Buses, Trishaws, Mobile Hawkers: History Of Singapore's Vibrant Streets | Let Me Tell You A Story S2

Key Concepts

Flooding in early Singapore, public transportation (buses, trishaws), street vendors/hawkers, Chinese wayang, shopping experiences, car ownership, pirate taxis, kampung spirit, gotong royong.

Flooding in Early Singapore

• Problem: Singapore's flat terrain and poor drainage systems led to severe flooding, especially during monsoon seasons.
• Impact:
  • Wooden houses (kong) were marooned, preventing residents from buying food.
  • Gardens flooded, killing vegetables.
  • Floodwater entered houses, bringing pests and causing damage. One specific example was a cupboard collapsing due to floodwater, destroying its contents.
  • Transportation was paralyzed as buses stalled in floodwaters.
• Visuals: Early pictures show houses on stilts (gillangs, kamangans, yunos) in flood-prone areas.
• Personal Anecdote: The speaker recounts a flood where water rose into their house, carrying pests and causing a cupboard to collapse.

Public Transportation: Buses

• Early Bus System:
  • Singapore Traction Company (STC), a British-owned company, covered urban areas.
  • 10-12 Chinese-owned bus companies served rural areas.
• STC: Well-run and reliable.
• Chinese Bus Companies: Focused on profit maximization, leading to breakdowns, tire punctures, and unpunctuality.
• Overcrowding and Speeding: Buses were overcrowded during peak hours, and drivers sped to make extra trips, compromising passenger safety.
• Ticketing System: Conductors sold and punched tickets based on the passenger's destination.
• Bus Conditions: Buses were often in poor condition, with leaky windows and no street lights at bus stops.
• Personal Anecdote: The speaker recalls a terrifying bus ride to the hospital with a fish bone stuck in their throat.
• Hanging on Buses: Due to overcrowding, people often hung onto the outside of buses, creating a "flying" sensation.

Public Transportation: Trishaws

• Popularity: Trishaws were popular for short distances, especially in market areas.
• Service: Trishaw riders were cooperative, helping to load and unload goods. They were also trusted to transport children safely.
• Fares: Fares were low, typically less than a dollar.
• Weather: During rain, trishaws were covered, limiting visibility.
• Personal Anecdote: The speaker recalls piling into a trishaw with family members to visit relatives.
• Social Role: Trishaw riders were pillars of the community, providing essential transportation services.
• Lack of Recognition: The speaker feels that trishaw pullers have not received adequate recognition for their service.

Street Vendors and Hawkers

• Mobile Vendors: Street vendors came by bicycle and trishaw, offering a variety of goods and services.
• Mobile Kitchens: Some vendors had mobile kitchens on their trishaws, where they would cook food like mee goreng.
• Convenience: Vendors came to customers, eliminating the need to travel.
• Personal Anecdotes:
  • The speaker recalls vendors frying mee goreng on their trishaws, allowing customers to bring their own eggs and plates.
  • A milk vendor brought a cow to the lane and milked it in front of customers.
• Hygiene Issues: Vendors often used the same pail of water to wash bowls throughout the day, leading to unhygienic conditions.
• Government Intervention: In the mid to late 1970s, the government banned street hawking and built food centers to improve hygiene.
• Knocking Tunes: Some hawkers used specific knocking tunes to announce their presence, allowing customers to identify their favorite vendors.

Entertainment: Chinese Wayang

• Popular Entertainment: Chinese wayang (opera) was a major form of entertainment.
• Crowds: Wayang performances drew large crowds.
• Skilled Performers: Actors were well-trained in martial arts and performed skillfully.
• Personal Anecdotes:
  • The speaker recalls attending wayang performances at Happy World (later known as Gay World) as a child.
  • Happy World also featured Malayong (Malay dance) for adults and a dance hall for Chinese dates.

Shopping Experiences

• Clustered Trades: Different groups of people clustered together to sell specific goods.
  • Shoes: Middle Road (Hakka families)
  • Pens and Watches: North Bridge Road (Tchu's)
  • Books: Bras Basah Road
  • Clothing: Chinatown
• Department Stores: Robinson's and John Little's were the main department stores, patterned after British stores like Harrods.
• Exclusivity: These stores catered to high-salary earners, and locals could only window shop.
• Orchard Road: In the 1960s, Orchard Road was considered glamorous and a place to window shop and stay up-to-date with trends.
• Coffee Shops: Coffee shops like Tivoli were popular gathering places where people could sit outdoors and watch the crowd.
• High Street: High Street was patterned after London's High Street and featured high-end clothing and accessories.

Car Ownership

• Expense: Cars were expensive and unaffordable for most people.
• Status Symbol: Car ownership denoted wealth and status.
• Popular Car Brands: Austin and Morris were popular British car brands.
• Car Pooling: Car pooling was common, with parents taking turns driving children to school.
• Personal Anecdotes:
  • The speaker recalls being driven to school in a relative's car with multiple children crammed in the back.
  • The speaker recounts the difficulty of starting an old Ford car in the 1950s.
• Helping Others: Car owners often gave lifts to people walking along the road.
• Gotong Royong: Villagers would work together to repair roads, filling in potholes.

Automobile Industry and Racing

• Early Automobile Industry: The speaker's grandfather was the first local Chinese to enter the automobile industry, starting a company selling Citroen cars in 1921.
• Citroen DS and ID: These cars were advanced for their time, featuring adjustable height.
• Motorsport: Motorsport was initially dominated by foreigners.
• Chan Lun (LC Chan): The speaker's uncle, Chan Lun, became a famous racer.
• Aston Martin DB3S: In 1955, Chan Lun acquired an Aston Martin DB3S for racing.
• Changi Airport Race: Chan Lun won the first Changi circuit race in 1955.
• Hill Climb (The Gap): The speaker participated in hill climb races at the Gap, a twisty road.
• Singapore Motor Club: The Singapore Motor Club organized races and closed roads for events.
• South Bonavista Road: South Bonavista Road was a popular location for uphill climb races.
• Personal Anecdote: The speaker's girlfriend supported his racing dreams and paid for his helmet and roll bar.

Pirate Taxis

• Reason for Existence: Pirate taxis emerged due to a shortage of buses and a desire for extra income.
• Operation: Pirate taxi drivers picked up passengers at bus stops and offered cheaper rides than licensed taxis.
• Main Routes: Pirate taxis operated on main trunk roads like Geylang and Orchard.
• Illegality: Pirate taxis were unlicensed and operated outside the law.
• Conflict with Licensed Taxis: Licensed taxi drivers resented pirate taxis, leading to conflicts.
• Dangers: Pirate taxis were often driven recklessly, leading to accidents.
• Personal Anecdote: The speaker recounts an incident where a passenger's jacket got caught in a pirate taxi door, resulting in a fatal accident.

Kampung Spirit and Community

• Gotong Royong: The kampung spirit involved helping neighbors in need, such as putting out fires.
• Community Connection: People had strong connections with their neighbors and friends' families.
• Lack of Ambition: Young people were content with their salaries and focused on buying a house and getting married.
• Friendships: Long-lasting friendships were common.
• Fewer Opportunities: There were fewer opportunities compared to modern times, but people overcame challenges.
• Call for Unity: The speaker hopes for more people to come together and foster genuine relationships.

Conclusion

The video provides a nostalgic look at Singapore's past, highlighting the challenges and unique aspects of life in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. It covers topics such as flooding, public transportation, street vendors, entertainment, shopping, car ownership, and the strong sense of community that existed during that era. The personal anecdotes and specific details bring the past to life, offering valuable insights into Singapore's social and cultural history.