Motorbike to Work

Thanks to the government shutdown, we didn't have operational funds to fuel our office vehicles for the past three weeks.  Normally, a car picks me up and drops me off to and from work; this is approved by our major command and is intended to prevent accidents and injuries to our office personnel.  Road accidents in Vietnam for 2012 accounted for nearly 10,000 fatalities, so this decision is not without foundation. That is quite a number when you consider the majority of the 80 million citizens of Vietnam don't own a car.  Even more so when you consider the speed limit on most city streets is 40 kph (just under 25 mph), and that wearing a helmet is compulsory on a two-wheeled, motorized vehicle.

During the shutdown, half of the American office staff decided to ride their motorbikes to work and the other half decided to use the remainder of the fuel in the vehicles for duty to domicile with the intent of paying to refuel the car when it ran out of gas.  I figured the five dollars it costs me to drive six miles round trip to the office and back for three weeks was cheaper than divvying out a portion of the hundred dollars or so that it costs to fill up a Pajero in Vietnam.  My logic was sound in theory because I have been riding in Vietnam for some twenty years or so and I have experience on a liter bike in the U.S.  I know to fix my mirrors and pay attention to people behind and in front of me, and I know the special characteristics of Vietnamese drivers.

The weather in Hanoi in the spring and fall is the best five weeks of the year.  The rest of the year is crap, with drizzly, cloudy and cold weather in the winter and melt-your-skin-off heat in the summer. So, early October was perfect for the decision to drive the bike.  I only had two days that it rained on me, and I had rain pants and coat that someone had left in the office on their end-of-tour departure to protect me from the elements.  Actually, I don't have a problem riding in the rain, but the flotsam jetsam of road debris that gets thrown up by other bikes is nearly impossible to wash out of clothes once they are stained.

When on the roads of Vietnam, it is important to remember the actual rules of the road, and not the rules that you might read in the Vietnamese Traffic Laws.  Let me cover some of the most important ones here, as they may save your life:

Rule number one:  When turning, a Vietnamese citizen may just nod his head  in the direction he is turning.  This nod can be very subtle. So subtle, in fact, that it may be better to expect a sudden turn for no apparent reason at all.

Rule number two:  Sudden stops without easing to the edge of the thoroughfare are perfectly legal.  These stops may be for reasons ranging from receiving a phone call, sending a text message, or just to taking a breather.

Rule number three:  Regardless of the speed of the vehicle they are operating, most Vietnamese citizens will gravitate towards the center of the road.  This allows for more room to maneuver in the event of another vehicle operator exercising rules number one and two.

Rule number four:  The centerline is often determined by the number of vehicles traveling in a specific direction.  The actual paint on the road is merely a guide.

Rule number five: U turns should be made by easing to the extreme right of the road and then executed by cutting across the path of as many vehicles as possible in both directions.  Look for the head nod.

Rule number six: For pedestrians, it is important to remember that you are the lowest form of life on the road system. You should not cross the road at any other point other than the indicated cross walks, and then you must remember to yield to all other motorized vehicles and bicycles. It is a good practice to stick your hand out at the approaching vehicles; it will remind them that the palm of your hand will smash into their face before their wheel breaks your leg.

Rule number seven: Though helmets are compulsory, it is important to remember that beautiful people, specifically people with beautiful hair, may be waived from the requirement to wear headgear.  If you find yourself resenting these people who are waived of the requirement, remember, don't be a hater.

With those rules in hand, you may just survive a government shutdown.

Now that fuel is in the cars again, I get picked up next week. I survived my three weeks on the motorbike, and even enjoyed the freedom of leaving the apartment when I felt like it and not waiting for anyone when the clocked struck five.  Having said that, I think my longevity has been extended, because even knowing the rules of the road, there's always that bus with your number written on it.