Crossing the Street

...And living to tell about it

I wrote about this topic several years ago when I was frequenting Beijing, but never "published" it; it remained my own private ramblings. Now Kathy has joined me in many adventurous, Vietnamese street crossings. We shared our thoughts on this and thought we'd subject you to them.

In the US, we take for granted a certain "methodology" of getting across the street. As kids we're admonished "Look both ways!", "don't run out into the street!" etc. Then when we learn to drive we're equally admonished: "Drive defensively. Watch for kids running in the street." School buses even have the mighty power to be able to stop all traffic, both sides of the street, dead in its tracks! What... order!

Everyone takes these "rules of engagement" wherever they go, Cleveland or China. And we don't think about them much, until they're tested.

Thus Moms' first lesson, "look both ways" certainly applies. Over the years of traveling to "left side" driving countries, I've learned that it's safer to just look in both directions, than to intuitively look to the right for oncoming traffic. It's saved me more than once. In Hong Kong, where there are many Foolish American Tourists, they've even painted the crosswalks: "Look Left" / "Look right". 

However this still presumes that there's a "US-ish" ordering to the traffic; a modicum of civility amongst drivers. Not in the 3rd world. Here (Vietnam at the moment, but Thailand, China, and the like as well) it's every man, women, child, and farm animal for themselves.

This used to rattle me a lot. I felt that every time I took to the streets, I was risking my life in the most literal sense. But this time, we figured it out. 

Unlike Boston, Los Angeles or other hectic cities in the US (where it actually seems like they ARE trying to run you down) — the traffic here appears chaotic, but it actually flows a great deal more smoothly than back home. Let's compare some driving rules and assumptions hither and yon:

Of course, you only drive in the direction that lane is going.

These are only suggestions. If there's a lane unused in the "wrong" direction, use it until you an accident would occur if you didn't move. Passing

Never pass around corners, where there's a double line, or on single lane roads. Tailgate to get the driver in front of you to pull over. Honk your horn to indicate you are preturbed.

You'll never get anywhere that way. Why waste useful lanes? Pass whenever there's space; a whole lane is seldom needed. The traffic that's about to head-on collide with you will probably move over. Horn

Intended to warn another driver of a problem. Used mostly to indicate you are annoyed with another driver.  They're asleep. They're too close to you. You recognize the other driver and you're saying "hello". You love Jesus ("Honk if you love Jesus"). You are Jesus ("Honk if...")

Completely different. In the country, you sound the horn at all other traffic, including bicycles and pedestrians. The meaning is simply "I'm here, you need to accommodate me". And they do. Right of way A set of rules more elaborate than chess. I'm here! Make way! And they do. Pedestrians Accommodated (cities), venerated (school bus crossings)  Vermin.

And so it goes. How do you cope? 

1. Obey "the rules". Since you have no status, you have to pretty much give way to everything, even bicycles. You have to temporary suspend the "look both way" rules, so you can concentrate on the left; this is where you will first cheat death: the oncoming traffic. Know your place in the pecking order.
2. Declare your intent to cross the street by stepping off the curb. Be brave, Grasshopper! But first verify that you will not immediately be run over. This is key to your survival, long term.
3. Drivers will see that you represent an impediment to where they are currently headed. They will adapt and drive around you. Don't try this at night wearing dark clothes. Seek shelter or a taxi.
4. If they anticipate you'll still be in their way, they'll beep their horn. Or more probably, they'll beep it anyway. You can't react reflexively about this i.e. "oh no I'm in danger because someone's honking at me better halt in my tracks". Note the threat but do not change your cadence!
5. Point IV is important because everyone else in the street is proceeding (literally) on the assumption that you're "declared" (by your actions) that you're now "in the fray". This is no time to be inconsistent.
6. Get half way across the street, then concentrate your attentions on the 2nd half of your epic journey. Keep your wits about you despite the fact that you are now surrounded by bicycles, motos, cars and sometimes cattle, whizzing in both directions around you. At intersections, they may also approch diagonally. They may not necessarily go into the direction of traffic shared by the majority in a particular lane. Motorcycles may drive up onto the sidewalk. You still have to give them way.

And so it goes.