Travel with Angela Lansbury: Safety in Shopping Malls And Streets

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Safety in Shopping Malls And Streets

The world has many fabulous shopping malls. Jewel at Changi Airport, Singapore, has a multi-storey waterfall in the centre.

With winter weather affecting many cities, and Christmas coming, many of us will be going into malls. You are protected from the weather and traffic. I know many wonderful malls. In the centre of Singapore Orchard road underground railway links you to department stores and shopping malls containing shops, offices, cinemas an aquariums and a fountains.

Ion Mall, Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Ion is impressive. A basement walkway leads you under Orchard Road, past an aquarium, under other shopping malls, ending by a fountain and the wonderful Takashimaya in impressive Ngee Ann City. But how safe is a shopping trip. London has Brent Cross and Watford and other areas have more magnificent malls.

America has malls with theme parks attached.

In Singapore and South Africa you can stay in hotels attached to shopping malls, sheltered from the weather.

What about safety? I always wonder how to get out of large malls in a fire.

1 Malls should be designed so that you can escape quickly in a fire,

2 And not fall or be thrown off a balcony, internal wall or escalator.

In Singapore we had an accident from a boy who jumped onto what looked like a marble ledge but it was trompe l'oeuil. In the UK and the USA we have had children thrown over walls by strangers. Architects please take note. With millions of people in malls every day, somebody somewhere will be drunk, sit on a ledge or low wall, sit a child on a ledge, throw themselves off a ledge, or throw off somebody else. It is predictable and preventable. How can you rectify the problem? Install glass walls, barriers, stepped atriums, awnings or hammock style nets under all ledges and low walls.