Craig Soffer, American, Ha Noi
When I first came to Viet Nam, I took a "xe om" everywhere I went. The trips were harrowing in the extreme, and the drivers always wanted to take me to their favourite karaoke bars instead of my actual destinations. When my students heard about my "xe om" adventures, one of them started waiting for me every day after class so she could drive me home. She promised that she lived very near my house, but I later found out she lived quite far away and was giving up an hour and a half every evening just to protect me from taking rides from strangers. I decided I had no choice but to rent a motorbike.
Next week When travelling or staying at a foreign country, local medical services can be one of the things that one wants to know about. There are three kinds of hospitals in Viet Nam namely state hospitals, private and Vietnamese-owned hospitals/medical centres and foreign hospitals. Private hospitals are normally more expensive but the process is faster. Have you ever experienced receiving medical treatment in Viet Nam? Do you feel confident going to a Vietnamese hospital or would rather pay more and receive western-standard treatments? Do you have a health insurance? How is your experience with the medical insurance system in Viet Nam? What more should be done to improve the quality of medical health service system for foreigners? We welcome your opinions. Emails should be sent to: opinion.vietnamnews@gmail.com – or by fax to 84-439332311. Letters can be sent to: The Editor, Viet Nam News, 11 Tran Hung Dao Street, Ha Noi. Replies to this week's question must be received by Thursday morning, November 11. |
David Loader, Australian, HCM City
We have been living in HCM City for nearly six months and have been using a motorbike as our main form of transport for most of that time. A motorbike is the easiest way to get around. As the buses do not run into the evening the only alternative for the two of us are taxis and these can get quite expensive.
The key to safe and successful riding of a motorbike is to always have respect for the traffic. If you understand the way the traffic moves and flows, keep a very watchful eye on what is happening around you, hold your nerve and give way to everyone, you should be able to ride successfully. Never get over-confident as this will lead to accidents.
One of the best things about riding a motorbike is the sense of belonging we have with the community. This is how most people get around and it makes us feel like locals. Wearing a helmet, mask and sunglasses, we really blend in with the crowd.
Talbot Ponsonby-Smythe, British, Ha Noi
I regularly ride my motorbike about town – at least I did until last week when common sense prevailed. The fact that I'm still in one piece after three years in Ha Noi leads me to believe I live a charmed life.
I rode a bike because it's cheap and convenient – a view obviously shared by several million Hanoians. It's fast, efficient, and fun – when you remain upright. But I'm talking about before, when we didn't have to wear motorbike helmets, there were fewer bikes on the road and just a smattering of cars. The situation now is very different. Fun has given way (about the only thing that does on the roads of Ha Noi) to fear and fury.
That is why I returned my bike last week and now I walk to work. That and the fact that yet another keen biker staggered into the office last week bloodied and limping and clutching, as best he could, the tattered remains of his left arm.
I have ridden or been driven, in Europe, India, South, Central and North America, India, Thailand, Indonesia, even parts of the Middle East. By far the worst and most dangerous place of all is Ha Noi.
It's not just a question of boy racers weaving in and out of the traffic around Hoan Kiem Lake, there is a general devil-may-care attitude among motorists and a complete lack of respect for others that can only be addressed by better enforcement of traffic regulations and stiffer penalties for offenders.
Graham Bassett, British, HCM City
I obtained my Vietnamese licence back in December last year and surprisingly I am still alive.
Why does anyone ride a motorbike here? Usually it's the most efficient way of getting around the city but I still don't think of it as being safe. For longer journeys, I tend to take a taxi. As for fear of riding here I do what I learnt in the UK: think of number one and ride accordingly. That means looking about to see what is happening about me. And to date I haven't had one touch from anyone else.
As for adopting local practices, to a large degree I haven't! I was taught that pavements are for people to walk on and roads for traffic. I don't use a mobile phone while on the move or overload the bike with heaps of goods either – dangerous practices that really need dealing with. Only a fool rides straight off the pavement into oncoming traffic without even a second glance. And there are many here who do exactly that. Safety could be further improved if more was done to stop the practice of jumping red lights and the riding of motorbikes around roundabouts the wrong way.
Ryu Hashimoto, Japanese, HCM City
A motorcycle is my regular means of transport. Why? Because in Viet Nam public transport is still under developed and motorcycles are much more convenient than cars because of the lack of the parking areas, especially in Ha Noi and HCM City.
As people know, the city doesn't have enough space to park cars and the fee for parking is quite high. In HCM City, there are many one-way traffic roads. Once I make a wrong choice about a road, it's easy to return by motorcycle but difficult to do it by car.
When I started to drive a motorcycle in HCM City about 10 years ago, I was in despair. I didn't know how I should drive in this situation. I firstly asked my girlfriend (she is my wife now) to take me somewhere by her motorcycle. From the pillion seat, I got the feel of something and learned how to drive in this chaotic traffic situation. In addition, I went to a local driving school and got instruction from experienced instructors. — VNS
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