WHY put up barriers to prevent the public from having a free view of the F1 race?
That is one of Mr Michael Price's biggest bugbears. The Singapore permanent resident who has lived here for 25 years bought tickets to the F1 race over the weekend.
Yet he believes that the general public outside the fences should not have been prevented from getting a free view of the proceedings.
He said that 'F1 fans will be happy to pay to get better seats with better views', so the business argument of keeping people out should not apply.
Mr Price,who runs a small business in the gifts industry, said he was surprised to see the race barriers covered with black banners when he visited the track.
It gave him the impression that the race - was reserved for supermodels and billionaires, where the man in the street was not invited.
Allowing more people access could lead to even greater interest in the race, he said.
Referring to the high ticket prices, he added: 'It is kind of expensive for the average person, especially if the person is a family man with children. It would cost money to take the family along.'
A three-day walkabout pass cost $168.
A single-day pass went as low as $38 for pre-race days to $108 for the race day itself, with concessions for those aged 60 years and above,and those aged 7 to 15.
Children under 7 were not allowed due to hearing damage concerns, unless parents or guardians had signed an indemnity form.
A three-day grandstand pass ranged from $248 to $2,588, depending on the location of the grandstand. There was no single-day pass for grandstand seats.
While MrPrice understood that attracting the high-rollers and the big-spenders to Singapore would help the economy, he believed that ordinary people should be involved in a bigger way.
He suggested that organisers should set up large TV screens at public places, such as the National Stadium, to broadcast a live feed of the race.
'It would allow people to gather at these places and soak up the carnival atmosphere without having to spend too much. It can also help widen the fan base for F1.'
He also suggested that organisers hold more charity-linked events to give back to the community, engage more local sponsors, and 'bring F1 displays to the heartlands'.
While he did not approve of the barriers, he said it was not right for people to tear down the covers.
"People should respect other people's property. If someone has put it up, complain about it, but don't pull it down."
This article was first published in The New Paper on Sept 30, 2008.
