Cascading Motos

I was really proud of driving a motorbike in Phnom Phen, where people routinely drive on the wrong side of the road. You make left turns by veering into the oncoming lane, etc. Well, Bangkok was a whole other magnitude of complexity and speed, and Saigon takes the cake. I have stood or sat for hours here watching the dance of motos. You just can’t believe that it works., At every intersection there is a sea of motos, along with bikes and various motorcycle-propelled mini trucks. People weave in and out, cross into oncoming traffic, drive fast while very close together, and above all — cooperate in ways that westerners have a hard time fathoming. Each driver yields to all others. If you see that someone has a line (going in a purposeful direction), you let him take it. Driving is one thing, being a pedestrian is another. You think that when the light is green it’s safe to cross? Wrong! Most corners don’t have lights anyway, so you have to go out into the oncoming flow and move when you can and stand stock still when you have to wait. They will all go around you. And you have to be sure to look in the other direction once you’re close to the center of the road, so as to start dodging that flow. I nearly ate it today when I almost stepped in front of a cab.