when i wrote about my driving trip to johor, one of my balestier group walking kakis, posted this in my facebook:
But Johor's a 'dangerous place'. My office attendant lost her car and passport over the weekend in Johor. ALL GONE! Luckily she had her i/c with her and managed to come back to SIN in time to report for work today. sigh....
another case, another warning. this was posted in my yahoo group forum page:
If you meet a guy who rides a motorbike with bloodyhand knocking your window demand you to stop and asking for tissue paper to clean the blood when you are driving a car, remember DO NOT stop the car at all . Even how he damages your car or holds the side mirrors tightly also DO NOT stop the car but directly drive to the nearest police station.
with all these reports of cars being tricked into stopping by men with bloodied hands, isn't it better and safer to travel into johor bahru by bus. there are at least three local services that ply the singapore-jb route. they are smrt service 950 and sbs services 160 and 170.
with the opening of the new ciq, i find it more convenient to get to johor central/jalan wang ah fook. after the immigration and custom clearance, you just follow the directional signs to 'johor central' and you will soon find yourself at level 3 of city square.
if you prefer a clean, orderly and apparently safe environment, then stick to city square. if you are more adventurous, then you can venture to the older parts of johor bahru, which is just next to the shopping complex.
the place is like a mix of geylang and sim lim square - a lot of makan places, vendors peddling sex pills and enhancers and shops selling vcd and dvd. in spite of constant raids, the flesh trade is still thriving in the old shophouses of jalan wang ah fook. the dvd sellers are more discreet these days.
it is also quite convenient to take a bus back to singapore. after clearing immigration at the new ciq, you just follow the directional signs and they will lead you to where all the buses are parked. if you are taking the bus back, pay for your fare in malaysian currency, don't use your ezlink card.
11 comments:
JB Sentral, the future transport hub (like KL Sentral) of JB. When I took the night train at JB, had to tow my luggage for quite a distance from the CIQ.
Their new CIQ did not give my PRC colleagues a good impression. Me too. I realize 170 has to travel further to Larkin now. I think the old Skudai route was faster. Malaysia boleh!
Taking the local services at the CIQ is esentially free. Don't need to pay one!
You see, if you pay in Ringgit, the next time you board the bus, you need not scan anything (ezlink will show the ride suspended/resumed status). And because they allow you board from the exit, who's there to check your bus ticket??
icemoon, why lug your bag all the way to jb? can take night train from tanjong pagar, mah.
Even though JB offers good food and plenty of shops, there is still a nagging fear of being mugged. The muggers usually target singaporeans.
stanley, maybe i am just lucky. i have driven on m'sian roads for 30 years but have not been summoned for speeding. i speed selectively. my friend, in his 60s, goes into jb at least once a week. all the while, he has never felt unsafe while in jb.
Save money, save money. So take from JB. :P
besides 950, 160, 170 still got the express bus to JB or not?
come back, you say after passing ciq then take bus, can take bus from JB bus terminus?
fr, besides the 3 services, there are also the yellow causeway link buses operated by a malaysian company. i think you can catch the bus at kranji. i suppose the express buses are still in operation. you have to board them at queen st.
you actually take the buses from within the ciq building, at the basement.
yes, you can still take them from kota raya or larkin (the terminals).
Thanks, I've not been to JB for quite a number of years already.
what places in jb would you recommend for families with kids?
seenthisscenethat, have you been to jusco tebrau city. movie is cheap, a mini arcade on the top floor and also a good makan place. according to my friend, danga bay - which i wanted to recommend - is a bit run-down.
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