Navigating traffic in Hanoi
June, 2023
Finally I’m a resident in Hanoi
I am no longer a visitor in Hanoi. After living here for a year and a half, I move around the city naturally. Usually I cycle to work, take the bus at weekends, and in the evenings or when I'm lazy, I take a Grab, which is either a motorbike taxi or a car taxi. I don't walk because Hanoi is not made for walking. Pavements are often non-existent or in poor condition, super narrow, used for parking motorbikes or as a area for tea vendors.
And then, a few weeks ago, I decided to upgrade my mobility and rented a motorbike. For the next 10 weeks I will work in another office. This office is too far from my home to cycle there, a bus ride takes forever, and the Grab fees add up, so it seemed to make sense to rent a bike. I already had the helmet and bought a long-sleeved jacket, which pretty much everyone wears here to protect themselves against the sun, covered my nose and mouth with a mask against the fine dust and off I went.
My first rides amidst masses of other vehicles were and still are overwhelming. I am part of the crowd, surrounded by buses, SUVs and normal cars, also a few bicycles and here and there pedestrians crossing the street. Bikes are in the majority: With 1-4 people on them, suitcases between legs, egg cartons piled high in the back, big buckets on either side with fresh tofu, building materials the whole length and beyond, and just about anything you can imagine. Oh, and using the mobile phone at the same time is quite common. It also takes some getting used to when long palm leaves are stuck in the middle of the road to warn of an open manhole cover or a huge hole. Scary! At least for me. But after a few weeks on the bike I'm a little less tense, however still very cautious. I can't quite get used to being overtaken from both sides at the same time, without any significant safety distance, and having someone coming towards you from the front as well. Those are also the moments when each of us honks.
Honking
Before I got on the bike myself, the honking sounded crazy and annoying to me. But now I perceive these prominent sounds in the soundscape of Hanoi differently. I hear the messages. A short double honk can mean "Hi there, watch out". A longer double or multiple honk is more explicit and wants to say "get out of my way", and the finger on the horn, consistently, definitely means that someone is serious about "I'm not going to stop for you. Go out of my way!". Sometimes with car drivers there is the combination of constant honking and flashing lights, and you better start clearing the way.
It's always about who's in front, who's faster, who's best at squeezing through the traffic jam. Often you are overtaken at the last second, just ahead of your front tire, but then stop at the side of the road. Cô Lien recently pointed out to me that although everyone honks and pushes a lot, they usually stay calm. Getting emotional in traffic goes against the cultural norm, she says. I can confirm that. So far, I haven't heard or seen any shouting, insults, middle fingers or other gestures of anger.
Parking
If you're wondering where I park the bike when I'm out and about in town - always in places with a guard. This way the bike is well looked after and when I pick it up again the guard puts the bike in the direction I want to go. Very convenient and a great service. And at home? There I park right in the house, in the entrance area. Ground floors of Vietnamese apartment buildings usually consists of an open space with a large gate. This entrance area is often a garage, storage room and welcome area all in one. In our house it’s very clean and tidy with neatly lined up motorbikes and bicycles, comfortable sofas, the obligatory altar, the always fresh bouquet of flowers, a palm tree and the storage for the water gallons. When there is only one family living in the house, the family vehicle is simply parked in the living room between the sofa and the TV. I have already become so used to this setting that I almost didn't mention it anymore. And now that I'm describing it, I already know that it's one of the many things I'll miss back in Germany.
Anyway, one final remark
Hanoi has the vision to establish the city as one of the most livable, sustainable, and attractive world capital cities by 2050. A master plan is in place and is being implemented with the aim of improving roads and the public transport system and achieving a complete ban on motorbikes in 12 districts of Hanoi by 2030. This is ambitious. Only 7 years to go. Let’s see how that works.
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