“Toot Toot” went the scooter.... A transport summary.

One man and his scooter (and his wife, 2 children, flat screen TV, sack of rice, and we might as well add it in, kitchen sink) Yes, all these items can be transported on a scooter. Not to mention, whilst wearing an oversized rain mac that drapes down, touching the tyres, threatening to ignite at any moment! These Vietnamese know how to live life on the edge, And then there is the issue of WHERE to ride your scooter. On the road? Of course, if not a little boring. On the wrong side of the road? Yes, that works too. But for the ultimate in speed and efficiency, one should mount the pavement – pedestrians are merely hurdles that make the ride more exhilarating. After all, only fools wait at traffic lights!

Of course, the piece de resistance is the accompanying sound effect. Toot that horn as often as possible. In fact, just hold it down for prolonged periods of time. That will definitely rattle the tourists (who are already looking unsteady crossing the roads)

Accomplish all these tasks and you too can experience the chaos and mayhem of travelling Vietnamese style.

On a more serious note, very real dangers exist in this disorganised system. Approximately 300 deaths a day occur in relation to road traffic accidents. A law has been put into place that helmets must be worn by all scooter drivers, however this is ineffective. Firstly, there doesn’t seem to be anyone enforcing this law and secondly, more often than not they don’t appear to fit the person! Merely worn as a fashion statement, offering the illusion that something has been done to improve safety. ...

Coming from country which places so much focus and attention of road safety, this is shocking to see. Especially when mopeds pass you by, with young babies being transported – it goes against all our instincts! We have to remind ourselves, not to be too judgemental, as this is their way of life – they don’t know any different. We are just relieved to have survived our time there!