Vietnamese traffic
Crossing the road seemed a simple task, but if you are in Vietnam, you will need to use both the intelligence and ingenuity to overcome a dangerous and exciting challenge like that. If Ho Chi Minh City, also called Saigon, is one of the most common places in the world have a serious congestion of the traffic. This situation also occurs in Hanoi, which is the capital.
The street look like a dance floor, where the traffic participants play the referee, play dancers and even play the role of spectator. Some people “move” fast, some “move” slowly, some are flexibility, and sometimes there are also the appearances of some dogs, cats or even a few small chickens running around.
However to cross the road in Vietnam traffic, you could apply a few rules below:
- If your traffic light is green but you still have to stand on the sidewalk because there are few vehicles still pass out, you should not be scared. In that moment, you just need to calm down and keep stepping forward because those vehicles will stop for you.
- In case you are not able to be natural, try to find a child or elderly person and accompany with them to get through. The local have full of experience to across the road like this even if there are no green traffic light for them.
- If you have to step past the line by yourself, remember to observe carefully each vehicle on the site way. Don’t suddenly step back when you are walking because it is hard for other vehicle to guess your act to evade you. And walk with stable speech, not too fast, not too slow.
- Join in a large group of people in the street is also a good idea. Sometime they won’t be easy to see at the pedestrian walkway but a few meters away from there, do not hesitate to run to them, because more and more crowed make it easier to across the street. Of course, may be only 2 people to join but it is still better than only you.
- It is difficult or rare to see the traffic really pause according to the traffic signals. You may notice, at some junction, when the traffic lights turn to red, there will be a motorcycle, taxi drove continue or even honk loudly… to get through. Or simply, when waiting for red light there are still a few car, motorbike move slowly, just looking for the opportunity to rev and across the street. Everything just happens for a few seconds when the traffic light change to the next color. So, focus and be hurry or nothing can help you even the traffic lights
- Nothing is call aisle dedicated to pedestrians or you should not think the sidewalk is reserved for only pedestrians. Sidewalks usually are used for parking and even some time there are still some motorbikes travel on. So remember to be careful even when you are walking on the pavement.
- Don’t pay too much attention on something amazing on the street. Seriously, a motorcycle carrying a few dozen chickens or carrying a refrigerator head level, or a motorcycle ride 7, 8 people … are common on the streets of Vietnam. You just absorbedly looking at that “strange”, you may get hurt from the vehicles which are circulating on the same direction.
Basically, the numbers of tourists who come back from Vietnam always tell their friends about the traffic that they had witnesses or experienced. Of course, it is become an exciting story because it is really strange. That also makes them crave to be in Vietnam.
By this tips I believe that traffic is just a little trouble that you will be able to deal with. And when you get through it you will feel it simple and particularly interesting.
