If I had to choose one image to associate with Southeast Asia, it would have to be the motorbike.
They’re everywhere. The streets Hanoi, Phnom Penh, and Ho Chi Minh are constantly filled with swarms of pint size motorbikes buzzing around like a mad hive defying the written rules of society. In other words, drivers don’t particularly obey traffic laws.
But after some time navigating the streets either by foot, in a tuk tuk (small carriage pulled by a motorbike), or on a motorcycle myself, I discovered there is actually some order in this chaos.
Below are some tips Jeff suggested on how to navigate the streets of Southeast Asia.
On foot.
-There is never a perfect time to cross the street, so you just have to step out into the road and pretend it’s a game of Frogger. However, you cannot make like a deer in headlights; you cannot hesitate. Suddening stopping is more dangerous than moving thru the traffic.
On motorcycle.
- Act indifferent towards other drivers on the road. If you are courteous, no one will be courteous to you.
- Do not check blind spots. For if they see that you see them, they won’t feel they need to stop.
-When passing via oncoming traffic, flashing your lights is essentially an invitation for a game of chicken, for if you flash your lights, you’re essentially communicating to the oncoming driver that won’t be the one that’s moving out of the way.
- When turning left, you do not cross the street then redirect in your own lane. Instead, turn left into oncoming traffic, staying off the side of the road until you have an opening to merge right into the correct direction of traffic.
- A horn is often used to let other motorists know where you are, so it’s used everytime you pass anything–car, kids, water buffalo. Also, there are lots of other horns you’re competing with, so the louder the better.
All of this was too much for me to take on my own, so I spent most of the time riding on the back of Jeff’s rental bike.
I did, however, finally get my own on our second-to-last day in the small beach town Mui Ne.
Other than a little bit of carbon monoxide poisoning, I’m still alive.
Here’s Jeff in Phnom Penh…
