Random trip stuff #2
The scooters! We only saw 5 people on a single scooter twice. 4 people several times. 3 was pretty ubiquitous and 2 not worth mentioning (but when has that ever stopped me?). Hanoi didn't have extensive use of helmets generally and especially on kids. Which is kinda understandable: their heads grow fast, helmets are relatively expensive, they don't ride themselves, and are actually on a scooter a fraction of the time of their parents. But is still a little disturbing from an affluent nanny-stated western mindset. Especially at the after-school hour when 2 out of every 3 scooters has a kid on it. Saigon started a helmets-for-kids campaign sometime last year I think (saw billboards, TV at least ), and the effect was noticeable (although I think they're also more affluent).
[A random tour guide said that scooters only started being used in Vietnam around 1994? Dunno how reliable that is, but the change is mindblowing. I also quite like it and how flexible it makes the traffic, they'd probably have to start obeying traffic rules if it was all cars - no fun! Also, the few cars we saw in were generally ostentatiously shiny new SUVs...ugh].
[A random tour guide said that scooters only started being used in Vietnam around 1994? Dunno how reliable that is, but the change is mindblowing. I also quite like it and how flexible it makes the traffic, they'd probably have to start obeying traffic rules if it was all cars - no fun! Also, the few cars we saw in were generally ostentatiously shiny new SUVs...ugh].