Frustrating Drive to the boondocks

I don't generally have anything against "ulu" places but the drive to Compass Point in Sengkang (SK) was the absolute pits. I was to meet a friend there for a late dinner/coffee as she lives in the area.

Driving there blind was a very very bad idea. The road signs were not very well-defined, there were no signs which indicated Compass Point or even the nearby MRT station or bus terminal. Generally there were no signs to most places in Singapore, but at least those buildings are in prominent areas where motorists can see in a distance. I had no problem driving "blind" to IMM in Jurong, Tampines Mall, White Sands in Pasir Ris or even to Causeway Point in Woodlands because those buildings are big and following the MRT tracks will help too. The tracks in SK are useless.

It took me close to 30minutes driving around SK area to find Compass Point, and once I went all the way through Anchorvale to Fernvale. It was a straight road with no place for turning at all until a distance away. So there I was, lone motorist on the road, with grasslands and trees lining along the roads. This will be a normal thing in North America, but in Singapore, it is very rare as most roads are surrounded by buildings, especially in a residential area.

Finally, it dawned on me that "Sengkang Square" means Compass Point. Seriously, for non-SK residents, how would they know Sengkang Square is Compass Point? There should be an indication. At times like this, I miss driving in the States. One can drive without a street directory in the States and just rely on the road signs. For most malls, there will be an indication on the road/freeway signs that this is the exit to get to the mall, and once you are off the exit, there will be more signs leading you to the malls, plus you will soon see the buildings too.

But Compass Point was hidden. I was driving along the Sengkang Eastway (which is a darn long road!) and the flats blocked the view of the "short" mall - Compass Point.

And then I had to circle the mall twice (!) just to find the entrance to the car park. There were so many cars idling along the roads that they blocked the mini short sign indicating car park. This is one of the worst signage problems I have ever encountered for malls (and I have been to many malls worldwide).

In the car park, it felt like you were in another country. Cars were double-parked or parked illegally. This totally reminded me of the parking situation in Mid-Valley Mall in KL, Malaysia. I would never have expected that in SK. Maybe that is the reason why there was an article in the local papers several months back about how Punggol was considered more desirable/better than Sengkang even though the two towns were just across from each other and built around the same time.

So yes, no more driving to Compass Point or even going there (unless absolutely necessary). And the irony is that it took me just 10-15 mins driving back from Compass Point. It is considered nearby but seriously, I rather go to Orchard since it takes me around 12 mins (no heavy traffic) to drive there.

Who can blame me for always shopping or running errands in Orchard when it is considered equally nearby for me.