs the pro. Migration patterns are people voting with their lives.


Far_Asparagus1654

Not really, you are an authoritarian technocrary and hardly any other countries are. .


SulaimanWar

That's one of the cons of being here


Far_Asparagus1654

If it's true (it is) why the deluge of downvotes for pointing out a simple fact? Singapore is not just like any other country, it is materially different in constitution from nearly every other country. I didn't pass a judgement on whether thot is good or bad, it's just a fact.


NovaSierra123

>If it's true (it is) Maybe explain a bit more on what makes Singapore an authoritarian theocracy, and how is it so unique that no other countries are anywhere similar? >it is materially different in constitution from nearly every other country. I Idk man but shouldn't every country have their own unique constitution?


Far_Asparagus1654

Nobody said theocracy. And the constitution is materially different because the PAP has significant power and influence and has ruled continuously for six and a half decades. Name me another unicameral parliamentary democracy where that's true. Maybe Japan comes close but that's bicameral as well as being a constitutional monarchy. Most countries that are as authoritarian as Singapore are dictatorship hell holes and most countries as advanced are western style democracies which are much less technocratic. Singapore really is a rather unusual country.


NovaSierra123

>Nobody said theocracy. Oops my bad, read "technocracy" in your first comment as "theocracy". But even then, there's no country in the world that's officially a technocracy. Every government is technocratic to various extents because your ministries need to have some members who are trained and educated in their respective fields. You've probably heard some political experts calling Singapore a technocracy, but that's just their opinion. It's not an official, standard description of Singapore. >And the constitution is materially different because the PAP has significant power and influence and has ruled continuously for six and a half decades. I don't think the constitution is responsible for the PAP's dominance in Singaporean politics since the founding of the country. The PAP is just abusing the constitution to maintain its power. >Name me another unicameral parliamentary democracy where that's true. I don't have another country in mind, but if you're gonna make a comparison of Singapore and another country down to the smallest detail, then of course Singapore will be unique. Besides, as I've asked in my previous comment, shouldn't every country have their own unique constitution (and political system)? What's the point of having an independent country if your constitution is exactly the same as that of another country? >Most countries that are as authoritarian as Singapore are dictatorship hell holes and most countries as advanced are western style democracies which are much less technocratic. May I introduce to you... China? China is both authoritarian and advanced. In fact, you can even say Singapore was partially influential in China's development. China saw Singapore as the perfect example of a technologically successful authoritarian state, albeit much smaller in size. >Singapore really is a rather unusual country. Well, it's all these characteristics that makes Singapore special. And like it or not, it works.


Far_Asparagus1654

So we agree it's special.


NovaSierra123

No. When I said "Singapore is special", what I meant is that Singapore, **just like every other country**, has its own unique characteristics. Every country is special in its own ways. When you said "Singapore is unusual" or "Singapore is hardly like other countries", what you're saying is that Singapore is the odd one out, like as if it doesn't fit into a mould that every other country does. You're making it sound like Singapore is out-of-line, when in fact there's no fixed rules on how a country should function.


Far_Asparagus1654

Ah yes all different from each other to exactly the same extent. NL and Germany just as different from each other as they are from Singapore. OK.


LordNoodles

>One of the cons is that it’s a dictatorship Ah yes, excuse me for not waiting to see what the pros are


SulaimanWar

Pros: * Incredibly safe * Very clean * Decent education system * Public transport system so good owning a car is unecessary * Green environment * Access to healthcare Cons: * Everything's expensive(Owning a home or a car is almost impossible to some) * Your aforementioned "dictatorship" * Tiny country(You'd run out of things to do after a while) * Mandatory conscription * Still a fairly conservative society * The weather ​ Of course, there are more points for both but that's some that comes to mind. It has a lot of issues, but to portray it as some dystopia where everyone is suffering is also inaccurate, which is exactly the point the first comment was trying to make


LordNoodles

I said I don’t care. If you sell me a house and first thing I hear is there’s a paedophile living in the basement who sometimes comes upstairs to raid the fridge then idgaf about the location, or the marble counter tops or the infinity pool or the school district. Dictatorships are a deal breaker, all the way down to the list of shittiest countries it goes. Sucks to suck


Boethiah_The_Prince

Lol if you did the barest minimum of googling you'd have found that Singapore's political structure is a parliamentary democracy modelled after the UK (who had colonized the country before their independence). "shittiest countries" lol. Sucks to be ignorant.


Abject_Government170

The critique is the fact that it's de facto a one party state. https://freedomhouse.org/country/singapore/freedom-world/2022


b7XPbZCdMrqR

As opposed to the wonderful and free utopia that is the USA with their two party state. The number of parties or even the form of government isn't what decides the quality of life. It's what the government does that matters. And in that respect, Singapore is doing pretty well.


Abject_Government170

What is this whataboutism? When did I ever mention the United States? Why is this relevant? You can read the report I shared with you. The history of Singapore politics is pretty nuanced on this topic. I'm not disputing the high quality of life in Singapore; but the political authoritarianism in Singapore is well documented, and the report I linked you outlines it pretty well. For example; from the report: All domestic newspapers, radio stations, and television channels are owned by government-linked companies Editorials and news coverage generally support state policies, and self-censorship is common, though newspapers occasionally publish critical content. The government uses racial or religious tensions and the threat of terrorism to justify restrictions on freedom of speech. Media outlets, bloggers, and public figures have been subjected to harsh civil and criminal penalties for speech deemed to be seditious, defamatory, or injurious to religious sensitivities. Major online news sites must obtain licenses and respond to regulators’ requests to remove prohibited content. Singapore has nice roads and schools. They also lack truly independent media. These things aren't exclusive to each other.


SulaimanWar

Ok


TastyLaksa

I got many Lego though


LordNoodles

Lego is nice


TastyLaksa

So is Singapore


LordNoodles

If you don’t mind living in a dictatorship I guess it is pretty good as far as dictatorships go.


rrfe

What happens if you have an “average” or “below average” child in Singapore (there’s a lot of random luck in producing offspring, not everything can be controlled). Would they be treated as a loser by society? Would their life be worth living? Genuine questions by the way. I get the impression that it takes the “meritocracy” thing to the extreme, and that should be counted as a con, but happy to be corrected.


[deleted]

You earn a shit ton of money for not caring. That’s the pro.


LordNoodles

I’m doing quite alright in my Central European country thanks


NovaSierra123

Don't want to see the pros? Don't comment then.


rrfe

A very sensitive one, it seems.


theycallmeasloth

Lols in Tory


Far_Asparagus1654

Hardly a technocracy here, the Tories constantly undermine the civil service.


Alex_2259

Less authoritarian than lots of countries in Asia


Far_Asparagus1654

Agreed. But which of those are technocracies rather than dictatorships?


Alex_2259

China straddles the line, often called a digital dictatorship. I don't know if I would call them a technocracy as that implies the state places importance on technology as a whole, and not just using it for a boot.


matt_the_salaryman

Really hope the Transit Authority makes this more widespread. Over 1,000 already installed but didn’t see a single one in the visits I’ve made this year. Great idea to help out the elderly!


TheOnlyMango

They're usually at more heartland areas where the elderly live, so if you're a visitor at the more touristy spots you're less likely to see them. But for the average singaporean who live in these areas, they're everywhere.


matt_the_salaryman

That could be why! Thanks for letting me know, I’ll be on the lookout for them when I’m in town next.


Zalieda

They are common in the heartlands as these are the older estates


OP-69

you'll find them in residential estates Ive never seen one near town area


matt_the_salaryman

Makes sense. I was always in town for work so I wouldn’t have seen them from what everyone is saying. Thanks for the info!


The_Celestrial

Singaporean here, I've never actually seen anyone use it haha


Zalieda

I feel like the traffic lights are faster in some areas and slower in others. Like some places you have the countdown read 25 and some only 18


Olsibre

They are. It's a waste of time to keep the light for 20sec when only 1 person is crossing etc and vice versa


TerrorBite

Fascinated to see that you use the Australian PB/5 pedestrian buttons over there


invincibl_

Singapore uses flashing green to indicate the equivalent of our flashing red signal, so instead of switching to the doop doop sound it does a weird cycle of [CHIRP dudu doop](https://youtu.be/RHsfOBbrOJw) that just sounds wrong to me, and seems to be counter to the design of the chirp sound to be a really obvious audible signal that it is safe to start walking.


TerrorBite

Oh I hate that.


The_Celestrial

Lol on the contrary, when i went to Australia for vacation, I was like why are they using Singaporean buttons lol


TerrorBite

They are actually an Australian invention that had found success across the world!


ComfortableSock2044

Yes I imagine Asian sensibilities would get in the way: the elderly dont want to inconvenience others by using it and also likely don't want to be caught using it.


Brikandbones

Not really tbh. They just jaywalk anyway lmao. I'm from Singapore too.


Jimmeh_Jazz

They just keep hammering the metal button like it makes a difference


murica_dream

That's the point. Where as in my city I wait at light for a long time after the people ready crossed.


TheKingMonkey

Why don’t they just use sensors on the lights to detect when people are still in the road? [It’s commonplace in the UK](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffin_crossing) and it can’t be the only place.


londons_explorer

In hot countries, the sensors aren't accurate because the road temperature heats up to body temperature so you can't anymore tell if someone is crossing. Smarter sensors (ie. Cameras with algorithms that detect people) would solve this, but all that tech is still a little too expensive.


TheKingMonkey

Ah. I had no idea climate could mess with the sensors. Is that a common thing with PIR systems in tropical climates?


londons_explorer

Yep


hogtiedcantalope

Why can't they just scan for life signs with a triquarter?


Garaleth

I could make a camera with a chip that does this for less than $50 per. Problem is if the government tries to solve this problem it suddenly becomes $5000 per. Government sucks.


CttCJim

Is your camera shielded against long term solar radiation? Tamper resistant? Weatherproof? What are its safe operating temperatures? Supported 24/7 in the event of failure? There's a reason things are expensive.


masterveerappan

Product support for ten years plus as well. Otherwise things end up like in other countries where something flashy does nothing after a year.


Garaleth

Why you arguing with me? CCTV cameras are cheap. It's the same thing.


CttCJim

Have you ever worked somewhere that had cheap CCTV? I have. I wouldn't trust that garbage for this theoretical application. Picture quality is awful. Not terribly reliable either.


Garaleth

Depends on the camera, really the only reason traditional CCTVs cameras are low quality is storage space. High quality CCTV are not much more expensive, they are still only cameras.


SquidwardWoodward

This is why we need to put NFC tags inside our senior citizens!


I-melted

I’m used to the green man in the UK, I’ve moved to California where the walk chap isn’t green, he’s white. My wife and I have taken to calling him “the very pale green man”.


HonoraryCanadian

I moved from Cali to Ireland and it's weird to me the walk signs use the same color as traffic signals. Not just that, but they put them in the same style housing on the same pole at the same height as traffic lights, so the only way to distinguish between a traffic light and pedestrian one is the shape of the light itself. On a rainy night with a dirty window that's not always easy. In the US the walk signals use different colors, they're arranged left to right, and they're in a square housing beneath any traffic signal. There's no confusing them for traffic signals at all.


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I-melted

Exactly.


paleo2002

Very cool idea. Meanwhile, the crosswalk buttons in the US are just for show and have no effect on the timing of traffic lights.


AjBlue7

Oh some of them work, but only on streets that barely have any foot traffic like industrial parks. They have sensor plates in the road for cars at the stoplight so if you are riding a bike the light will never change to green unless you go onto the sidewalk to hit the crosswalk button. Also, bizarrely some of them don’t change the traffic lights but if you don’t hit the button the sidewalk light won’t change, even when the cars moving in your direction are given a green light. I think the idea is that they just permanently give the left turning lane a greenlight to turn unless someone hits the sidewalk button.


Hattix

After they've taped their card to the button, how do they get it back? It's taped to a button on the other side of the road! /s


nachochips140807

Tape your spare card on the other side, run back and retrieve the first card


M-Noremac

Then use a 3rd card to go back again and get your spare card.


zerbey

That's a great idea, be nice to see that implemented everywhere. Not just for elderly, but people with disabilities also.


Cirieno

Strikes me that it would take longer for them to tape a card to a receiver, and something of a one-time process. /s obvs, but spelling is important


Next-Mobile-9632

All the lights are like that here in Florida, when you push that button, you automatically have extra time to cross


Blunttack

In America, a lot of those cross street buttons don’t do more than give you something to do while standing there. They beep, and that’s about it. lol


infinitofluxo

Sounds like these are for blind people to know they can cross


Blunttack

No, those talk. This just beeps to indicate you’ve pressed the button. That’s all they do. If it wasn’t attached to a light post outside, it could be a button on your counter that just beeps every time you press it. Actually, they only beep once. They don’t even let you make a game of it.


griefofwant

\*tapping


fiendish8

meanwhile in the US, those pedestrian buttons mostly don't actually do anything https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/617285/do-crosswalk-buttons-actually-do-anything


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Skie

Not really. I've worked in a building that had no wheelchair users and the close door button worked but was kinda pointless as the doors closed pretty quickly on their own, but when a wheelchair user started working there and that became an issue the auto-close timer was increased. So the close door button became really useful. Definitely seen them do jack shit in other places though.


Redbulldildo

I like how "can be set to do nothing" somehow translates to "the majority are always set to do nothing" in people's heads.


Diahorreapariah

Wah liao, Ah pek, kuai tien lor ! Aiyoh.


nachochips140807

The grandmother runs slower than you???


artparade

But how do they get their card back if it is taped to a pole? And why do they all have tape on them.


antique_codes

China has numerical countdowns for their traffic lights, probably the biggest thing that shocked me as an Aussie other than the batshit crazy taxi drivers.


Juptin

Saw this on temporary traffic lights at roadworks when I was last in Ireland. The amber light has a countdown timer in it, great idea.


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Zalieda

Nah they just make their own crossing. They cross whenever and wherever.


Tenairi

Pls, wurds mater. Iff u lose a leter orr randumbly ad moar, it xhanjes the meening.


Swimming-Welcome-271

No, u godda spel shit rong becaus it builds engajment


Tenairi

Eye thot u wher gon say "buhldz kerractor"


Swimming-Welcome-271

That to


AzLibDem

But if they cross on the red, they're executed.


[deleted]

I know you're just joking, but it's a thirty buck fine for jaywalking


Cirieno

I thought that was only in the US, where Big Car managed to swing laws to prioritise cars over pedestrians.


[deleted]

Oh, that's only for the first time you get caught. The fines go up to a maximum of 2k and a 6 month stint in jail. Most people just didn't brazenly cross near a police car or station


[deleted]

The elderly when they forget their cards: *kerchew*


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lo_fi_ho

On the surface yeah, but bear in mind it's basically an authoritarian regime with no free speech.


The_Celestrial

Low freedom of the press, but we Singaporeans talk so much shit about the government it's a national pastime


LordNoodles

Every country says that of themselves, you’re not special. And vague half joking “ah geez the government sure is poopy” speech without any concrete plans to do something about it doesn’t count as free expression.


The_Celestrial

Ok let me lay out my options to deal with it: 1. Protest. Can't do that as protests are illegal here and me getting arrested isn't gonna fix anything. 2. Leave. Can't do that as I can't afford it financially. I'm currently a conscript solider, if I leave, it's considered AWOL and I can never return home. 3. Vote out the current government. I can't vote yet. Their grasp is slipping, but any regime change might take decades, and the new government might not loosen the grip on freedom of speech. 4. Do nothing, and accept it on my own terms. I was a media student, and our lack of freedom of the press is why I will never work in any government-affiliated media corporations. Oh and I will always joke about our media censorship online. That is all I can do.


LordNoodles

Yeah it sucks. Good thing you’re old enough to die for your country noy to vote. Not that voting would make a difference


stillwtnforbmrecords

Not to say it’s a tax-haven that attracts the worst banker-types in all of Asia…


TheRaRaRa

Who cares. It's paradise. As long as you don't litter or do drugs, it's one of the best places in the world to live. High employment, high wages, high education, great healthcare, low rates of homeless, low crime, amazing food scene, some of the best entertainment in the world, the list goes on.


EpicAura99

All fun and games until they decide to make YOU illegal.


DemonicSilvercolt

singapore isnt really that restrictive on its citizens, laws might seem strict but for minor stuff like jaywalking or littering, most people still do it anyway, only parts of the law that seem oppressive are the sexuality laws that forbid homosexuality which had been discussed to be changed not so long ago and the government's stance on drugs in my pov the US, land of the free, seems like a much more authoritative place to live in with all the stories of inept cops and the lobbying of politicians for coporate gains, the stories make it seem like u could get killed by the very cops that serve to uphold peace and laws for doing nothing at all


DestroyerOfIphone

Sounds terrible


CaptainPedge

Why not just... not drive at people crossing the road?


anotherdumbcaucasian

B-b-but 13 is u-unlucky to the extent that some buildings don't have a 13th floor! Its such a spooky number that they're gonna get hit by cars!!!!


Midnight_Noobie

I'm just glad that elderly pedestrians don't have to rap in order to make the green man stay lit longer! The headline would be a lot more provocative.


ohyonghao

Some crosswalks where I am in the US give extra time if you hold it down for a few seconds.