Get someone qualified to fix the sorry state of our MRT.

I have said before in my blog I am not averse to companies I am invested in paying their top executives top dollar if they are worth the money. However, when it is obvious they are not worth the money, we should replace them.

I have been ranting a bit on my FB wall recently regarding SMRT after the massive breakdown a few days ago. It has gone beyond being a bit of an embarrassment and mere inconvenience. I think it is really unacceptable.

From my FB wall:

"Highest pay for SMRT CEO ever = Largest MRT breakdown ever?
What is LTA going to do? Slap SMRT with a big fine again?
Who is bearing the burden of the fines? SMRT shareholders!
Why not consider slapping the CEO with a fine?"

Enough is enough. It is time we get someone who can do the job properly to lead SMRT. It might have to be a foreign talent if no Singaporean has the knowledge or experience to do the job well.

Which is less embarrassing? Admitting that we need foreign talent or having a MRT system that keeps breaking down?

Related post:
MRT nightmare at Bugis.

Land Transport Master Plan 2013.

If you have yet to do so, watch this video.



Looks good. Don't you agree?

I will be 59 years old by 2030. It seems that all the improvements will be just in time for my golden years. :)

Related posts:
1. Can Singapore really house 6.9m people?
2. How to get free rides on buses?
3. Tea with AK71: Nightmare at Bugis.

Tea with AK71: Durians tidak boleh?

This photo was taken at a MRT station on the Circle Line. See why people say Singapore is a "fine" country?

No durians but no fine if we were caught har?

Are the authorities partial to durians?

Does anyone know the reason why there is no fine for being caught with durians on MRT trains?

Could it be that the powers that be have not decided on how much the fine should be? If so, I have a suggestion!

To be fair, they should have a weighing scale at every station and the quantum of each fine should be determined by the weight of the offending fruit which was brought onboard!

Bring more, fine more. Bring less, fine less.

If the reason for banning durians on MRT trains is because of its endearing fragrance, what about durian mooncakes, durian puffs, durian puddings and other such yummy delights?

Heavens forfend! ;)

Tea with AK71: Taking taxis in Singapore.

I took a day's leave from work to run some errands. I sent my car for regular maintenance, went to the bank to sell some silver, did some laundry and, of course, blogging. See: Silver: Divestment for an 86% gain.

I would take the MRT usually if I were to be without a car. However, in some instances like from the car workshop, it is really far to walk to the nearest MRT station. I estimate it would be a 20 or 25 minutes walk and under a hot sun if I were to do it just now. Really didn't feel like perspiring too much. So, I flagged down a taxi.

It was my first time in a red color taxi. I think the company was TransCab. It was also my first time in a Toyota Wish. Not bad. Very spacious and it was a comfortable ride. The taxi driver was polite and asked me which route I would like to take to town too.

These days, if I do take a taxi, I make it a point to avoid those older Toyota Crowns. For some reason, they make me feel like throwing up. They handle corners like a ship in stormy seas and, for some reason, I could smell exhaust in the cabin.

Hyundai Azera

The Hyundai Sonatas are really comfortable and I got an Azera when I came back from my recent vacation. My first time in one and it was very comfortable, more so than the Sonata. Of course, the best are still the Mercedes Benzes and London Cabs.

I enjoy my occasional taxi rides because I could look out the side windows and enjoy looking at Singapore, the people and places. When driving, I have to keep my eyes on the road. So, sitting in the back of a taxi is a real treat for me. A simple pleasure.

Tea with AK71: Marina Link @ B1.

My second day of vacation and I visited the new Marina Link @ B1. This is a relatively short underground link up between Marina Square and the Esplanade MRT station. I had to go down two very long escalators to get to the shops and on the other end is Esplanade Xchange, another underground mall.

To promote Marina Link @ B1, Marina Square is giving a $5 voucher for every $20 spent in the shops there. Good deal! If we spend another $30 in any shop in Marina Square (for a total of $50), we will get free parking for the first 3 hours (worth $4.40 on a weekday), limited to 100 redemptions a day. Needless to say, I got them all. ;)

See map here.

Here are some photos I took, of course, with my trusty Samsung mobile phone's 5.0 megapixel built in camera.

Escalator number 1.

 Escalator number 2.

 Part of Marina Link @ B1.

 This was where I had lunch.

$10.90 for Pork Cutlet and Ice Lemon Tea. Pork Cutlet was good but the mayo was too heavy. I am not usually crazy about Ice Lemon Tea but it was very good!

 Esplanade Xchange at the other end of Marina Link @ B1.

 Entrance to Marina Link @ B1 from Esplanade Xchange.

Had another one and a half hours to kill after lunch, shopping and all the redemptions. So, I went to Millenia Walk and looked the electronics and had a haircut at QB House for $10 before coming back home. Sunny day makes me drowsy. The stock market seems lethargic today too. Haha. :)

Tea with AK71: A day at MBLM.

What is MBLM? It stands for Marina Bay Link Mall. This is the underground mall at MBFC, the development which K-REIT and Suntec REIT would co-own with each having a 33% stake.

I was wondering where should I spend my vacation which starts today and I decided to stay in Singapore instead of going overseas. I would spend time going places here and help to stimulate the local economy. Singapore's domestic economy has been said to be tiny. So, I am doing my patriotic duty by spending my vacation money here instead of going away to a foreign land. Ahem.

So? I like the mall. Shops on both sides, it has a wide centre aisle with high ceiling. It is defnitely less claustrophobic compared to the Citylink Mall (which I somewhat dislike). In time, with the completion of the Downtown Line for the MRT, I am sure MBLM would be just as busy as Citylink Mall but the generous space allowance should be enough to cope with increased human traffic. MBLM also serves the residents of The Sail and Marina Bay Residences condominiums. In fact, half the shoppers at MBLM I saw today were foreigners, probably expatriates, with kids.

Go visit MBLM before it becomes crowded. Now till end of the year, spend $80 at MBLM and we will get $15 shopping voucher plus 4 hours of parking for free. There is also an instant lucky dip to win iPads and iPhones but that's for weekends only and I was so hoping to win an iPad. :(

So, I got my $15 voucher, free parking, wrapping paper for Christmas and 2 lucky draw chances. Hope that I would win 1st prize which is for $8,000 worth of shopping vouchers! Then, I would go to the Apple retailer in the mall and get my iPad, Macbook Air etc. Wah.... Day dreaming. Nice!

Anyway, with 4 hours of free parking, I had time to burn as MBLM is smallish with a floor plan shaped like the letter "L" and not many shops were ready for business. I walked to Marina Bay Sands (MBS) to explore the shopping mall.  It was my second time at MBS which has a much bigger shopping mall.  This time round, more shops were open and I didn't have to pay an exorbitant $10 per hour for parking my car! That makes me happy.

Apparently, MBS is now giving free parking for the first 3 hours but one would have to spend $200 at the mall to qualify. I won't qualify. Free parking at MBS costs more than MBLM, if you know what I mean. MBS is for the well heeled, obviously. I like MBLM more which might say something about me. ;)

These are some photos I took with my free Samsung mobile phone which comes with a 5.0 megapixel camera built in. Pretty good shots, aren't they? I still remember when digital cameras were 1.3 megapixel in resolution.

After spending almost 4 hours at Marina Bay, fully utilising my free parking privilege, I went back to Tiong Baru and had a bowl of freshly made bean curd (dou hua) for 60c. Where to find? Tiong Baru Market lor.

Now back in my bedroom, with the air-conditioning set at 25 deg celcius and blogging. Time for a nap! I am a happy man. :)

Tea with AK71: Nightmare at Bugis.

I remember people complaining about not being able to get a seat on the MRT trains when I was an undergrad which was when the MRT was still quite a young system in Singapore.  I was also young and didn't mind standing in the trains since most of my rides were to commute between Tiong Bahru (the nearest station to my flat) and Clementi (to take a bus to the Uni) which are only a few stops apart.

Not long after I started working about 15 years ago, I started driving.  Over the years, I observed the increasingly crowded condition of our roads and I complained about it. Driving was beginning to be stressful.

One day, not too long ago, I decided to take the MRT train and give my car a break and do some good for the environment by reducing my carbon footprint etc.  Actually, it was more to give myself a break as I thought that taking the train would be less stressful than driving. I told myself that Tiong Bahru is just a few stations to Bugis, which is true, and I wouldn't have to worry about terrible drivers, red lights and parking.

The waiting time for the train was about 3 minutes.  I must have missed the earlier train just.  That was fine.  When the train came, it was packed!  Wow!  I am now a bit thicker around the middle than I was back in school but I managed to squeeze myself into the train.  I felt like a sardine in a can. The discomfort was made worse by the coming in and going out of passengers at the next few stations.

When the train got to Bugis, I got out in relief only to be greeted by an absolute nightmare.  The station was packed! Wow, wow! There were two escalators where I was standing: one up and one down.  Both escalators were packed to capacity and people were trying to get onto them. When I managed to get on the upgoing escalator, I truly empathised with salmons swimming upstream! In less than an hour, I felt like a sardine and a salmon! A truly Singaporean experience?

The problem? The platform was very narrow (I am referring to the air conditioned space in between the two train tracks) as in there was little space compared to the crowd at the station. It reminded me of a local train station in Kyoto.  If you could imagine putting a small Kyoto train station in Tokyo or Osaka, you would be able to picture the chaos.  There and then, I told myself that I would never take the MRT train to Bugis again.  If there had been some sort of an emergency, many would be trampled to death in a stampede, I do not doubt.

It occurred to me that Bugis station was probably built without anticipating the recent burgeoning population in Singapore. It is also difficult to enlarge the platform since the train tracks would have to be moved outwards. The only way I think the situation could be improved without any major changes is to increase the number of escalators in the station.  This, I believe would improve the current situation tremendously.  This is one for the engineers.