Expat in Singapore says man waiting at red light at 1am ‘says a lot’ about the country
Waiting for the pedestrian light to turn green before crossing the road is a standard procedure for most. But what happens when it’s the middle of the night and you’re at an empty traffic junction?
An expat living in Singapore sparked a discussion online after she encountered this exact situation.
On Wednesday (25 Feb), Kritika Jain posted on her Instagram account @theroamingtoes that she saw a person in Singapore waiting for the pedestrian light to turn green at 1am.
She mentioned that such small habits play their part in “[shaping] a country”.
Source: @theroamingtoes on Instagram
The 30-year-old expat expressed surprise that “people follow rules even at midnight”.
“I don’t know if it is habit or discipline or just how people are wired,” she wrote. “It’s such a small thing. But it says a lot!”
Pedestrian seen waiting for traffic light at empty junction in Novena
Kritika told MS News that she is an expat who has been living in Singapore for the past two years.
She confirmed that the incident took place on 23 Feb at around 1am, at an empty traffic junction in Novena.
What stood out to her was that there were no cars in sight nor enforcement officers nearby.
Source: @theroamingtoes on Instagram
“It was the fact that there were no cars in sight, no enforcement officers around — yet the person still chose to wait for the green light,” she said.
“It felt like a quiet demonstration of personal discipline. That contrast between ‘no one is watching’ and still following the rules made it meaningful.”
Habit, discipline or mindset?
Kritika said she believes such behaviour may be “in-built in the people who live here”.
“It might be because of fear of laws or just a habit or collective mindset to do what’s right no matter what,” she added.
She also noted other everyday behaviours that left an impression on her, such as orderly queuing and keeping public spaces clean.
Source: Facebook, for illustrative purposes only.
‘Small responsible choices’ add up
According to Kritika, seemingly minor actions can reflect broader societal values.
Source: @theroamingtoes on Instagram
“When millions of people consistently make small responsible choices, it compounds into something much bigger — safety, efficiency, and social stability,” she said.
She told MS News that her post has received mixed reactions on Instagram.
She shared that some commenters felt Singapore’s strict laws naturally lead to rule-following, while others said it was unnecessary to wait at a red light when there are no cars around.
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Featured image adapted from @theroamingtoes on Instagram.
