Commenting on neighbourly frictions being a natural consequence of living in a densely populated country, SMU Dean of Students and Professor of Sociology (Practice) Paulin Straughan said the desire for privacy is a phenomenon common to many crowded cities, but one result is that our neighbours become nearly invisible to us. She explained, “The only time neighbours feature in our consciousness is when a kind deed is done – which does happen – or when they intrude on our private space. The latter does not predispose relationships to a good start.”