As
you have probably surmised from my blog posts, I was always on the go,
transported from Point A to Point B, typically by motorbike. Motorbikes represent
a very common mode of transportation in Vietnam and are not easily overlooked,
especially in the larger cities.
This
is not to say that there are no cars, buses, or vans; there are such vehicles
on the road in Vietnam and I did rely on these vehicles at some point during my
stay but the clear majority of vehicles on the road are motorbikes. Just to
give you an idea of what it looks like on the streets, take a look at the
following photos.
If
you are wondering why motorbikes are so prevalent in Vietnam, the rationale is
actually logical and straightforward. From an economic perspective, cars are
much more expensive to purchase and maintain than a motorbike. In fact, most
families will invest in two to three motorbikes per household which is still
much cheaper than a single car. From a practical perspective, motorbikes are
easier to navigate through traffic, can transport multiple passengers and
sometimes entire families as well as groceries/cargo, and are easier to
park/store (many Vietnamese often keep their motorbikes inside their house).
Although
I had observed the prevalence of motorbikes from the moment I landed in
Vietnam, the importance of the motorbike didn’t register until my first day at
the school. During my first day activities, I was invited to accompany classes
of students on a field trip to a historical site in the city. Wanting to absorb
as much as I could of Vietnamese culture, I immediately agreed and was told to
meet the classes in front of the school later that afternoon. About 10 minutes
before the scheduled time of departure, I made my way toward the front of the
campus. As I got closer, there was something that I saw (or I should say didn’t
see) that struck me as odd. I was looking for a school bus (which is rather
large and tends to stick out) but I didn’t see one. I thought that perhaps the
bus was parked along the side of the school and it was hidden from view. When I
got to the front of the school gates, it would turn out that there would be no
bus. The students were all on motorbikes and would drive themselves to the
field trip destination. I was stunned to say the least, coming from a school
environment that requires a significant amount of preparation, safety
precautions, and paperwork for approval to transport students to a field trip
destination. Everyone proceeded as a group to the destination on their
individual motorbikes and all made it safely but the experience nonetheless
drew a stark comparison between the schools of Vietnam and the United States
and field trip procedures.
During
our many conversations involving Vietnamese culture, Mr. Linh had informed me
that there were basically two requirements for operating a motorbike: (1) the
operator must be at least 16 years of age; and (2) the driver and all
passengers must wear a helmet. I also believe that there was a limit to three
passengers on a motorbike although I was not sure if this applied to passengers
who were young children or babies. Of course, there is a distinction between a
motorbike, a moped, and a bicycle which of course I do not believe there was an
age limit (although any kids less than 12 years old willing to ride a bicycle
on a major thoroughfare in Vietnam would merit a badge of valor).
That
said, there were no other rules (at least as far as I could tell) regarding
rules of the road. It seemed to be “first come, first served,” enter at your
own risk type of rules for motorbike operators. For the record, I can say
honestly that I was never scared or worried about the abilities of the driver
that I was riding along with. Each driver always made sure that I had a helmet
on and operated the vehicle safely. Of course, being a physics teacher, I was
always thinking about Newton’s Laws of Motion, kinetic energy, and the Law of
the Conservation of Linear Momentum but again, for the entire three weeks I was
in Vietnam and the numerous times I was on the back of a motorbike, nothing
ever happened. In fact, it was exhilarating to just sit back and enjoy the view
and scenery from the back seat. The prevalence of motorbikes on the streets of
Vietnam will definitely rank as one of my most memorable observations.
Coming Up Next: There is so much
to describe and explain from this wonderful opportunity that was afforded me by
the Fulbright Award but I also recognize the need bring the blog to an end. In
that light, I have worked to combine and condense many of my observations and
am now prepared to compose my final blog entry. It will be time for me to
reflect on my last days in Vietnam and my long-lasting memories that I will
hold for years to come.
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