From http://www.todayonline.com/articles/77217.asp
Vinita Ramani
[email protected]
SLEEK and sexy, it is a car that would have drawn envious stares
from passing drivers on an ordinary day.
.
But it is no ordinary day for the driver of this Mercedes Benz SLR
series sports car, nor for the passing drivers.
.
Its 28-year-old owner returned from his Sunday afternoon visit to
the Asian Civilisations Museum's Vatican City exhibition to his car
and a group of seething tourists and drivers.
.
It took him a while before he realised that he had single-handedly
stalled traffic along the one-way street for more than an hour
yesterday, triggering a tailback of over 30 vehicles all because
he had parked his car illegally around a bend at Empress Place.
Because its rear was jutting out, a tourist bus could not pass the
narrow bend.
.
Looking shaken and overwhelmed by what he had unwittingly done when
a traffic cop and a busload of tourists from Bangalore, India
descended on him with a torrent of questions and reprimands, the
researcher, who declined to give his name, could only apologise
profusely.
.
He said: "We saw that other vehicles could pass us so we parked
here. I didn't think a bus would come through here. I'm sorry this
happened."
.
But sorry wasn't enough for the tourists from Bangalore who wanted
to know why action hadn't been taken more quickly and why such an
"efficient" country did not respond sooner to the incident.
.
They had just completed a city tour and were on their way back to
their hotel for lunch. Instead, for over an hour, they had no
choice but to linger on the streets, hungry and restless.
.
One of them lashed out at the driver: "No point saying 'sorry'. Can
you give me back my one hour?!"
.
Another ranted: "Don't you know Singapore's traffic rules?"
.
Others had harsh words for the authorities.
.
Said Mr Krishnaiah Babu: "Our tour guide made a complaint to the
police 50 minutes ago and they said someone would be here
immediately, but we're still waiting."
.
Added another Bangalore resident: "The police should have at least
guided people to not enter this road, to avoid such a big
jam."
.
With only one police officer managing the situation, some drivers
took it upon themselves to get out of their cars and helped direct
traffic from entering Empress Place.
.
Said one British expatriate: "I'm telling the cars to drive back
the way they came and I'm explaining to them what's happened
here."
