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Comment by halapro | Hacker News Reader

Don't people feel anxious all the time? I do when I visit certain places like Singapore, where any misstep feels illegal.

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I spent a few days in Singapore, long ago. I felt slightly anxious, but mostly because I wasn't familiar with the rules. I'm confident that, if I spent a year or two there, I would quickly become far less anxious than in other places--because the rules are so clear and consistently enforced. The less of a judgement call is involved, the less there is to be uncertain about.

Think about it: Is it better to have a posted speed limit of 65mph and a real speed limit of 75mph, and you just have to learn from experience where the real limit is? Or is it better to post 75mph and fine any driver as soon as they exceed it?

The point of poster a lower speed limit than what is applied is because both the sensors used by the police and in your card are inaccurate and it's unreasonable to constantly fine people who thought (and perhaps even were) within the limit.

And this applies to most other laws too - we can't expect everyone to know all the edge cases so some leniency for honest mistakes is needed.

The residents of Singapore I've known seemed at ease in public. The rules really aren't that unreasonable. How much littering do you do annually? I would guess the annual litter count of my friends averages around zero.

Press freedom is limited in Singapore and that is a significant problem for its democracy. As a tourist this is unlikely to impact you. Otherwise, rule of law is paramount in Singapore.

Don't litter, don't do drugs, don't chew gum, don't drink in public after 10:30pm, and only smoke in designated areas. It really isn't that difficult.

> It really isn't that difficult.

Surely the entirety of the law is encapsulated in your comment. Certainly you won't get in trouble for carrying something as innocuous as an empty vape cartridge. You won't get fined for crossing the road in the wrong place, absolutely.

Singapore is just an example. Its more invasive big brother can be found just north of it.

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