I live near Zurich but don't perceive the rules to be anywhere near as strict as you described, and would certainly not talk about "being told what to do" by the state. In Singapur, there are lots of laws unimaginable in Switzerland (for example, it's forbidden to smoke in public, you go to jail for speeding/driving while drunk, spitting or chewing gum, you'll t get killed for possessing drugs...). In Switzerland, what I believe causes the low criminality rate is the even lower poverty rate because of the strong social system. What would be called socialist in the States is completely normal here in Europe, and often results in a much better quality of life for everyone living here.
Well, in all fairness, Switzerland is much like Monaco, Beverly Hills and certain Carribean islands in that its poverty is essentially exported.
Switzerland makes it very difficult to become a citizen unless you're born to at least one Swiss parent or you marry a Swiss citizen (there are people whose families have been living in Switzerland since the 20s who can't become citizens).
There are a large contingent of workers who work in Switzerland every day but don't live there (and, in fact, aren't allowed to even if they wanted to and could afford it), particular in Geneva.
It's also one of the most expensive countries on Earth.
So, I wouldn't say the low crime rates are so much a question of effective social policy but rather of being both wealthy and exclusionary.
Yes, laws are different between the two and certainly there are cultural differences too. Zurich is very definitely (mainland) European. Singapore is quite definitely Asian.
There are severe penalties on drug trafficking because it's a big problem, with proximity to the Golden Triangle and so on. Singapore is also surrounded by Indonesia and Malaysia, places where the illicit trades have far more freedom of movement. Singapore, with some justification, seeks to avoid being a conduit or waypoint or (even worse) a destination for the drug trade.
The no smoking in public thing I consider a huge plus. The chewing gum thing is a bit weird. I think it has something to do with vandalism.
As for Zurich being strict, I imagine you don't view them that way because you're accustomed to them. Throwing out trash is a classic example. First you have to buy Zurisache (sp?) for like 2 CHF each. Throwing them out in anything else can get you fined.
Then you have to separate your trash into three different types of glass (white, brown, green), other recyclables and non-recyclables. Where you see trash cans in public there are like 6-7 different cans for the different categories of trash.
Newspapers and possibly other forms of paper (I forget) had to be thrown out on different days to regular trash. Those had to be tied with string in a neat bundle.
All of the above is enforced by the Mutzpolizei (literally "trash police").
The anmelden/abmelden (registration) system, which is the norm on mainland Europe, is extremely weird--even invasive--to most people from English speaking countries.
In Switzerland, depending on what Canton you live in, you can't make excessive noise after 10pm or before 7am (which I actually appreciate). In Zurich in some buildings this extended to regulations in certain apartments prohibiting men from urinating while standing up at those times (due to thin walls; this was deemed "excessive noise").
Some cantons also prohibited "excessive noise" or work on Sundays (for the entire day).
IIRC there were given days where you were and weren't allowed to move house.
Switzerland has its fair share of regulation is all I'm saying.
>First you have to buy Zurisache (sp?) for like 2 CHF each. Throwing them out in anything else can get you fined.
Depends on the Kanton.
>Then you have to separate your trash into three different types of glass (white, brown, green), other recyclables and non-recyclables.
Depends on the Kanton and possibly even the city. When I first came here we just had one sack for everything and didn't have to buy the bags.
It has changed now, but we have this in the US too. Sure, if you live out in the sticks you can pile your trash as high as the trees or even burn if it you like. There are a lot of places where you have to buy trash bags, etc. and how tidy you have to keep your property depends on zoning. I knew a guy who got fined because he didn't mow his lawn enough.
>The anmelden/abmelden (registration) system, which is the norm on mainland Europe, is extremely weird
It's not weird. It's an upfront and efficient version of what we have in the US. In the US most people don't know their location is tracked when the file returns. Most people probably don't know that the government can look in their bank account either.
>Some cantons also prohibited "excessive noise" or work on Sundays (for the entire day).
The interesting thing about Switzerland is that much of the law is actually voted on by the people. These noise laws are there because the people wished it so. We have noise laws in the US as well in certain places but not because a majority of the people effected voted for them.
There was one incident when the entire MRT (subway) was delayed for a few hours because the doors jammed and wouldn't shut. Turned out to be a piece of gum stuck on the door.
