“Saigon traffic is Vietnamese life, a continuous charade of posturing, bluffing, fast moves, tenacity and surrenders.” — Andrew X. Pham
The overwhelmingly preferred way to navigate Saigon is by motorbike. There are around 8.9 million people residing in Saigon, and while the reported number varies, statistics on motorbike ownership by Saigon’s Department of Transportation reveal that there are over 7.6 million of them roaming the streets.
Impossible to escape, the rushing flurry of the never-ending traffic in this city provides it with a distinctive feature. It’s a type of (semi-) controlled chaos that one must embrace. For barely one US dollar, you’ll be whizzed off around town in any direction you please. If you ever find yourself in Saigon, I urge you to hitch a ride on the back of someone’s motorbike and allow yourself to submit to the exhilarating adventure that will inevitably ensue.
Zipping, zooming, zigging, zagging, (and every other conceivable action interjection that exists), you are now part of a world where, as a mere passenger, you have no control. You will be met with an array of tumultuous scenarios that range from close calls to death-defying. With little regard for safety (or life for that matter), the courageous drivers (some as young as twelve it seems) all participate in a synchronous dance of sorts, one that is largely conducted by the constant whaling of their horns. They use them as if they were a free money button; the constant blares surround you in every feasible direction, practically morphing into a language of its own.
And indeed, all the drivers seem to be fluent in this vehicular dialect, as they traverse Saigon’s vast labyrinth of streets and alleyways with impressive ease.
Another stunning feature of the motorbike operators is their ability to carry along with them any object(s) or amount of people that one can imagine. I haven’t even been here a full week, but I’ve seen some pretty incredible stuff. A giant metal gas tank? No problem! An antique dresser made almost entirely of glass? Sure! Cinderblocks and tiles tied down with ratchet straps that look as if they’re moments away from snapping? Child’s play. And speaking of kids, the Saigonese somehow manage to spectacularly include their entire household on one of these things, complete with a toddler nestled in right up front. Talk about a family bonding experience…
While participating in this spectacle of mayhem can certainly be downright terrifying, there is also a feeling of invincibility, freedom, and blissful carelessness that comes with it. Perhaps this array of emotions is conjured up by constantly teetering on the edge of meeting one’s fate.
However, the motorbikes of Saigon are synonymous with life here; they serve as the veins of the city, each one acting as an essential cell, pumping it with the hopes, desires, and dreams of its millions of people.
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