What is the main mode of transportation in Sai Gon?
- Elephants like in the Disney movie blunder “Operation Dumbo Drop”
- Hummer for its durability and wide stance
- Motorbikes that zip and slither through cracks
- Subway system under the deep red dirt of VN
And the answer is…… 3.
There are literally millions of motorbikes swarming the road. The sound decibals kick up every morning to work and late afternoon home. If you want to survive in Sai Gon, you must have a motorbike because public transportation is lacking and cars are twice the price compared to the US due to special import taxes.
The rules and etiquette of driving a motorbike exists somewhere in the subconscious of the Viet mind because I certainly don’t have it my consciousness. Here are the street scenarious you might encounter with traffic in VN:
- 5 seconds past the red light – Honk and then go faster.
- Need to take a left real quick – Honk and stick your left arm out and downward and force your way to the left.
- Cross the street – Honk and just start moving your bike across like playing Frogger. There’s no such thing as a pedestrian walk. You just go and stop, go and stop.
- Darn it, the street is a one way – That’s ok, Honk and just go the wrong way
- The light is going to turn green – Honk so people know it’s going to turn green
- That Motorbiker is not looking at the road – Honk so he/she looks at you and doesn’t slam into you.
- Jeez, the traffic is horrible – Honk and then drive onto the sidewalk.
When in doubt, the horn is your friend. The horn is not a curse word, it’s a polite way to say, “I’m coming and you better watch out!”
And what should you wear while on your bike? No, it’s not a helmet, but a baseball cap to block the daunting sun or maybe a cotton mask to prevent you from huffing in pounds of dust and exhaust fumes. If you’re female, you should cover every inch of skin because white is beautiful.
Any questions?
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