Job Discussion Forums

saigon cowboy · Joined: 24 Apr 2009 Posts: 84

It's really danergous and your worst enemy when trying to work here in HCMC.
Would anyone like to contribute about their driving experiances here ?

I have had two minor accidents. I broke some ribs when some guy cut me off and his rear tire hit my front tire and tumbled me into the street on Tran Dung Hao going to Cholon.

I was in pain whenever I laughed or breathed in deeply. I could not sleep well either.

Another time this guy crashed into me with his Honda 150 and we both fell on Pham Ngu Lao St. I had lacerations on my hand and bleeding quite nicely. The other guy had an obvious broken nose but minimal damage to his bike. My bike looked like **** but was able to repair it the same day.

Another time during TET Holiday in DaNang this woman shoots out a side street and side swipes me. A bloody left elbow for me and a broken fuel line for her.

Just yesterday I saw a foreign woman with blonde hair sitting on the side of the road sobbing and her motorbike laying in the street. Many people gathered around her trying to calm her down. Other than some scrapes she seemed ok.

I saw this guy get hit by a taxi in District 4 and he fell off his motorbike and slid on his stomach for a couple of meters....ouch !

Another time i'm eating at the Ben Thanh Night Market and I here a horrific crash on Le Loi St. I look to my right just in time to see two bodies twirling around in the air. My viet girlfriend ran over to offer assistance and she said some girls helmet strap broke and lacerated her neck. Another guy was in the street unconcious. Luckily there was a hospital across the street.

Government statistics say 10 people die everyday in HCMC traffic accidents and hundreds injured.

Anyone want to add to this ? I have seen more but that's enough.

Texas_blu · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 108 Location: HCMC, VN

This could be of some interest if you're NOT the saigoncowboy at SaigonESL

http://saigonesl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1033

saigon cowboy · Joined: 24 Apr 2009 Posts: 84

No, that's not me on the other site you posted. I do visit the site but am not a member.

Green Acres · Joined: 06 May 2009 Posts: 260

I heard it was 35 a day....do they still put flowers on the front bumpers of the cars and trucks that kill?

How many of those do you see in a day?

Magic8ball · Joined: 08 May 2009 Posts: 27 Location: HCMC

When it comes to driving, every time we get on a bike there is the possibility of getting into a wreck. Now, we need to get licenses and it's being enforced. Advise all to get DLs right away, if you are going to drive a motorbike.

mach114 · Joined: 14 Jan 2009 Posts: 56

I have been in two accidents in HCMC one guy hit me; because I stopped when a light had just turned red. Be careful with that. Thank god my back peg was down and he chopped that off instead of my leg. Another happened when I made a left turn into on coming traffic a guy would not stop for me like they normally do. He fell off his bike and I managed to hold my bike up even though he hit me going about 30kmph. Riding a big bike like the bonus I had then helps, along with my 100 kilograms; they fall down you stand there looking at them and drive off if necessary. When there are 8 million people in a metropolis traffic is bad and people are reckless the same can be said about Los Angeles or New York, which I have experienced. So this is not necessarily a Vietnamese problem. Although, it's nice to know that you are driving a lot slower most of the time when accidents occur in Vietnam.

saigon cowboy · Joined: 24 Apr 2009 Posts: 84

Great idea, keep those back pegs in the down position at all times. If someone runs into from behind that's the only thing protecting your ankles or legs. Cool

hawlermonkey · Joined: 29 Mar 2007 Posts: 34

Make sure you get an automatic scooter such as a yamaha nuovo. They are easy to ride and responsive - they also offer good protection to your legs.Vespas and Lambrettas are supercool to look at, but are difficult to ride. Honda Waves and other manual bikes can lurch foward and the rental ones have crap gears. Everyone of my friends who had manual bikes had at least one crash.

When you are riding a bike in Saigon you need to concentrate on everything around you - crappy gears can take your focus away for a lethal second. You need to drive fast - if you drive slowly you have to be aware of what is behind you as well as what is infront. Be calm there is method in the madness, become one with the flow of traffic. If you are too nervous and overreact to bikes around you -you will have an accident. Don't wear a massive helmet - peripheral vision and hearing give you an edge. I had a scooter in Taipei for 2 years before going to Vietnam for 3 years. Taipei used to be very fast and crazy before the MRT opened. I think I would have been overwhelmed if I had tried to ride a scooter in Saigon without any experience on bikes.

Around district 1 it is safe because the traffic is slow. Be careful going to district 7, 2, 4 and beyond big roads like dien bien phu or out of town - truck drivers are off their heads.

Never had an accident apart from the first time I hired a scooter in Goa and crashed the first night when I lost control on a sandy patch in the road. You are most likely to crash in the first 2 weeks. I really miss my scooter especially riding late at night around district 1 and 3 with my girlfriend on the back.

saigon cowboy · Joined: 24 Apr 2009 Posts: 84

Yep, riding around district 1 , 3 , 4, 7 are my main cruising grounds. Viet girlfriend on the back with tight jeans and long black hair.....mmmm heaven.
I can't believe I get paid to do this.....errrrr teach english that is Embarassed

abulinhthi · Joined: 12 Oct 2008 Posts: 23

Yeah, motorbike driving can be a pain in the butt, but I've driven is 27 cities, villages, towns, hamlets........whatever you call them, ......in the North, in the South, in the Fanispan (sp???) mountain ranges in the Northeast, and from Que Non to the Laos border, which took two days, going slowly, no lights at night on the highway (town wanted to save money, or turbine was done, I really dunno.......), and I think I've had 2 accidents.

Once I tried to climb a Champa monument hill, outside of a place called Phu Ba (it's......"an area"--not listed as a town, village, city, or hamlet, it's something not any of these.......near Que Non), and it was really my own stupidity, thinking I was driving Harley or something!

Another time a guy bolted in front of me, on Rt. 14, outside of Pleiku. I dodged about 200 people; this one I didn't. Had a sore ankle that day. Big deal.

I've never really encountered any seriously problems driving a Dream, Dream II, or some kind of junk from those rentals in the cities, or from one of those Russian-made (I can't remember the name....) in the hills of Sa Pa.

You just gotta be slow and careful.