by AnneWhen my family immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in 1975, I wasn't yet born. Being born and raised in the U.S., you can expect that I grew accustomed to the rules of the roads and walkways here. I knew the rules well and followed them. Crossing the street was safe as long as I'd looked both ways and carefully crossed the streets in between the lines of a cross walk. And to help me even further, most of the time, there are street lights to tell me when to walk and when not to walk.
Needless to say, when I visited Vietnam for the first time a few years ago, I received quite a shock when it came to a simple task such as crossing the street.
If you've been to the city of Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh City) in Vietnam, then you'll know what I'm saying. (Although, Saigon is a lot more modernized now than it was in 1975, of course.) The streets were filled with cars, scooters, and bicycles! There were no street lights for pedestrians and no lines for walkways. In the beginning I waited and waited for a gap between all this chaos so I could walk across, but there weren't any. It was quite terrifying.
But soon, I learned the ways of the world of street crossing. Everything my parents and teachers taught me while growing up was thrown out the window. The same rules did not apply here.
First of all, I learned that it didn't do me any good to just stand there and wait for the traffic to clear up. It NEVER does. So don't wait. Just go. You don't even have to look both ways. It won't matter if there are scooters and bikes constantly going back and forth anyway.
If the next scooter looks like it's about 5 feet away, just step slowly into the road. The oncoming scooter will swerve over to avoid from hitting you. They're good at this.
Once in the street, try to look straight ahead at your destination. I found that if I looked around me, my heart would start racing so I just kept my eye on the prize... the other side of the road.
And it's important that you don't run across the road either! You're just asking to be hit by a scooter. If you walk calmly and slowly, everyone around you will be able to make a nice and comfortable space around you. You'll be like the eye of a hurricane.
And don't try to be funny and start walking in a curvy S-pattern either. Just walk straight ahead because this is what oncoming traffic will assume you're doing and will know which direction to swerve in order to avoid hitting you.
Once you're across the road, you'll realize how easy that was and you might be like me and just wanna cross the street for the hell of it. It may look scary, but it isn't at all. If you ever visit, try out the suggestions I used. Good luck!
Have you ever had a similar experience where you visited a city and had to learn the different rules of traffic, walking or driving? What city?
Comments (24)
And people say Asians are bad drivers. . . hahahahahaha. :P
If you go to China (especially Beijing), you will have to watch for taxis on the sidewalks. I'm not kidding either. Taxis will do anything to get their passengers to their destination on time, even driving on the sidewalk. Hahahah.
It sure would be nice if such were operating policy in my town. here it is assume they didn't see you because they're on the phone and sue if you get hit. (if you've the presence of mind to remember the license plate as they drive away.)
That sounds pretty intense! I would of been like you and waited for all the cars to clear.....and then start running and get hit by a scooter. I'm glad you were able to figure out the system!
hahahah omgggg da nang is the sameee thing!! but saigon holy crap.. def way worst lolol... theres some actually youtube vids that show the "circle" of traffic.. its like a circle road.. that has like multiple roads coming off of it.. its sick when u see how ppl manuever lolol
i gotta admit our people are efficient as hell!! lolol they use up everything to the max and in an orderly fashion lolol
I'm hoping to visit again at the end of this year...
btw CHUC MUNG NAM MOI ANNE!!!!!! giu gin suc khoe and chuc em va gia dinh hanh phuc loc tho!!!!!
ok my viet sucks i know im american born too lolol
@laytexduckie@xanga - you are not kidding! I was in China and we were in a taxi and I was really scared for my life for a while. I got used to it after a while, but man! One time we were trying to get somewhere and the cab driver accidentally passed our destination and he just stopped in MID traffic and REVERSED for about 20 feet! You definitely cannot do that here in the US. You have to go forward and make a U-Turn. This would be a good post. Haha. You should write something about traffic in Beijing and submit it to front page.
@AMYxJADE@xanga - Haha, your Vietnamese is very good actually. A lot better than most US-born. Although, I think I might be Chi for you because I'm older.
But not by much.
But yeah, I was terrified of the roads in the beginning and riding in taxis. Those were killer. I think the lines on the road are for decorations in Vietnam. Nobody uses it to drive inside of. Nobody gets really angry at each other for cutting each other off either. They just give a little friendly hoot saying... "I'm behind you." But there isn't any road rage which is surprising in such a crazy area. LOL.
@anne - hahaha how old are u??? if ure older than me then ill be shocked cuz i swear im one of the older ppl around here... lool
and yeah i had to teach myself how to read and write in viet... i guess its from all those years of watchin my parents and uncles and aunts kareoke'ing lolol.. oh and french class helped me out a lot with the accents too ahhaha!
and dude YESSS its soo crazy in vietnam... just all friendly hoots and ppl go about their own ways... ppl over there have SOO Much more things to worry about than petty little bickles about someone cutting them off...
and LOL @ the road decorations.. ITS SO TRUEEEEEE!!! I make fun of that all the time.. like WOW no one really cares.. wats the point then HAHAHAHA
@anne - Hahaha, my brother was the one who experienced the taxis in Beijing. The farthest I went was Hong Kong and just the small bit of eastern China. My friend also crossed the street once when it was a red walk signal. A bus was speeding along and my friend was in its path. Instead of running like any person would do, he just looked at the bus, stuck out his hand full reach in a "stop" hand signal and the bus came to a halt. My friend then continued to walk. Hahahahaha.
I have yet to go back and experience the full detail of busy traffic and pedestrians. :)
@AMYxJADE@xanga - I believe I'm a year older.
@laytexduckie@xanga - your story is so hilarious! HAHA. If I was your friend, I wouldn't want to take my chances with a bus. Especially here in New York City, I think the driver plus several passengers would come out and hurt me for slowing them down. Haha.
ahh i JUST only came back from a 2-week work trip to Vietnam (HCMC and Hanoi) on Sunday. at first i was terrified of the traffic too. But i soon learned that you just cross no matter what. Because the scooters will navigate their way around you, not the other way around. They ride at a not-so-fast speed so they are able to easily slow down and swerve around you. :)
@anne - Hahahahah, yeah, NYC is nuts. :P I live in Philly right now and the traffic sometimes such. I'm one of those walkers that even before the light turns green, I walk across. Sometimes, I get close to being hit by cars. And if one car fails to yield to pedestrians and I'm right there, I give their bumper a good kick. Sound assholeish of me, but I get my point across.
I also remember when I was like 6, I was with my grandpa in Manhattan and a big van decided to back up slowly and couldn't see me, so I felt something pushing against my butt and then realized it was a van. Hahahah. My grandpa then proceeded to pull me out of the way.
I had a similar experience in Bangkok. I was absolutely dumbfounded. "How the hell was I suppose to do this"
"Ok lets wait, we'll wait for an opening just like normal"
10min later
"The hell....?"
Old woman walks slowly across, putting me to shame
"Alright lets do this...walk slowly...they'll move around me"
I zig zagged. Much to the anger of a Thai tuktuk driver. But I made it!
Getting to and from my hostel was a pain...not to mention the outside cafe patrons that seemed to love watching the show #_#
haha My family is from Guangzhou and whenever we go back, crossing the street is one of the many things I look forward to. It's scary yet fun at the same time. Sometimes I don't even look when I cross the street. I simply close my eyes and walk, hoping that I'll make it. But I always do. haha :)
@laytexduckie@xanga - LOL wow
I always knew asians were bad drivers but damn I didnt expect it to be THAT bad
@phuck_diz_shiz@xanga - As Russell Peters says, "I don't see how people think Asians are bad drivers. I never saw an Asian in a car accident. I see them driving away from the car accident, but still . . . "
Hahahahaha.
Us ladies should just lift our chins up and sashay across the streets like we're on a crazy catwalk.
One small useful tip is you just have to be brave and cross the street, don't hesitate too much. The bikers will know how to give way to you. If you hesitate, you're only causing troubles for both you and the bikers ;) But don't forget the zebra lines, don't copy the local people, they can cross wherever they want because they know how to do so. For the tourists, you guys better follow the rule :)
Be brave, and show us Saigonese that you know the rule, too :)
@moshixkon@xanga - Are you from saigon?
You know what I think, Americans are the bad drivers. All Americans know, including myself, are rules of the road. Take out the rules and you have a 20 car pile up. These countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, South and Central America some of them don't have rules so they drive whatever the hell they want. Swerving, avoiding, going between cracks, heck, they don't even care or need traffic lights. The driving conditions these drivers have to go through has made them professionals and each and every one of them can be in a Bourne movie series.
I've been on taxis in all but Africa and it feels like an American Football field and everyone is out to tackle you, but somehow we slip out and avoid the tackles. This is not just my taxi driver avoiding other cars, everyone is avoid each other. Also, try going around a mountain with one lane and traffic going both ways. God dammit made me wet myself with two pints of urine. Thank God, I'm still alive with a green pair of blue jeans.
@namburgers@xanga - LOL, I feel ya on the taxis in other countries. But somehow they manage and they do an awesome job.
I was on my cousin's scooter in Saigon once and he went down a one way street....going against traffic. Not only that, he rode on the sidewalk too. No one got pissed though. It's just their way of life.
Crossing the street in Vietnam is a nightmare.
I don't remember how I crossed the street at all. I wasn't scared, but I think I just ran across everytime.
hahah, i came here since i was a kid so i didn't get to experience until the first time i went back on 2008 tet. i wasn't scared. i just stood still for the wave to pass thru then continue to proceed. they are slow... so, im sure they would be able to make way for pedestrians. they would fall of the scooters and traffic would occur if they hit you.