Don’t be fooled by the beer, we were in Hanoi; specifically, we were in the old town where most tourists go because it has a certain charm. Whilst it may have charm, what it doesn’t have is anything in the way of traffic lights, stop signs or rules; which makes getting around either entertaining or suicidal, depending on your world view.
The Vietnamese don’t seem to mind. Horns blaring, they will pile into an intersection and with a mixture of luck, skill and tolerance, emerge on the other side with no damage.
Having said that, every vehicle we saw in Hanoi was sporting bumps and scratches, so the pile in and hope approach doesn’t always work.
Life is equally hazardous for pedestrians, mainly because we have to survive on the street with the traffic. Yes, there are pavements; but many are given over to the important job of hosting motorbikes.
If there are no motorbikes, then someone will set up a little cafe where the patrons sit on low stools and partake of beverages and snacks.
And in many places, bikes and cafes happily co-exist to ensure that no pedestrians will ever dare stray onto the pavement.
The only respite from the traffic comes on a Friday and Saturday evening when some streets are closed off and the cafes expand to take up the roads.
Crossing a road, particularly the wide main roads with a constant flow of traffic, is an acquired art. The traffic is not going to stop for you, neither (in principle) is it going to run you over. So the strategy is to step out into the street and walk across at a constant speed, hoping that the pissed-up young man on a bike still has the capacity to calculate the necessary vectors to avoid a collision. I always found this a bit daunting, so I tried to stand downstream from a local and follow their lead. Failing that I stood downstream of she who must be obeyed on the basis that she is not as old and fragile as me, and would therefore better survive being hit by a bus. I didn’t tell her this.
Comments 🔗
2015-01-20| Ray saysNot much different from Thailand then - maybe more congested but the same principles (and I use that word loosely).
Looks a crazy place. Must visit soon.
2015-01-20| Spike saysThe lack of traffic lights makes a difference.
2015-01-20| Andrew saysI think Saigon traffic might be a bit worse ( crazy style ) but have still never been hit - whatever you do, don’ try to make a sudden dash as for sure you will get nailed - sauntering along to let everyone see you is better - they will go around you….and the sidewalk cafe thing - there is nothing that can stop that - not even a typhoon…. [IMG]http://i62.tinypic.com/nbdouh.jpg[/IMG]
2015-01-20| Andrew saysor maybe http://i62.tinypic.com/nbdouh.jpg