Woman leaves phone unattended at MRT station as a test
Singapore is often lauded as one of the safest countries in the world, and one woman recently put that claim to the test in a rather nerve-wrecking manner.
On Tuesday (30 Sept), Marion Müller, 29, uploaded a video of herself leaving her phone unattended at Chinatown MRT station for 10 minutes to see if it would still be there when she returned.
She told MS News that she carried out the test the day before at around 3pm.
During the 10 minutes that she was away, she even took the MRT from Chinatown station to Outram Park station and back.
Singapore is different, says content creator
In the TikTok video, the full-time content creator explained that she wanted to try something she would never dare to do in other cities.
@swizzyinsg How safe is Singapore REALLY?🇸🇬 Tbh I would only try this in Singapore.. 🫣 #singapore #singaporesafety #singaporemrt
“In other cities, you would need two hands on your phone all the time just to keep it safe. But, Singapore, yeah, that’s a little different,” she said.
She also noted how residents here are often quick to return lost items to their owners.
Even then, Ms Müller admitted she still felt nervous while conducting the experiment.
Source: @swizzyinsg on TikTok
“My heart was racing the entire time,” she confessed in her video.
10 minutes and a few curious glances from passersby later, she returned, relieved to find her device untouched.
Netizens warn her against taking safety for granted
Even though nothing happened to her phone, some netizens still viewed Ms Müller’s actions as rather risky.
One TikTok user warned that “low crime doesn’t mean no crime”.
Source: TikTok
Another commenter explained that she might not be so lucky if the phone was at a less crowded location, or if it was not recording.
Source: TikTok
Meanwhile, one netizen joked that they were “disappointed” as they expected someone to pass the unattended phone to the MRT station staff.
Source: TikTok
Experiences Singapore’s safety firsthand by leaving phone unattended
Ms Müller, who has lived in Singapore for two-and-a-half years, said she had seen plenty of content about the country’s safety and wanted to experience it for herself.
Source: @swizzyinsg on TikTok
“At first I thought I would be fine, but then I felt a bit stressed indeed,” Ms Müller admitted.
She added that this was not her only encounter with Singapore’s safety.
“I’ve never had any issues walking home late at night, and people are generally very helpful and respectful,” she said.
Ms Müller also pointed out how she often leaves her bag unattended at hawker centres without worry.
“It’s one of the reasons why I love living here,” she shared.
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Featured image adapted from Wikimedia Commons and @swizzyinsg on TikTok. Image on the left for illustration purposes only.
