Woman walks 14km alone at 12.30am to avoid $50 Grab fare, takes almost 4 hours
Faced with a $50.80 Grab fare from Boat Quay to her house after midnight, one woman decided to take the long way home — literally — by walking 14km.
The journey took about four hours, said travel and lifestyle content creator Denise Tan in a video posted actoss her social media channels on Sept 22.
“I’ve actually always wanted to try walking alone late at night just for the experience, so I thought why not just take this chance to do it?” shared Tan, whose TikTok profile indicates she is on a career break.
In her video, Tan detailed the milestones of her journey home after setting off from Boat Quay at 12.30am, passing through several neighbourhoods along the way:
- Kallang Bahru at 1.51am
- Potong Pasir at 2.24am
- Woodleigh at 2.31am
- Serangoon Central, near Nex shopping mall, at 2.55am
She finally arrived home at 4.07am. It is not clear which neighbourhood she lives in or on which date she made the journey.
Tan described her solo walk as “quite therapeutic” and “surprisingly peaceful”, though she acknowledged that certain parts of the route scared her — chiefly, when she passed the Japanese Cemetery Park.
Sacrificing sleep was ‘pretty worth it’
In a follow-up post on Sept 23, Tan shared tips for others considering a similar walk, including picking the right footwear, sticking to well-lit routes and stopping whenever they feel uncomfortable.
Although she sacrificed several hours of sleep for her solo walk, she felt the experience was well worth it — and not just because she managed to save money.
“I got four hours of uninterrupted time with myself; walking, thinking and experiencing Singapore in a way I normally never would,” she shared.
Addressing those who had expressed concern for her safety as a woman walking alone at night, the content creator said she was aware of the risks but maintained that it was possible to be both careful and adventurous.
“I just stayed aware, trusted my instincts and knew I could always stop or get a Grab if I needed to,” she added.
“Would I do this anywhere in the world? Probably not 😂” she wrote in her caption, adding that she hoped her experience would encourage others to try new things in ways that felt “right and safe” for them.
‘Finally see someone appreciative of Singapore’
Tan’s video has garnered at least 378,000 views, 8,000 likes and 500 comments across her social media channels.
Comments were overwhelmingly positive, with many echoing Tan’s sentiments on Singapore’s relative safety and praising her adventurous spirit.
“Feels good to finally see someone appreciative of (Singapore). Too many bashing (posts) on such a great country. Singaporeans really need to appreciate this level of safety,” wrote one Instagram user.
“In a pair of flat Mary Janes?! Your feet must be so strong!” commended another.
Some shared stories of their own late-night walks.
“Wow! I thought (I’m) the only crazy sh*t. I ever walk from Tampines after midnight to Redhill,” read one TikTok comment.
“Walked from Orchard to Sengkang many times. Not because expensive Grab but because I’m just too free😂,” an Instagram user chimed in.
Others wondered why Tan had not rented a bicycle instead.
She addressed the question in her follow-up post, explaining that she simply “wanted to walk” and “stop asking me to cycle... I’LL DO THAT ANOTHER TIME”.
Her video even prompted a cheeky comment from Tada, one of Grab’s competitors in the ride-hailing space.
“Wah, hope your legs are alright!! We got something if you ever need a ride, please check your DM. 😋”
Stomp has reached out to Denise Tan for further comment.
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