15 things you can relate to only if you were a driver during NS

For one, your Mercedes was larger than everyone else’s.

He Ruiming | February 09, 2017, 04:56 PM

Like the unassuming storeman, SAF drivers don’t get enough love from the media.

Everyone tends to forget that without these guys, the rest of the army would have to walk everywhere. Which kinda sucks, considering all the blisters they would get. Soldiers would also have no energy to fight - who’s going to deliver your rations?

We might not have a whole documentary/movie dedicated to their training and operations (because our budget low), but here’s a tribute to our drivers of all shapes and sizes.

The next time you sit on a five-tonner, consider these unique experiences your driver has gone through.

1. Ambulances are hands down the best vehicles to drive

4948181726_7fbc8dac50_b Image by Kenneth Lai, Flickr user knl-17. Orignal picture here

Aircon + comfy seats + spick-and-span cleanliness (because medical vehicle) + can play music from the radio (+ the adrenaline rush from needing to stay sharp and focused).

Ah, NSFs are so easily satisfied.

2. The magical 4,000-km mark

so close

When you almost hit the 4,000km mark, but you going to ORD next week

Just because drivers drive military vehicles, doesn’t mean they get the licence to drive civilian vehicles.

They must clock a certain accident-free mileage to be able to convert their SAF licence - 4,000 km. You need to be diligent to reach that figure. If you don’t, you would’ve missed out on the highlight of being a driver during National Service.

Then all your friends will laugh at you.

(PS: They also spend 2,400 minutes practising for their driving test. The average Singaporean spends only 720 minutes.)

(PPS: Okay la, actually not that bad. Back in the day, drivers needed to clock 7,000km instead.)

3. The silly Speed Warning Devices of the past

giphy (1) Image from memepix

Pretty much the only organism who can drive a vehicle at 50 km/h without being annoyed

Introducing the SWD: an annoying device that takes note of your speed if you drive too quickly. Once it beeps 10 times, you kena speeding charge and investigation. This would be completely fine, if not for the times the device malfunctions and goes off at 30 km/h.

4. ...And the current ones that do their job almost too well

The SWDs installed in Class 3 vehicles these days are amazing, which is both a blessing and a curse. They now go off at 60 km/h instead, and can track if you’ve been wasting fuel by braking unnecessarily or speeding.

That’s good for your superiors, but it also means you’ll have your driving scrutinised, so you don’t play play.

5. The legendary Kaki Bukit camp

20658107_MYSL-R5nuu0--mZ7mL_TVAc2lf4dLI6iYJsZYJInPAw Kaki Bukit Camp: Where many unsung Singaporean heroes are born. Original image from Darren K, uploaded to FourSquare

SAF Drivers are born in Kaki Bukit camp. It’s where you receive your first training and also where you pray that the admin staff there grant you your provisional driver’s licence if you are ever eligible for a civilian conversion (read point 2).

6. You were the nicest possible driver during NS

singa Other people get into a vehicle and become angsty monsters. You get into a vehicle and become Singa the courtesy lion

You don’t horn. You always let people overtake you. You always signal. You don’t take a smartphone to film other drivers. If people honk at you, you take it. Also because getting involved in an incident might result in you signing some extras.

7. But when your vehicle gets into an accident, it can be hard to tell

tenor How I feel when I drive a SAF vehicle. Gif of Netflix's Luke Cage taken from Giphy

How I feel when I drive a SAF vehicle

According to a former SAF driver who doesn’t want to be named:

“I was driving behind a car which suddenly jammed its brakes. Naturally, I jammed the brakes of the UNIMOG I was driving too. The van behind me didn’t manage to brake in time and rear-ended me. I thought jialat already because from the rear-mirror I saw that the van had a crumpled bumper. Confirm the damage would be noticeable.

So I got off to inspect my vehicle. And there it was – at the corner, just below the tail light where the van struck… a little dent no bigger than a 50-cent coin.”

8. 10-point driving tests

6d6ccd769fd8f56d595769c76a3fa83a Image from Giphy

If you’re not stringent about standards you’ll get drivers like this^

1h2dz8

Think getting less than 18 demerit points on your driving test is hard? That’s a cakewalk. To become a SAF driver, you can’t exceed 10 points, and you mustn’t incur any major points (READ: IMMEDIATE FAILURES).

9. The amazeballs ability of a 5-tonner to adjust air pressure from the driver’s seat

Never knew it was possible.

10. The joy of being chosen to drive a foreign delegate around (if you damn heng)

giphy copy Image from Giphy

Congratulations, you get to drive jaguars and limos – the equivalent of winning driver TOTO

11. You know the importance of a good night’s rest

giphy (1) copy Image from giphy

Try staying awake at 4am while driving a 5-tonner from Hendon Camp to Pasir Laba Camp at 40 km/h.

12. You have driven more vehicles than most people...and learnt it for free

Nowhere else in Singapore can you get the opportunity to learn how to drive a car, truck, forklift, lorry and boat free-of-charge over two years. That’s Class 3, 4, 4S and your PPCDL (though the last two are non-convertible to civilian licences).

giphy (2) copy

That’s all the money you saved

13. Knowing your way around the painfully obscure parts of Singapore

Screen Shot 2017-01-04 at 11.02.20 PM 10 points if you know where this is. Image courtesy of Nparks, from here

Nee Soon, Sembawang, Selarang, Kaki Bukit, Kranji, Tengah. These are virtually unknown/haunted to others, but you’ve spent many hours traversing these ulu backroads.

14. Knowing how to camouflage a vehicle

Hey, think putting a little bit of makeup on your face is difficult? Try doing it to a massive truck. Still can’t help you evade parking fines though.

15. Knowing that even though being a driver is not as ‘glam’, you never really lose out.

30jun16_news4 Okay la, no one is that happy driving around unless they are posing for photos, but you get the idea. Image courtesy of MINDEF from here

 

So maybe there are no movies about SAF drivers, but it doesn’t make your NS journey any less meaningful.

After all, you’ve learnt many, many life skills that are transferable to civilian life. And you’ve seen all sorts of people.

But perhaps most importantly, you know what it’s like to simply do your job even without being showered with praise. To put it in Commissioner Gordon’s (The Dark Knight) words, you are a silent guardian...

MIj6o And that, gentlemen, is something worth celebrating.

This sponsored post is brought to you by MINDEF. It helps Mothership care for all soldiers of the Singapore Armed Forces. Equally.