ABOVE: once a Ferrari.
LEFT: relative/friend of family of the Ferrari driver. Note the sartorial flair of our PRC 'cousins'.
Every major city in the world has an 'underbelly' of sorts. Singapore is no exception, despite it's hyped "clean and green", law-abiding image.
It's been boot-strapped into the 21st century and to maintain its economic progress the government has opened the tiny island to immigrants from all over the world, notably South Asia and the People's Republic of China.
Some say that native Singaporeans have not taken this well, blaming immigrants for loss of job opportunities, traffic jams, overcrowding in hospitals, almost unaffordable property prices and generally a lowering of standards in cleanliness, orderliness and respect for the country's laws.
While the government has let the prices of COEs climb to above SIN$90,000 for the Open category of private cars, with accompanying increases in COEs for other categories, public transportation has been shown to be insufficient to meet demands.
Some of you may not know that a COE or Certificate of Entitlement is merely the 'license' to buy a car and keep it on the roads for 10 years.
In Singapore, cars themselves are among the priciest in the world as they attract hefty taxes.
According to edmunds.com (a leading auto web site in the USA) the cost of a Lexus IS250 is approximately US$35,000 . That's about HK$272,000 or SIN$44,000.
However that model lists (at the Lexus agents in Singapore) at Sin$239,000! Add in a COE at Sin$91,000 and the car will cost you Sin$330,000 - before insurance and odds and ends.
That's around US$262,000 or HK$2.04 million!
When arrivistes buy Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Ferraris and Lamborghinis they are paying big bucks for those cars. The sight of these cars is just the thing to endear them to the working stiffs who are crammed like sardines in a bus or MRT train.
This leaves the government in a cleft stick; encourage foreign talent and capital or risk losing more votes at the next election?
Honestly, I like cars as much as any Singaporean, but I have an issue with drivers of the fast cars that shatter my slumber late at night (or, if you like, in the wee hours of the morning).
I live off Orchard/Scotts/Stevens roads and I hear these sports cars' night-shattering exhaust noises. Friends live on the other side of Orchard Road (Orchard Boulevard) and they hear these cars being driven hard too.
But, complaints to the Traffic Police or the Land Transport Authority don't work. I hope that perhaps after this accident the authorities will take some much belated remedial action.
In the day time Singapore roads are generally too busy for speeding, but car enthusiasts come out to play when people are preparing to go to bed or have gone to sleep.
And if you believe what the Sports Car Club Singapore president said, then you also believe in fairy tales and the Tooth Fairy!
These enthusiasts should join those who drive their cars to a race track in Malaysia - where they can speed (in safety) to their heart's delight. And keep our roads safe - and quiet.
