Zig-Zag Nam Style

Greetings,

Welcome to another edition of THIS IS YOUR LIFE brought to you by Vietnam Traffic Chaos Inc.

I'm a survivor of the mean streets having lived in Hanoi for five months last year. The density freaks out new visitors. Crossing a street is not for the faint of heart. If you try and cross a street your best strategy is to keep moving. This behavior will increase the probability of your survival. Until you have to cross another street.

If you hesitate or stop you die. Beep-beep.

Do I Zig or Zag? that is the question.

A live TV sit-com or high drama with comedic aspects about schools of beeping fish is clear and present.

From the A.P. Very accurate.

"...The new fines increase penalties up to seven times for various offenses, with the steepest hikes in Hanoi andHo Chi Minh City, the two largest cities. Car drivers caught running a red light — a common occurrence — will be fined up to 1.2 million Vietnamese dong ($63) in either city, while motorcyclists, who account for 95 percent of Vietnam's traffic, will owe up to 500,000 dong ($26).

Though fines are lower in rural provinces, they remain pricey for many in a country with an average monthlyincome of about $80. However, some have argued the new penalties will not deter the growing nouveau riche, who cruise the streets on expensive Vespa motorbikes or behind the wheels of BMWs and even Bentleys.

Zigzagging, a dangerous practice where drivers whip in and out of traffic to pass others, will carry a fine of up to 12 million dong ($630) for cars and 7 million dong ($370) for motorbikes. For that offense, along with going the wrong way on a one-way street, drivers will now also be stripped of their license for 30 days."

read more...

The cool thing is how much a poorly paid traffic cop armed with a whistle can make extorting bribes from stupid motor cycle maniacs. Maniacs! 

Metta.