Thread

1. shell0x · 1789706769 · focus · HN ↗

   A basic commuter car costs over S180,000( US135,000) due to a compulsory 10-year quota license (COE/certificate of entitlement) that alone costs S$100,000+, plus registration taxes scaling up to 320% of the car's base value. Total running costs (tolls, parking, road tax) easily add S1,000–S2,000+ per month.

   Singapore is so small though and cabs are cheap and I never needed a car. I can see why Waymo will be very attractive.

   1. merek · 1789708954 · focus · HN ↗

      > cabs are cheap

      Everyone says that but I've had the opposite experience, possibly due to my location (near Orchard Rd). Can easily pay $15 to essentially go around the corner.

      1. Shank · 1789710279 · focus · HN ↗

         > Can easily pay $15 to essentially go around the corner.

         Would it not be better to simply walk if the distance is essentially around the corner?

         1. VanillaCafe · 1789711230 · focus · HN ↗

            It's called a lower bound.
         2. [deleted] · 1789711300 · focus · HN ↗

            [deleted]

         3. adt · 1789711517 · focus · HN ↗

            Ever tried walking around the corner when it's 35C (95F) and 90% humidity?

            1. mathisfun123 · 1789712429 · focus · HN ↗

               Yes? All the time in South Florida.

               1. hdgvhicv · 1789720404 · focus · HN ↗

                  Famously Americans walk everywhere.
            2. eru · 1789713908 · focus · HN ↗

               Humidity is usually between 60% to 70%. Where do you get your 90% figure from?

               1. hdgvhicv · 1789720382 · focus · HN ↗

                  My next trip to singapore is the end of next week. I’m staying a mile from the office, Apple predicts it’s 89% at 0730 but will drop to 75% during the day, and back upto 80% after dinner.

                  1. eru · 1789721741 · focus · HN ↗

                     Yes, relative humidity goes up during the night. My numbers were for the day.
         4. red369 · 1789712910 · focus · HN ↗

            I love walking - checking distance tracking on my phone, I walked over 20km in a day a couple of weeks ago. But when it's hot in Singapore, the distances I don't want to walk can become crazy-short at times.

            I'm hesitating to judge someone taking a ride-share around the corner. Among many other reasons, I can imagine scenarios where someone would think it worth paying to not arrive a sweaty mess.

            1. Godsend69 · 1789714893 · focus · HN ↗

               Have you considered using a pedometer watch or a fitness tracker that doesn't rely on phone data?

               1. hdgvhicv · 1789720170 · focus · HN ↗

                  Would that change the distance they walk?
         5. merek · 1789714392 · focus · HN ↗

            I walk 99% of the time. By around the corner, I mean a 10 - 20 min walk (5 min drive in good traffic), which will easily get you drenched in sweat depending on the weather. If I'm headed to a dinner or gathering that requires a bit of dressing up (shirt and trousers), walking isn't really an option.
         6. asdfsa32 · 1789715332 · focus · HN ↗

            Rains a lot and often around 30°C. Walking is not always an option if you need to be presentable wherever you're going.
         7. hdgvhicv · 1789720137 · focus · HN ↗

            In 32C high humidity where is about to rain?

            I’ve been travelling to singapore for the last 15 years, my gut view is cabs are far more expensive today than they were 10 years ago even after adjusting for inflation. Maybe it’s just incorrect memories - rates don’t seem to have increased that much.

      2. jesterson · 1789710343 · focus · HN ↗

         How much do you pay for around the corner ride in any comparable large metropolis?

         1. tgrowazay · 1789711523 · focus · HN ↗

            Just checked Uber in Los Angeles - it costs $6.95 to go around the corner.
      3. ExoticPearTree · 1789712780 · focus · HN ↗

         Well, to be petty, people living in Orchard Rd. don’t care about 15 dollars (be it US or SG).
      4. malshe · 1789735222 · focus · HN ↗

         When was this? I lived in a condo at walking distance from Orchard station for a couple of years and never had the feeling that I was paying more for the cab. I also lived in other less affluent areas so I had a good idea about how much it should cost.

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