A Singapore woman has gone viral after walking 14km home alone for four hours in the early hours of the morning rather than paying about S$50 for a Grab ride from Boat Quay.
The content creator, Denise, began her walk at around 12.30am after deciding that the ride-hailing fare to her home in the north-east was too expensive. She eventually reached home at about 4am.
Along the way, she passed through Bugis, Kallang Bahru, Potong Pasir, Woodleigh and Serangoon. She documented the journey on TikTok, describing the experience as unexpectedly peaceful while exploring Singapore’s streets after midnight. She also stopped for a drink and passed several supper spots that were still open.
The journey was not entirely comfortable. Denise said she became tired after about two hours, with her shoulders aching from carrying her handbag. She also admitted feeling uneasy while passing a cemetery in Hougang and briefly considered ordering a Grab to finish the journey.
Her video attracted more than 84,000 views, over 2,200 likes and more than 200 comments as of Wednesday afternoon. The attention also prompted concerns from some viewers about the risks of a woman walking alone late at night.
In a follow-up video, Denise acknowledged those concerns, saying that being alone at night carries risks but that she remained alert, trusted her instincts and knew she could stop and book a ride if necessary. She stressed that completing the 14km walk was never more important than getting home safely.
The walk was part of her “Detours with Denise” series, which documents adventures during her career break. She has also shared another challenge in which she walked 36km across Singapore from coast to coast.
While the four-hour trek saved her the S$50 fare, the viral journey has also sparked a broader conversation about late-night travel, personal safety and the lengths people will go to when ride-hailing prices surge.
