Traffic

This morning we had a 15 minute lesson on crossing the street in Hanoi.

1. Cross in groups
2. Line up parallel to the flow of traffic
3. Look at oncoming traffic
4. Start walking slowly
5. Do NOT stop walking, only adjust your speed

These are the “rules” of Hanoi traffic according to our teacher

1. As a driver, do not hit anyone (and so you can drive or walk as if no one will hit you)
2. Don’t interrupt the flow of traffic
3. The driver is responsible for his/her front tire(s) –so look and be aware of what’s in front of you
4. A friendly tap on the horn lets others know you are coming behind them
5. “Front Wheel Rules” – If you get your tire in the space first, it’s yours
6. Most city streets have 6 lanes of traffic, instead of 2 in the US, but aren’t clearly marked.
Nearest the curb – for vehicles going the “wrong” way
Right lane – for slower vehicles – bicycles/scooters
Left lane- for faster/bigger vehicles – cars/busses
Vehicles change lanes frequently

We then went outside and crossed Cau Giay Street a couple of times to practice. Some Vietnamese befriended us and grabbed our hands to guide us through traffic.

We arrived in Hanoi last night and started classes this morning (after our street crossing practice) for our Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certificate. We are learning about South East Asian culture and how we relate to it through our US culture. Even though the rules of driving in Hanoi are much different than rules in the States, neither one is necessarily right or wrong. We all made it safely across, and we won’t have to sit and wait for the stop lights to change to tell us when we are allowed to cross the street.