Saigon Traffic

[TO AWSUM]

This is what I remember also. They used to tell us the largest vehicle always had the right-of-way, but that doesn’t look true anymore in this video since the cars are letting the mopeds go through. Never happened like that when I was there. The mopeds had better get out of the way or get run over by trucks, buses, etc. They also told us if we were in a cab and it had an accident to run from the area, because their laws said the passenger was at fault. The logic was that the cab wouldn’t have been there to get in an accident if the passenger hadn’t requested going there.

Subject: Saigon Rush Hour Traffice - Truly Amazing

Things have not changed, it was just like this in '67 & '68, only older vehicles and many more pedi-cabs, Lambrettas, and Vespas (motorized pedicabs). The day after Tet there was not a vehicle or person to be seen anywhere in the city except for military convoys. Mike.
This is really amazing, amazing, amazing Vietnam - there is orderliness in total disorder!

This would never work in the USA!!!!!!!!!!!!
To be a pedestrian one needs a couple of shots of " Mekong " whisky before attempting it.

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/4phFYiMGCIY?rel=0

 

[Ed Sims]

Where is the GT?

Ed

 

[Empty Pockets]

eekeekeek:eek Holy sufferin'...!!!

You're right. It just wouldn't work here...AT ALL. :facepalm:

 

[TO AWSUM]

I wonder if there is even one FGT in Vietnam?

 

[Empty Pockets]

I seriously doubt it.

 

[SYCO GT]

Those left turns look tricky!

 

[Chris A.]

Just when you think it cant get any worse the black minivan pulls a U-turn.........funny

 

[Wwabbit]

I was there in 1992 and it was the same. Social altruism. If you peered into a biological cellular unit, you'd see the same thing. Everybody going about their business. But you're right, it would never work here- too many guns and nobody would stop and pick up the bodies.

btw- if that vid was from an intersection in Delhi, it would be gridlock and fist fights (and they have nuclear weapons).

 

[RALPHIE]

Bangkok is just as bad, or not worse

 

[Cobraguy]

We backpacked our way from the Chinese border down thru S Vietnam a few years back and of all the truly remarkable things we witnessed, it's still the moped traffic that we talk about the most. We were told that in Bangkok there are over a half million registered mopeds with many times more than that unregistered. The key to crossing even the busiest street on foot is to never make eye contact with oncoming riders.... If you do they will assume you see them and you are then expected to avoid them....if not, they will make the move. The first few times you step off the curb blindly is truly terrifying.
To initially test this process, we fed our X-law enforcement buddy copious amounts of $1 gin and had him walk blindly into the centre of a busy intersection ( like the one in the video) and read a copy of our local newspaper that we brought along for just such an occasion. We were actually doubled over laughing for the entire 10 minutes and the locals could not figure out what the joke was. They are an incredible people and we will return one day just to hang with the locals.

 

[SteveA]

Organized chaos.
Thanks for your time spent TO AWSUM.

 

[Howard]

I was in Cairo three years ago and traffic looked just like that. Same "rules of the road".......no eye contact, just point and go. In ten days I saw only one minor contact....and it was OUR DRIVER!

Howard

 

[TO AWSUM]

I was in Cairo three years ago and traffic looked just like that. Same "rules of the road".......no eye contact, just point and go. In ten days I saw only one minor contact....and it was OUR DRIVER!

Howard

Sounds like the same technique I was told to use in Boston where a 5-6 lane road suddenly narrowed to 3 lanes. Many years ago, can't remember name of road.