Column: Fines of the future

My senses were shocked as I walked out of what seemed like a Malaysian rainforest and into the streets of a city that resembled New York City 20 years into the future.

Between the advanced architecture, scenic skyline and the lack of litter, the clean air in such a developed city was the first of many surprises I found in Singapore.

It seems the reason Singapore has such a fine reputation is due to fines themselves.

When Singapore gained independence from the British in 1965, they implemented a government that mirrored the English common law with legislation, judicial precedents and customs.

The criminal legislation and the fines are what allow Singapore to be singled out for cleanliness and safety.

If you think staying out of legal trouble at an IU tailgate is hard, think again.

Numerous activities that we would consider day-to-day realities are banned in Singapore.
Forgetting to flush a public toilet? That’s a $1,000 fine.

Smoking is illegal in the majority of public places unless there is a designated stop.

Littering and jaywalking are illegal, and eating and drinking on the Mass Rapid Transit subway system is met with a $500 fine.

Even chewing gum is banned from being sold to the public for hygienic purposes.

My personal favorite? A well-known local fruit called Durian is so smelly that it is illegal to carry one on the subway or on buses, and it is also often banned from many hotels.

Also, urinating in an elevator has been singled out as worthy of a $500 fine.

Pirated CDs and DVDs you might innocently call “sharing” would leave you $1,000 poorer per disk.

So, again, IU tailgates? The litter left from a big game would make the streets of Singapore look like the gates of heaven.

Singapore is certainly a fine city.

It boasts great natural conservation programs and one of the lowest crime rates in the entire world.

When I was first exposed to the road rules I would face, I was almost too afraid to leave the comfort of my cabin on the ship.

However, when I made my way up to the infinity pool at Marine Bay Sands Hotel, a 150-meter pool on the highest projecting platform in the world, I understood the stringency.
Standing on the tallest of tall skyscrapers, enjoying the clean air and feeling content with the street food I would usually avoid at all costs, I wondered how much Mother Nature would appreciate us if we all lived by the same laws and reaped those same benefits.

I’m not sure we are ready to say goodbye to chewing gum and subject all street vendors to stringent preparation laws, but adopting some of the same respect for our own city might assure a much more promising future — one I had the chance to try out in
Singapore.

­— espitzer@indiana.edu