The act of crossing a road may seem like a mundane task, but the cultural norms and regulations governing it can vary significantly from one place to another.
This is precisely what a Malaysian student in Singapore experienced when she found herself hesitating to jaywalk in Malaysia after becoming accustomed to Singapore’s strict adherence to pedestrian crossings and traffic lights.
The Singaporean Pedestrian Culture
Adriana, a Malaysian student currently residing in Singapore, found herself in a rather amusing predicament during a visit to her homeland, Johor.
Having spent a considerable amount of time in Singapore, she had grown accustomed to the convenience and safety of using pedestrian crossings and obeying traffic lights.
As Adriana stood on a Malaysian street, she faced a situation she had almost forgotten: the absence of zebra crossings and traffic lights. She needed to cross the road, but her instincts, honed by her stay in Singapore, made her hesitate.
In a humorous TikTok video shared on September 4th, Adriana playfully narrated her dilemma. She mentioned that her hesitation to jaywalk made her feel like she was “betraying her country.” The experience was, in her words, a testament to having spent “way too long” in Singapore.
Ultimately, Adriana decided to take the plunge. She waited until the road was clear of cars and quickly dashed across. Her triumphant arrival on the opposite side was accompanied by a mix of relief and amusement.
In jest, Adriana humorously implied that jaywalking was an integral part of Malaysian culture, and by hesitating to do so, she had momentarily strayed from her roots.
@baldgirl23 ♬ original sound – Adriana Yeong
Netizens’ comments
- zebra crossing, i was thinking about the zoo cartoon smth
- When she said Zebra crossings for pedestrian lane HAHSHAHXAHDHAHS
- As indonesian staying in SG, i can totally relate on this as well. We also sometimes called it zebra cross in Indonesia
- I thought it was a real zebra that is crossing the street