One thing that really struck me in Dubai: I watched a group of girls leave their designer purses and phones unattended on a table. They just left the coffee shop and came back over 10 minutes later.
I had a similar experience in Korea recently. Going for lunch in a shopping mall, many people were routinely placing their phones on tables to "reserve" them while they walked off (out of sight of their phones/tables) to collect their food. I couldn't quite believe it!
From your and other comments in the thread, it sounds like the main deterrence then is 1) that it's likely you'll be caught and 2) that if caught, the punishment will be quite harsh.
I wonder if the UK and other cities are struggling more with the first or second
I've travelled to a majority of countries across the globe (exploration geophysics, mostly in the air or deep backcountry, rarely in major cities) and Dubai is another city within a city location; two state; the rich are rich and have no need to steal, or are brazen about it, while the poor are segregated, curfewed and routinely castigated.
These are not places were you want to fall the wrong side of the invisible barrier.
This dynamic exists in many expensive locations around the world, but Dubai stands out for its remarkably low crime rate. Take San Francisco, for instance. More expensive to live and greater wealth inequality, yet riddled with crime.
It isn't the expense; it is the segregation. The poor just aren't allowed to exist or mingle with the rich in Dubai. If you are poor, you are only near the rich while you are at work, performing a job.
What do you mean by that? It's the same kind of segregation that exists in San Francisco: expensive areas are out of reach to those without money. There aren't actual laws enforcing segregation. In fact, it's almost the opposite - it's pretty easy to come and live in Dubai.
I can safely walk around the streets at 2 am in a "bad" neighbourhood in Dubai or Singapore. Can't do the same in most Western cities.
I'd gladly trade a little bit of freedom (the freedom to criticize a government that isn't even mine) in exchange for this massive improvement in security. Apparently a lot of Western entrepreneurs are feeling the same way lately.
On a side note, a friend who used to work in the Dubai Police told me that even they're getting swamped with the rapid increase in population, and even they're getting subjected to budget cuts of late. There used to be a time when part of the police force was even foreign, but those positions were eliminated in favor of a UAE-nationals-only force.
I was encouraged to leave my wallet and phone on the table of time out, while we went and got food. My friends rationale was: there are CCTVs everywhere and thieves are dealt with very harshly. So eff it
Even in Singapore, I recall the protocol being to leave a napkin or whatever at a Hawker Center to indicate the chair/table was taken. Been a few years though.
