How best to cross the street in Hanoi traffic?
In some visitor’s eyes, the traffic in Hanoi is quite chaotic and in rush hour the roads are mega-loaded with cars, scooters, bicycles, cyclos, buses, and even some three-wheelers.
While visitors to London might discuss the weather and tourists in Paris debate restaurant choices, here in Hanoi it is hard to escape the elemental conversation on “how best to cross the street?”. Here are some tips:
1. Enlist the help of a local. Vietnamese people are very friendly and most are more than happy to help you cross the road.
2. Be relaxed and self-confident.
3. Do not run, walk slowly with purpose and don’t dart through traffic. Head in a straight line and look at the incoming traffic. Unlike home where the traffic won’t move for you, traffic in Vietnam will flow around you.
4. Put your arm in the air. It makes you more visible to traffic and is an added precaution. Hopefully the arm will indicate to the driver that you are in fact crossing the street and to look out for you.
5. Do not step back.
