Saturday, August 08, 2009

What a low and cheap trick

The pedestrian crossing on Paterson Road between ION Orchard and Wheelock Place is really closed.

An underground pass now links the two buildings. There are temporary signs hastily put up at the entrance to the underpass alongside Wheelock and at the front of ION.

I was in a hurry. I was at Wheelock and needed to get across to Wisma Atria/Ngee Ann City, and back.

Getting into the underpass at Wheelock, then walking through ION underground to emerge at ION exit/entrance is, while not so straightforward for a first attempt, was at least manageable.

Re-tracing that path on the return trip is impossible. Once you enter ION, you are totally lost with escalators and shops disorientating your directional judgement. I gave up after asking shop keepers who directed me to more underground levels and shops. I ended up getting out of ION and walking the upward slope along Patterson to cross at the traffic at Patterson and Orchard Boulevard.

My grouse is this: the underpass is NOT an underground pedestrian crossing. It is a cheap diversonary tactic to direct all pedestrian traffic into ION and detain them there. There were no location maps anywhere to help with navigating within the mall either.

How low can a premier and iconic shopping mall stoop to force shoppers into their premises?

L-O-W, cheap and dirty.

6 comments:

dancingbunny said...

i went there n got lost.
my husband got a fantastic sense of direction n he lead us out effortlessly...u have to remember certain shops to get out

LuLu said...

you got hopelessly lost is it? easy to do in there.

sinlady said...

bunny - the whole episode just annoyed me.

lulu - yes. totally hopelessly lost making me late for an appointment. which really really pissed me off.

wildgoose said...

it is confusing. I was lost while shopping in the mall. didn't even make it to level 1. our malls here really need improvement in terms of layout.

Anonymous said...

well, have to see who owns the mall. managed to cut off the underground linkway between the mrt and wisma somemore to generate more biz for ION!

sinlady said...

wildgoose - this one i know is deliberate to make it difficult for people to get out.

edpj - then sign should say "this way to ION", not "use underpass".