Woman proves that SG is one of the safest places in the world by leaving her phone at Chinatown MRT station

SINGAPORE: Singapore is known all over the world for safety and security, and one foreigner recently chose to put this to the test by leaving her mobile phone at a train station.

Spoiler alert: She got it back.

Mary, who goes by @swizzyinsg on TikTok, asked in a Sept 30 (Tuesday) video, “How safe is Singapore REALLY?”

@swizzyinsg

How safe is Singapore REALLY?🇸🇬 Tbh I would only try this in Singapore.. 🫣 #singapore #singaporesafety #singaporemrt

♬ Comedy Detective – Evgeny

She set up her phone in front of the doors of a train at the Chinatown MRT station and proceeded to board it, waving goodbye shortly before the doors closed.

When she returned 10 minutes later, it was still there, and Mary could be seen clapping her hands with glee (or maybe relief. Possibly both.)

She did say, however, that Singapore is the only place she would experiment with leaving her phone completely unattended in a public place, so kids, don’t do this at home or anywhere else.

“In other cities, you need two hands on your phone all the time, just to keep it safe,” Mary said, adding that it’s a little different in Singapore. “If you accidentally leave your bag somewhere, there’s a good chance someone will actually hand it in, or even track you down to return it.”

Nevertheless, she added that she would not recommend that others follow her example, and seemed unsure if someone might steal her phone, as her “heart was racing the entire time.”

For Mary, though, finding out that no one had taken it is “proof that Singapore really is one of the safest places in the world.”

Read related: New study says Singapore is the safest country in Asia for travelers, while the Philippines is the least safe

A number of commenters on her video agreed that Singapore is indeed safe in comparison to other countries, with some sharing their own experiences of leaving their belongings and coming back to still find them there.

Others, however, reminded her that low crime does not mean no crime, and that some areas in Singapore are less safe than others.

“Good, most of us won’t bother taking things that are not ours. But no country is theft-free,” one wrote.

“Everywhere is installed with CCTV cameras, who would dare to steal?” asked another.

And one TikTok user shared their experiences with theft: “It depends on luck and circumstances. I left a huge umbrella at a hawker centre. I came back after 10 minutes and it was gone. I also left my mobile phone at a McDonald’s counter and it was missing when I returned in just a few minutes. I also lost a newly bought expensive shampoo in a toilet at a hotel on Orchard Road.” /TISG

Read also: Singapore climbs 52 spots to become 9th safest place for solo female travelers