Singapore is a relatively safe country compared to its counterparts around the world, and sometimes, that might work against Singaporeans travelling overseas.
One such individual was Shane Pow, who was visiting the US with fellow Mdada live-stream sellers Pornsak and Kang Chengxi.
Near the end of his six-week-long trip, he had S$8,000 worth of cash and valuables stolen from him in a moment of complacency.
Here’s what happened.
Shane Pow Lost About $8,000 Worth of Cash & Valuables After His Car Was Broken In In the US
According to The Straits Times, the trio was visiting Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco in the last few hours of their six-week-long trip to the United States.
He had left his backpack in the car because he figured it would be safe enough.
The backpack was heavy, he said in a phone interview, and he thought it would be “okay” to leave it at the bottom of the seat since they were grabbing a quick lunch “down the road”.
“My mistake was that I left my backpack in the car at the bottom of the seat. Because it was very heavy, I thought it’s okay to leave it since we were just grabbing a quick lunch down the road from where we parked.”
When they came back from lunch, they found the windows of their rental car smashed open, and the backpack missing.
Pow was the only one who had his passport taken as he only brought his mobile phone along to lunch.
Other items lost include:
- S$3,000 in cash
- His work laptop
- Work mobile phone
- NRIC, credit cards and everything else of sentimental value
“I feel really stupid. If I took both of my phones and my wallet with me to lunch, then I wouldn’t feel so bad. I’ve had my work mobile phone for years so there’s a lot of stuff inside – contacts, videos and photos – that I cannot recover now. It is quite painful to think about.”
Very Common
When the incident was reported to the police, they were told that such incidents were common.
Tourists are typically targeted during the first day or last day of their trip.
That’s because this is when tourists usually have all of their belongings with them.
According to the Singapore General-Consulate in San Fransico, cases of “smash-and-grab” within the city has increased drastically to “epidemic levels”.
Travellers to the city should never leave valuables or travel documents in vehicles or on public display.
What Should You Do If You Lose Your Travel Documents?
Now, if you were to, unfortunately, lose your travel documents, what can you do?
The first step would be to get in touch with Singapore authorities, whether a Singapore General-Consulate in the destination you’re visiting or otherwise.
Pow praised the Singapore General-Consulate for their efficiency in helping him out.
He was given a temporary travel document to fly back to Singapore and the consulate got in touch with Singapore Airlines to clarify his situation.
As for fellow travellers who are travelling out of Singapore, Pow advised them not to be complacent like him.
“Don’t get complacent. Always keep your most important valuables with you and be careful. Also, maybe consider leaving things of sentimental value to you at home while you’re travelling.”
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Feature Image: Instagram (@pornsakp)
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