Ha Noi Traffic

Yeh, finally I am getting myself organised to write my Blogs.

For those who have been to Ha Noi, you will not be surprised to see the heading of 'Traffic.' Before I came here, I looked at videos taken and was both amazed and horrified. Nothing but nothing, really truly prepares you for the reality of Ha Noi roads.

Let me see if I can paint something of a picture for the unititated and offer a reminder to the experienced.

As far as I can see, there is only one rule of the road that exists here....the bigger the vehicle you are driving, the more the right of way that you have. No-one argues with the buses...they are supreme. The cars come next followed by the motor bike. Strangely, the simply bicycle appears to simply finds its place within the hayhem of the motorized vehicles.

A road that would carry 3 lanes of traffic in the UK or US can carry 5 or 7 lanes of traffic here. There are NO lanes. It is basically a free for all within the power structure mentioned above. All vehicles travel side by side and nose to tail. Interesting no matter how many vehicles there are, the traffic rarely actually stops....not even at a red light!!!

Getting the picture!?

Next week is Tet here. Tet is like Christmas, new year and Thanksgiving all rolled into one and everyone is busy getting ready. The Vietnamese people buy flowers and trees in adundance for this event. The main tree purchased is a tangerine tree full of fruit.....the bigger the better. Sort of like in the UK we buy Christmas trees, here its tangerine trees. Now the vast majority of people travel by motorbike so, the trees are transported by the mode of travel available...on the backs of motor bikes. The tallest that I have seen so far was around 7 feet tall. They strap it on and off they go.

They must be born here with some innate sense of balance and spatial ability. They keep their bikes upright when anything in science and common sense says that it is an impossibility. They weave through gaps in traffic that just DO NOT exist. I love going on the back of a bike but will never NEVER get on the front end to drive one.

And when there are no trees to transport, there are always glass cabinets, beds, roofing tiles, the kitchen sink and. of course, the whole family fits neatly onto that one small double seat. It seems that a baby is deemed to be able to take part in this mode of transport unsupported and unshackled from the age of around 10 months!!

Which brings me to the pedestrian's rights! Well that is even simpler to understand than the rules of the road......you have NONE. So how do you get across these wide and busy roads? Well, you step our and start walking on the assumption that everyone will MISS you....the bikes that is. And it does work. The trick is to walk at a steady pace so that the bike rider can judge where you will be and avoid you. Cars and buses will just run into you so you do need to stop to let them go by which often necessitates simply standing in the middle of the road as bikes whizz around you until the car or cars have passed. You then continue.

Oh one thing I forgot to mention that can be quite important. They often drive the wrong way down the road and if the roads are really full, the bikes simply take to the pavements....going, of course, in either direction. Oh yes, and do you remember when you were learning to drive and you were taught to 'mirror, signal, maneuvoure'? Well, here its simply GO!! No-one looks, checks over their shoulder or uses a mirror...they just start the engine and go!

So as a pedestrian you take your choice of walking on the road side and assuming that the traffic will miss you or walking on the pavement and assuming that traffic will miss you. On most pavements it is marginally safer walking on the road due to the broken paving slabs, parked motorbikes, restaurents and just general family meetings that are held on the pavements.

You come to Ha Noi and you have two choices in terms of the traffic. You can complain and get irritated by it all or you can simply do what the Vietnamese do and go with the flow. I choose to do the latter and find the whole thing hugely entertaining.

I often wish I had my camera in my hand and ready to take a snap but yesterday something happened that would have been just perfect to capture. I am waiting for a bus on one of the busiest roads that I have come across in Ha Noi yet. I wide and long road where traffic is nose to tail and side by side. Two women suddenly appear pushing a cart full of rubbish/trash. They collect trash left on the side of the road and then head off across the middle of the road going against the traffic. Everyone blew their horn at them but they carried on slowly and steadily pushing the cart to their required destination.......just perfect!!!

Ok, enough on traffic. Its Saturday tomorrow and I am going down town WITH camera posed and ready for action so wil gather a selection of photos in an attempt to share with you some of the wonder and chaos of this wonderful city.

Talk again soon
Pat