Comments on: Are the Traffic Police stopping Foreigners? Nope…

By: SaigonNezumi (Kevin)

SaigonNezumi (Kevin) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 05:01:29 +0000

Depends on the number. Hanoi (29), Ninh Binh (35) and a couple northern places no. Maybe in other parts of Vietnam but I am not too sure.

By: Huy

Huy — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 22:05:35 +0000

I have heard also that the vehicle register from the norhern provinces tend not to get pulled over as much, from our tour guide in 2006. Yes it is political.
I had a 2-hour ride in back of scooter in Vung Tau and it is much better travel there.

Huy

By: SaigonNezumi (Kevin)

SaigonNezumi (Kevin) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 12:20:27 +0000

Back then you could just leave. The police would not have gone after you. Today it is different.

By: SaigonNezumi (Kevin)

SaigonNezumi (Kevin) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 12:19:38 +0000

No worries so far

By: Craig

Craig — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:59:31 +0000

@Jonathan: The insanity of Saigon traffic is part of the fun! Maybe fun isn’t the correct word. Thrill is better.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:22:36 +0000

@Craig: I don’t know about now, but at least in 2002 and 2003 they weren’t. I think they pretty much assumed that any foreigner on a scooter didn’t have a driver’s license. At least, the traffic cop that stopped me that time never asked for a license.

I haven’t been to Saigon in 4 years, but my wife visited last summer and said traffic was way worse than it was the last time I was there, and it was really bad then. Don’t know why you’d want to ride in that soup :p

Now, riding in someplace like Vung Tau is actually fun. Nice wide roads with not much traffic,you can actually enjoy yourself, something I could only do late at night in Saigon, when traffic died down enough to make riding a pleasure instead of a flirt with death :p