Diane Snider Photos

Many visistors are amazed at the exceptionally clean and orderly city of Singapore. What makes the city this way? Very high taxes on private car ownership deter unmanageable amounts of traffic and instead, citizens are strongly encouraged to use Singapore's abundant public transportation - buses, taxies, trains, bumboats, bicyces, motorbikes and such. Strict laws levy very stiff penalties on disorderly public behavior - and death is the penalty for use of illegal drugs. Both high prices and high taxes on liquor serve as limiting factors on the amount of liquor consumed. The idea behind the stiff penalties is not "to be mean" but to forestall problems before they even happen. The island has a very small land mass and a relatively large population mixture of many cultures and and strict laws help to keep the island clean, safe, and manageable for all.