I NEVER realised I was living in such a lawless town.

Sure, I was used to witnessing the casual acts of crime that occur regularly in broad daylight around my neighbourhood.

Like housewives brazenly pushing their groceries in stolen NTUC FairPrice supermarket trolleys home before abandoning them wherever.

Uniformed secondary school students blatantly smoking cigarettes that they were obviously not legally old enough to buy.

Pet owners blithely not picking up after their dogs when the animals defecate on the exact spot your brand new Hush Puppies will land on.

The insouciant littering. The rampant jaywalking. The visible panty lines.

Then last week, Tampines officially became Singapore's first 'cycling town'.

For the first time, you are allowed to cycle on footpaths.

This means two things. First, it was previously an offence to cycle on footpaths. Second, if you're not in Tampines, it still is.

I do not live in Tampines, yet I see cyclists on the footpaths every day around my neighbourhood - including a few in Singapore Post uniform and carrying the mail.

Open defiance

So in addition to trolley thieves, underage smokers and negligent dog lovers, the town where I'm trying to raise my kids to be law-abiding citizens with a good fashion sense has also been letting these two-wheeled scofflaws roam freely on the pavements in open defiance of our country's legal strictures without censure or punishment all this time?

Could total anarchy be far behind?

Yes, I understand why cyclists prefer footpaths to roads - you would rather bully pedestrians than be bullied by other vehicles.

But does that justify breaking the law?

As if to add insult to indignation, it was also reported last week that the Tampines town council hired auxiliary police to ensure the cyclists observe safety rules and do not pose a danger to pedestrians.

Whereas in my town where cycling on footpaths remains unlawful, I'm still playing chicken with errant cyclists on the sidewalk during my stroll to my weekly eyebrow-plucking session without the protection of any law enforcement.

I'm tired of living on the edge.

You know what? I should just move to Tampines.

Even if it's nearer to my mother-in-law.  Back to Columnists