A Xiaohongshu user recently shared a video of an unattended bicycle sitting along the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade along with this take: “Singaporeans are too rich, the bicycle was just placed at the side, but no one has stolen it.”
He did not specify if the bicycle belonged to him or if it had already been left there by someone else, but his post sparked a discussion in his comments section.
A number of people echoed this same sentiment – the consequences of stealing it outweigh the benefits.
“The penalty for theft is too high. One might as well get a job with their skills to buy a new bicycle of their own,” explained one netizen.
“Stealing is not worth it for too many people. A bicycle is not not something people lack. If you get caught, it’ll ruin your reputation as well,” another opined.
Some also said there are “CCTVs everywhere in Singapore” and there’s no point risking being caught for petty theft.
This is not to mention that the OP was at MBS, a place where tourists often frequent.
One cheeky netizen, who clearly disagreed with the OP’s take, also wrote: “Please go ahead and put your bicycle there tomorrow, I will go and steal it.”
So, do you think an unattended, un-stolen bicycle is an accurate measure of Singaporeans’ wealth?
Photos: 小孩哥/ Xiaohongshu, Unsplash/ moppity