Photography by Paul Dishman: Scooters Gone Crazy

I was told there were over 4 million scooters on the road in Ho Chi Minh city by a guide - not many less in Hanoi it seemed. Much of the time when we were being driven or walking from A to B our enjoyment was in watching them weaving in and out of each other and carrying stuff on the back you`d do well to fit in a Ford Transit! It is totally mesmerising to watch as they buzz in and out, facing you at traffic lights that are largely ignored, along with zebra crossings, taking starting positions like at a moto gp and performing hair’s breadth manoeuvres at every cross-road. Young women wearing peaked helmets sit straight-backed at the traffic lights, when they stop and families ride pillion – the record I saw was 4 plus baby! The sound of horns and the screech of brakes is constant, the air is fume-filled and the traffic relentless. But it’s fascinating.
Exciting as it is though your sense of wonder evaporates when you have to cross the road. One of our hotels felt drawn to leave a printed guide in our room on how to cross the road advising that you "Step into the road with confidence and stare the riders right in the eyes maintaining a steady pace as you work through the ongoing traffic". Don`t bother about crossing at lights or zebras - they are merely street decoration with no purpose. Instead just decide when to go and head off into the constant stream of traffic without hesitation! It takes bottle the first time but I positively enjoyed being in a country where jaywalking in constant traffic is seen almost as a sport. If you look both ways - even in a one way street as again that seems advice rather than a legal requirement - , look them in the eyes and make no sudden moves it is amazing how they pace themselves to thread around you without stopping. Don`t forget to breathe and never shout a warning to a fellow pedestrian attempting to cross as a hesitation on their part will lead to catastrophe.

Crossing the road is one thing to marvel at but another is to see what people carry as a matter of course. Here are just a few examples....

Children are a given... the more the merrier though I missed the maximum load I saw of 5

Another one I missed was the baby in a high chair on the front of the scooter- front seats were a must for kids to sit on their knees and feel close to mum or dad.

Of course even with kids on board it is important to stay in contact with friends with regular texts


A passing monk is always in need of a lift

Some settle for small baskets but they are wimps

Pictures were the favourites. We saw so many of varying sizes - here the passenger is holding it but other times the driver managed themselves.

Piling a little on the back worked OK.

Kumquat trees were a very popular line on bikes this guy wasn`t the heaviest loaded we saw!

I`d have liked to stick around and see when this guy finished loading and whether that front wheel went down!

Deliveries by Interflora

This was a guy collecting waste - for the whole neighbourhood it seemed!

Another picture frame whilst the guy next to him perches his packs of beer and coke on his knees

Another urgent drinks delivery

What`s that!

Yes a full sized dog in full traffic flow!

Luckily the guy carrying office supplies has seen it all before and looks straight ahead

We must take the ladders...

To be honest these were not the worst offenders - just the ones I managed to capture as we drove along. There were so many more and yet in a fortnight there we only saw one accident!

My favourite vehicle sots though were still the tuk tuks of Cambodia with their built in hammocks for those times when you just could not get a fare!