Our Petty Authorities

Ok I take back my words that our authorities don't enforce the law. They do they really do - like fineing this school girl $400.00 for charging her phone in the MRT station using one of the wall sockets in the station.

Frankly I didn't know MRT people are so freaking on. I seen people drinking and eating in the train and nothing happened. Once, a lady in SMRT uniform walked past a girl eating inside the train and she didn't even pause in her steps. Maybe it is a new culture now. With all the fines they getting for the breakdown, look for extra income from other sources. So maybe the next time somebody eat or drink, or get into a full train, they will get fined!

Also, if you happen to be a trade show vendor, better think twice setting up a stall in Hougang area. Chances are if you are in the Workers Party's area, you will get fined for illegal hawking, hawking without a licence or maybe just being in an unauthorised area.

Anyway, whatever it is, just don't get on the wrong side of our petty authorities! If you do, don't get caught and if you have to pay a fine or give away money, give it in an ang pao to somebody who will appreciate it.

Happy New Year! 恭喜发财

Our "Wonderful" Enforcers of the Law

I think like many people out there, I am appalled at the lackadaisical attitude of our law enforcers in relation to the mentally unstable women who drove into the MFA premises. I don't know how it happened but I think it all boils down to complacency and this smug attitude by our government that once they enact a law, it will be good enough and we obedient citizens will quietly obey it without questions.

This is why we have so many "fine" laws but no enforcement. Seriously, in my over 51 years of existence, I do not know anybody who has been fined for littering, smoking, spitting or jaywalking. In the past when I drove along the expressways, I will see a traffic police in a BMW or on a patrol bike. Nowadays, I hardly see any. And in the past I do see people doing CWO in the parks but I can't remember when was the last time I seen one. 

About the only government agencies that seems to be enforcing its law is HDB and URA. And I guess that is only because they outsource the parking enforcement duties to private organisation!

Nparks, NEA, LTA the 3 main agencies probably has a very small pool of law enforcers. And probably in no big hurry to beef that up. My complain to LTA about motorcyclists riding along pavement was acknowledged with a standard reply but today there are more and more bikes riding along the office outside the stretch of walkway outside my office. Smokers are still smoking everywhere despite the extended no smoking area. And where are the Nparks people to catch poachers? Cyclists in MacRitchie, litterbugs at East Coast Park?

The worst of the lot is our police! If nobody is badly hurt or killed they will not take actions. I think it is ridiculous that every time there is a fight and it does not result in a hospitalisation, the police will tell the victim to file a private summon! What they are doing is pushing the law enforcement to the victims themselves! Same with the stupid no cycling on the pavement law. When a minister can casually diss out impractical advice on recourse, obviously he is setting the direction for his people to not do anything and encouraging people to continue riding on the pavement.

Obviously we have many laws but no enforcement and when there is no enforcement, we might just as well not have all these laws. And if there are laws and we have law enforcers who don't seem to care, then I don't know what going to happen to this country when the population really grow to 6.9m.

Those Hare Brained Schemes

Nee Soon has started a new non-smoking scheme and by all account, it is a total failure. I am not surprised because like all the other well intended scheme or new law that our over paid Ministers and civil servants dream up in their nice cosy office on their Herman Miller chair, all of them are brainless and impractical.

Like the Nee Soon ban on smoking in the whole estate except at a few designated smoking tent. The idea is great but there is a whole year of grace period. Not surprisingly, the smoking tents are still empty and the smokers are still happily smoking everywhere.

Talking about smokers, one of the most hair brained scheme they dreamt up is the smoking zone in the coffee shop. I mean do they really expect the smoke to stay within the yellow box and not drift over to the tables next to the smoking zone? 

And the no picking up/alighting of passengers along the roads in the CBD area except at designated spots and taxi stands? Guess what? the scheme seems to have died a natural death and taxis are now happily stopping everywhere they need.

Other stupid and impractical things that they came up with:

1.Deregulation of taxi fares. That has to be one of the absurd decisions made. I am very sure our taxi fare structure must be the nightmare of not just every Singaporeans but foreigners as well.

2. Removal of Dustbin and Trash Cans. Did anybody noticed that since 911, trash cans have been removed from many of our public places and train stations. The reason given was the fear that terrorists can plant bombs inside the bins. Frankly, if a terrorist really wants to bomb a public place, there are many many opportunities other than the trash bins. The removal of the  trash bins only serves to make the littering problem worse.

3. And does anybody know that there is an obscure law that a person can be charged in court for being naked in his own home! Yes assuming you are walking around your home in the nude and the auntie in the opposite block of flat happened to see you, you can be charged for indecent exposure. Never mind that you are doing something in the privacy of your own home.

But what makes it more stupid is that we have laws and more laws - no spitting, no littering, no speeding, no u-turn, no smoking, no jaywalking but frankly how often do you see anybody being caught and fined for them? Having laws are good but what good are they if there are no enforcement

Weird Insects

Some photos of unusual looking insects taken at the 2 Butterfly Parks in Cameron Highlands

Giant grasshopper
 

Some sort of leave insects. If you can spot it that is
 

Another leaf insect. Can you find it?
 

A stick insect

 

Another leaf insect


Some sort of leaf insect or beetle

Which is the insect and which is the leaf?


A giant beetle

 

A white praying mantis


Somehow this one remind me of the Transformer

A beautiful red beetle
  

Starfish Cactus

My neighbour has a really awesome green finger. He has a few potted plants outside his flats and most of them are blooming amazingly well. His pitcher plant is always blooming. And recently his star flower cactus came out with a flower.

I did a double take when I saw the flower the first time round. At first I thought it was a fake but after a few days when it was still there,  I decided to take a closer look and photograph them. 

This is the star flower cactus

And this is the beautiful flower. Too bad it was facing downward and I did not want to disturb it.

But then hor, I think it has already dropped off. It looks they the owner hung it back on.

Or is it supposed to be this way. It sure look very natural to me especially from the front.

So is it going to open up or it has opened out already and is now closing?