On crossing the street in Ho Chi Minh City:

Walk slowly; the traffic will pass around you as you walk across the street. Ya, sure, if it's not one of the 400,000 plus automobiles now registered in the Ho Chi Minh City or one of those mega buses that ply the city, or a jumbo tractor-trailer hauling containers that are all out there on the city streets in modern Saigon. So the walk slowly strategy is old news - run, jump, or do what ever it takes to get out of the way of traffic as you cross the streets. However, as your doing that just try like hell not to jump in front of or run into one of the 3 million motor bikes buzzing around the city streets.

Four years ago I wrote "The motor bike way" and then their were very few taxi's and it was rare to see personal automobiles, no city buses (or very few) and just a smattering of trucks but it's all together different now. Back then I wrote, "Crossing the street was like swimming through a spool of fish, as you move into the mass they just slide by". Now days instead of sliding by, if you're not careful they'll roll right over the top of you. It's especially dangerous at night, when those two headlights you tried to step between turned out to be a Hummer.

So when you read in the guidebooks about not worrying when you cross the street just walk slowly, ignore it and worry a lot as you plan you crossing well before you step off that curb. Your curbside plan should should have you avoiding car, truck and bus confrontations and insight as to your track to the otherside.

If it looks, to scary walk on and look for another spot to cross at. Look for a traffic signal controlled intersection, but remember even if you do find one, pay attention when you cross and worry some more. Vietnamese don't always stop for lights and right and left turns on red seems to be OK. Oh and driving down the wrong way on a one way as long as it is by the curb seems OK also, so always look both directions before you step off that curb even on one way streets.