The Motorbike Way

The motorbike way

I watch as the motorbikes bunch up at to the light, tense, steely-eyed drivers jockeying for position. Then , then on signal, they roar away in a motocross style start. The air is thick with the smell of exhaust fumes and the yappy, yap, yap of the high revving motorbike engines.

However, this isn’t motto cross. It's it's just another light change on Le Loi Streetstreet in the city center of Ho Chi Minh City. Watching as the pack rushes away from the intersection, the motorbike riders deftly maneuver around bicycles, food vendors with pushcarts, pedestrians, cars, taxis, jumbo trucks and buses. All the riders are sitting bolt upright with expressionless faces, belying their there unflinching determination to press forward. Honda's, Suzuki’s, Yamahas, Daihen's, piloted by men, women, teenagers, oldsters, all bonded together towith the same sense of urgency and determination to successfully work their there way through the traffic. 

According to a recent Vietnam News article, "the number of motorbikes in HCM City has increased from 70,000 in the early 80s80's to 2.4 million in 2004. However, to keep this in perspective, I must add that we are not talking about traffic like on the San Bernardino freeway. This, but this is on city streets, which. Which can be anything from a bike path up to a four- lane divided highway, going at. At speeds, slow enough for on-going conversation with the rider behind you or a comfortable chat with the folks riding on the bike next to you. After all, there aren't any strangers in Vietnam; just people you haven't yet talked with. Left hand turns from the right lane, driving short distances down one- way streets the wrong way, slidingslide through a traffic light if you are on an important mission or just happen to feel like it - to. To me all this looks like a scary, chaotic mess. While some locals will agree, most would shake their heads there head at my apparent lack of insight, patiently. Patiently going on to explain how you need to live in Vietnam for many years in order to understand the complexities of the traffic system. For that reason, my friends discourage me from ridingridding on my own.

In an attempt to ease, my beer- clogged, aging hippie mind and put some order to the chaos I see on the street. I've identified four core concepts behind the motorbike scene. One. It, it is not as so important to hone your riding skills or to be concerned about the roadway as it is to but always staying focused on a predetermined destination and/or the people friend or friends riding with you is. Two. Always, always look straight ahead, maintain a very rigid posture, position your mirrors so you can check your appearance, and never allow the traffic around you to be a distraction. Three. , The only limit as to what can be loaded on your bike is set by your imagination - a. A family of four with steamer trunks, a refrigerator, many, many live chickens, pigs in woven baskets, and a glass mirror - but in the name of safety the mirror must be steadied by a passenger against the drivers back. While my all time favorite is perched on the back of a motorbike is the wedding photographer riding backwards filming the wedding procession as it weaves its way through traffic. Four. All, all have the responsibility to look theirthere best, with no exceptions other than the fact that women are allowed to veil their facesvale there face, wear long gloves and a hat in order to shield there skin from the sun.

The wearing of helmets is another issue, Siagonese say helmets block vision, affect theireffect there hearing and so are probably unsafe no matter what other benefits they offer. While in reality I'm guessing the major drawdraw back is that they just don’t look good and cost money. However, the helmet thing is changing. Many attractive, many cute looking helmets are being marketed, along with government- mandated laws requiring theirthere use, although. Although, I believe the ultimate safety benefits of these laws are limited due to the lack of standards for helmet construction and the testing of theirthere effectiveness. This lack of standards is probably why you see so many cute, cheap helmets around. In addition, it appears that helmets are only required in the countryside and are optional in the cities. But even and then enforcement is spotty. AlthoughThough I have heard of riders in rural areas having theirthere, bikes impounded for helmet law infractions. Recently in Chau Doc, my motorbike driver/guide carried helmets in a large garbage bag while in town, but . Therefore, the drill went like this, just over the invisible town line he pulledpulls to the roadside, took out a helmet, strapped it on and passedout come helmets, straps one on and passes the other one back then watches as I struggle to pull it on. I know helmets can be a lifesavers, but they also complicatea lifesaver but it complicates sight seeing. My hearing is not so hot anyway, but listening to Vietnamese lilted English through a helmet is very trying,helmet and with its bulk, it affects effecting my head’s heads movement. Every time I tried to move, his helmet or mine seemed to be in he way. My sightsight seeing trip was punctuated by a lot of helmet clicking as I leaned forward to hear my driver/guide and there was a lot of "What?what – I didn't hear that."". When we arrived back in the city, it felt so good to put the helmetshelmet's back in the garbage bag - free. Free again, hearing, movement unencumbered, and my head cooled off by the wind passing through my damp hair.

However, faster then you can say speeding Hondai, the roadways they are a changing, and there . There is an increase in the number of cars, buses and trucks. You can even see some motorbike riders showing a blatant lack of concern for looks and wearing helmets. There , there are new and improved traffic signals that which are evenare even sometimes obeyed at times, rearview mirrors are being used for more then just vanity checkscheckers and people are even starting to complain about those young, dashing motorbike riders that weave through traffic.

Recently in the "The Vietnam News,"", I read about a seminar the government was sponsoring entitled - "Ways, titled - "ways to restrict the motorbike problem."". Interesting title, but I don't believe the traffic problems are just because of motorbikes. Although, motorbikes probably do account for at least 90% of the vehicles on highways, they are only a part of the present traffic congestion problem. Prosperity has brought athis glut of new taxicabs, jumbo buses, SUV's and Beamers into the increasing number of motorbikes and intensified the traffic congestion problem. If the number of four- wheeled vehicles could be limited, you would still have congestion, but with motorbikes, it is a the fluid type thing, like a as in the school of fish flowing through and around obstructions as it moves along. After all, you can pack a lot more two-wheeled bikes on the road than four- wheeled vehicles while not adding much more to the base confusion. And interestingly

Interesting enough, as I finish this off my friends in Ho Chi Minh City are getting ready to do theirthere Saturday evening go around. And and the more traffic and congestion in the cityCity center the more fun the evening will be.

Ride on……..Ride on….

Cool, mini video clip - Ride that motorbike