S'porean laments that they ‘literally cannot get one single day of uninterrupted silence'
In a post on r/askSingapore on Friday night (Aug 15), u/ForceThick155 asked if anyone else feels like 'the noise pollution here is slowly driving you insane?'
'I'm being 100% serious here. I know we all joke about HDB void deck weddings, funeral wakes, or the neighbour's karaoke, but deep down… I genuinely feel like the constant noise here is ruining my peace of mind.'
They added that they 'literally cannot get one single day of uninterrupted silence,' between construction drilling at 8 a.m., a person revving their motorbike under their block at midnight, and an ice cream uncle 'blasting the bell like it's a war horn.'
They clarified that they love Singapore, especially its safety, efficiency, food, and convenience, but in comparison to the other countries they've been to, it is one of the noisiest places on earth.
The post author went on to describe the noise as not just 'a bit loud'. 'It's relentless. Day in, day out. It makes me wonder if this is just part of the culture we've accepted… or if I've simply lost all tolerance for it.
The noise here is making me question whether I'll ever truly feel 'at home' unless I move somewhere quieter.'
They ended the post by saying that living in Singapore makes them feel like they live in a constantly ringing alarm clock.
Many commenters on the post have sympathised with u/ForceThick155, and some even shared their own noise pollution experience of construction, noisy neighbours, renovations and maintenance works, leaf blowers, pickle ball, inconsiderate people blasting TikTok videos, and the like.
'I live immediately beside the north-south corridor construction. I have barely had a restful day for the past five years,' wrote one Reddit user.
'And then, when you think 4 a.m. is the most silent, when most people are in deep sleep, COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO until 6 a.m. Damned rooster biorhythm out of whack,' added another.
Others shared strategies for coping with the noise.
'And this is why some invest in dual-layer insulated windows to block out 80 per cent more sound. I can assure you it's a huge difference from regular windows. When closed, you literally can't hear things going on outside,' a commenter shared.
'Throughout the years, I invested in earplugs and earbuds to block out noise. They were only effective to a certain extent. Now, I have been living on my own for a few years, and my windows never open because they block out the noise so much, and I love it. So much peace now,' wrote another. /TISG
Read also: Help! We have 'HDB neighbours from hell' who make noise from 8pm to 7am
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