Hanoi Motorbikes

All the guidebooks warn you, but you have to experience the motorbike thing to understand, especially in the old city, with its density, narrow streets and alleys. Our hotel had a very useful information sheet for tourists (and in English too), the first item of which was "how to cross a street in Hanoi." Paraphrasing a bit, it said "appear confident and determined, look both ways, proceed when there is an opening, try to cross with a group, do not back up or return to the curb." There are occasional cross-walks and occasional cross-walk lights, which occasionally work. Many of the streets are one-way, but some motos do not appear to be bound by such rules. Also traffic lights. Many motos freely make right-hand turns on red, or left-hand turns on red, often without stopping or looking. The traffic light T-shirt pictured below captures much of this. All part of the experience, I guess. I count it our best experience in Hanoi not to have been injured. And we've consistently heard that HCMC is much worse. Something to look forward to.

On Hang Bong Street, our home

Unusual child-seating; usually the toddler is just squeezed in at the handlebar,
between the driver's legs

Massing for attack

The old city has sidewalks, but they are used primarily for
motorbike parking or restaurant seating or shop-keeping or
most anything but pedestrians; most of your walking is in
the street; shared use