Be careful out there...

According to Thanh Nhien News, Vietnam greeted the Year of the Dog with "470 serious accidents killing 335, 51 more than last year."

I gave up driving a motorbike in Vietnam about three or four years ago.  Gave me zero pleasure and mucho stresso. I still take a xe om almost every day. But with stats like that and driving like in this video (10MB) I do sometimes wonder whether I'm not just being a bit thick... I filmed this using a cameraphone on Cach Mang Thang Tham Street in the Year of the Goat. Music by the magnificent Magnetophone. You can download the whole 15 minute song here.

Technorati Tags: Vietnam, video, videocast

Comments

[andrew]

I remember crashing an om once in Da Lat. I gashed open my ankle - nothing serious at all (my ego was more bruised) but I did have a rather nice little scar that I never wanted to fade (a few years later, it did), just so that, when people asked "what's that scar?", I could reply in my best Tom Cruise impression, "you weren't there, man!".

Juvenile and predictable? Moi?

[foodcrazee]

cant even cross the street in Ngyuen Thi Minh Khai when i was first there back in 94. Then ride a bike like a local and to think bad, i nearly died. Going at 100kmh to Vung Tau. Stopped for a ciggie break and when restart, the tyre punctured. Phew! Imagine if it burst while at 100kmh....i wont be here no more....troi oi.

[Asian Wild Rose]

When I was there last summer I could never imagine driving. There are no lanes! My friend drove me around and I hung on for dear life. Then one day had a cutie girl driver for a Xe Om and.. I hung on for dear life :D

I was scared to cross the street at first too but after awhile I got used to it. Just let the drivers go around you!

[ThinkingVN]

Comparing the population of over 80 millions ppl, you'll have a better chance of winning the lottery or get struck by lightening than die in a traffic accidents in VN.

[OCVNmese]

I was born in the States, travel to Vietnam regularly and I have never had any trouble navigating the streets of Saigon on my motor scooter. The most important thing to remember is to stay out of the car lanes (closest lane(s) to the center of the road) and you will do OK. The streets of Saigon are too congested anyway for anyone to be involved in a high-speed crash. Most fatal accidents happen when motor scooters drive themselves into the path of a moving car or truck in the car-only lanes. I've seen someone who ended up underneath the body of a moving semi once and let me tell ya, it was not a pretty sight. So please be careful, and have a lot of fun when travelling to Vietnam.

And by the way, I really enjoy your blog! Please keep up the good work!

[OMIH]

I too travel by xe om most of the time...give or take the occasional jaunt on my push bike.

I'd be tempted by a motorbike but my volunteer organisation make it quite difficult for me to own one.

I quite fancy a Minsk just so I could go on occasional trips to the surrounding countryside. I'm currently considering extending for one more year so will probably jump through all the necessary hoops in order to get a motorbike.

I think I am still at my happiest in Vietnam when I am on the back of a xe om...headphones on and watching the world go by.

[Ben]

The problem with xe om's is that you always have to bargain with them, unless you use the same one each time. Also, if you have a Viet gf, you have to start driving the xe eventually. It's just not manly to have a girl take you around all the time!

[OMIH]

I never bargain anymore. I know what it costs (I pay a fair price - slightly more than the cheapest but not the rip off either).

And when I get there I pay the money. For the most part simply knowing what it costs without asking is enough to show the driver that you know the score.

Once or twice in a year I've had arguments but normally still handed over the fair price.

[Aaron]

Wow...i used to drive that road everyday from school...and drove fast :)