Traffic

I know I've commented on traffic in SE Asia before, but here is a little more explaination.

Here are the rules of the road in Viet Nam as I understand them:

1) The dashed white line in the middle of the road is a waste of paint.  Nobody cares about it.
2) The bigger the vehicle, the more it has the right of way.
3) If on a bicycle or moto (motorscooter) you should ride to the right side of your lane except:
           A.  You want to ride elsewhere
           B.   You are about to make a left turn in which case you move to the opposite side of the street (that would be the left oncoming lane and ride along the curb facing traffic until your turn.
           C.  On making the left turn stay in the left lane facing oncoming traffic until you want to return to the right lane.
          D.  If you want to make a right turn ignore the traffic light.
          E.   Beep your horn often as a polite way of saying GET OUT OF MY WAY.
          F.   Streets are for Trucks, Motos, Bicycles, Walking.
          G.   Streets are for Walking because sidewalks are for parking Motos.
          H.   Where there are traffic lights there is also a countdown sign telling motorist time until light changes.                  This allows traffic to start moving 2 seconds before the red turns to green.

4) When walking you should always check both ways three times before entering a street even though you will enter the street often because of G above.

All the above are the result of my latest incident on Saturday.

While nicely scouting out the time of the Catholic Church service for Denyse I followed on bicycle the map and found said Church.  Unfortunately it was on opposite side of street.  I moved to just right of center line to make a U turn and investigate the little sign for the English service.  Checking no one behind me I proceeded to wait for two motos approaching me to pass then begain said U turn.

At this point I once again found my face on the pavement (see previous incident in Argentina) as a woman with small child on moto decided to pass me from behind in the left lane. (see A above).  Separated from my glasses I rose without serious injury, retreived my bent glasses and made it to the proper sidewalk. (English service at 4PM Sunday.)

Nearby pharmacy provided bandaids, optical shop unbent glasses and I'm a little sore with a bandaid next to my left eye but otherwise OK.

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However the traffic is entertaining if you are not in it. I have seen:

A moto pulling a trailer with a load of wood.
A moto pulling a cement mixer.
A moto with an entire family.

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A moto carrying a hog.

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and a moto carrying a load of bricks on side baskets.

and a lot of other things. (Don't forget your cell phone.)




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