What the H... - Just One of 1300 Average Monthly Accidents

This is a true story, I was there.

Myself and a colleague were going north from HCMC / SaiGon so we decided to do our bi-annual open tour bus trip taking different companies - changing buses at Mui Ne, Nha Trang, Da Nang and Hue arriving in Ha Noi 46 hours later.

It happened in the segment between Hue and Ha Noi. The bus driver was obviously tired as on many occasions he had not only crossed the centre line but also the xe-om line on the %26#39;wrong%26#39; side and even hitting the edge warning bump strips (very near the ditch).

There was a significant thump, not a hard one, rather a bump like a coconut. Most passengers were asleep and didn%26#39;t really register the bus slowing down and stopping. The driver and his assistant got out and were doing something under the drivers window.

Both I and my friend got out - he around the back of the bus. The driver said to get back on but I refused and saw that there appeared to be blood on the vehicle. They were trying to wipe it off so I shot a few frames off with my Nikon and pulled the memory chip and put a new one in.

The drivers were somewhat threatening at this time but still had work to do and confined their threats to verbal abuse.

My friend had walked back along the road and found the result of the accident in the form a of a young man in his 20%26#39;s lieing prostrate on the carriageway. There was VN cyclist and they together pulled the obviously dead victim to the side of the road just before a large truck (lorry) happened along.

My colleague sent me an SMS message as to what had happened and I replied to call the Canh Sat (highway police) and the VN cyclist spoke with them and they said they would come as well as setting up road blocks.

The drivers, meanwhile, had completed their concealment and were getting prepared to leave - after dumping the rags used for cleaning in the ditch. They boarded the bus and I followed indicating that someone had also gone to relieve themselves. They did a count and found one missing and sounded their horn.

Several passengers were awakened and when they learned of what had happened they also told the driver to wait. Much to their credit a Canh Sat 4-wheel was at the scene within 11 minutes and they commenced an investigation, arrested the driver, leaving the assistant driver to drive the rest of the way to Ha Noi.

After about 50 minutes we were permitted to leave and completed our journey to Ha Noi without further incident.

I have had some recrimination at not having protested the drivers erratic driving but was desparate to reach Ha Noi ASAP and I had compromised my standards. Somewhere there is a grieving widow and possibly a child, as well as extended family members. Some new year for them.

Bottom line: We passengers have a responsibility to ensure that drivers behave properly both for our safety and other road users - even if we arrive late at our destination.

What the H... - Just One of 1300 Average Monthly Accidents

How very, very sad.

This should not be the price the Vietnamese have to pay to cater to we tourists.

Guess there must be a reason why you didn%26#39;t share the bus lines name with us.

I feel for the dead mans family, any time is bad for such a loss but at this time it is worse.

What the H... - Just One of 1300 Average Monthly Accidents

I think the assistant driver should have been arrested also for trying to destroy the evidence and alter the crime scene..It would have been worse for the travelers but, heck, we are talking about a precious human life here. I am surprise that the communist country has relatively lenient punishment for such crimes. Thank you S-N for reporting this experience. Makes me think twice about taking a tour bus, especially overnight.

That reminded me of my trip from Hanoi to Halong Bay and to CatBa. The driver was picking up more and more passengers, opening up chairs for more passengers which blocked the aisle, and drove like there was no tomorrow along the winding road. Our family was sitting in the back of the bus. I was praying the whole time, %26#39;cause if the the bus crashed, there will be no way of getting out...What a stressful trip....

Mitton,

Who would drive the bus if they arrested the assistant guy? I know the answer. ..:-) Hey, train is safer and more reliable than bus. You can get up and walk anytime on a train to stretch out, no worries about breakdown, slow down, speed up. I would not want to take an overnight bus. I took only one train in VN. Victoria train, very expensive, $256US for 2 because I was overcharged by TT....a famous travel agent here

I went on a 4hr bus ride with Hanh company, the driver raced like a bat out of hell in order to make his return in the pm. Sinh cafe bus driver slowed down for bumps and potholes, much safer than speeding up and hitting pedestrian/cyclist.

Book,

This is the THING that I don%26#39;t like about VN... We hired a 12-space bus (a Mercedes minibus, BTW) to take the whole gang, family and friends to visit our ancestral burial ground in the back country... Half of the time, the driver drove on the other side of the road that ROILED me a great deal. I argued with the bus driver and told him to slow down several times until my brother stepped in and told everyone to shut up!!! I just can%26#39;t believe how they are so reckless.

--DanQue

I love train too but when I’m on holiday I’m lazy to catch the 6am train or 10pm train. So bus is another choice.

When I first read S-N’s post, I felt very pity for the victim. When he’s dead we seem not to blame him for whatever he did. I don’t know why S-N’s driver killed him, but the chance could be the poor guy rode in the middle of the road. Many careless bike riders were killed but we all blamed the bigger vehicles.

Also the killer was tired as per S-N’s post and might run over the poor boy when that young one rode in his correct lane.

Recently my friend told me about a van taking 14 people back to the countryside to celebrate Tet, and all killed when the van hit a train. OMG!

In other cases I can’t understand why people got killed by trains running over (except they suit side) when they were walking.

land

Daklak:

There is no conviction yet and even in VN people are innocent until ... besides, I am not sure what bus line it is. It was purchased through Sinh but NOT their bus (as far as I know).

Mitton:

Always carry something metallic, heavy and with a point on it - these can easily shatter windows - just like the little hammers the trains have.

Buses should have emergency push out windows as well as escapes in the roof.

The assistants licence was taken and he had to sign a %26#39;guilty%26#39; statement - but was allowed to drive because of us.

Just imagine what happens to all the PAX on stools in an emergency - all in a pile on the driver.

DanQue

I understand where your brother was coming from. It is very hard, even knowing the numbers and people to call, to correct a driver and yelling makes things worse.

I have demanded to exit a bus - knowing others would be along - which is why T. M. Brothers in Nha Trang have a mutual understanding - I will not ride their buses. One foreigner was killed on a T.M. bus that rolled over.

We should, however, at the first opportunity, contact the drivers office an explain what was wrong and that foreigners expect better even if they don%26#39;t.

Land:

Maybe my description wasn%26#39;t clear - the victim WAS in the xe-om lane - his xe-om lane, as was the bus but the bus was 100% on the wrong side of the road. The victim was totally innocent.

One thing that needs cleaning up in VN is the traffic chaos. In China it is almost like being in the USA, Canada or the UK as the drivers are well disciplined (in town), obey the traffic lights (even motocycles) and pedestrians are equally disciplined.

WHAT???? I beg to differ - maybe you were in a different China to us, but we couldn%26#39;t get over the mad crazy drivers in Shanghai - they pay no heed to traffic lights and many motorbikes ride on the pavements narrowly missing people out for a stroll.

The first few times in a taxi I thought I was going to have a heart attack and could only watch the road inbetween my fingers (covering my face) - but, I did get used to it and they do seem to know what they%26#39;re doing.

And......that%26#39;s it ....I will NEVER get on a bus in VN- i am too much of a scaredy-cat and that story has chilled my bones. No busses for me!!!

Maz

You must have been in the different part of Shanghai or you had an aggresive drive. I agree 100% with SN. I have taken tour bus in Shanghai - Hangzhou -Wuxi. I love the special bike lanes there, but won%26#39;t last long due to the wealth effect, they plan to ban bikes from major roads in big cities to make more room for cars.

In general, bus drivers in China follow traffic rules MUCH MUCH better than in VN. Cyclists get fine for running a red light.

must have Book- don%26#39;t know about bus drivers- but taxis and motorbikes and cars - crazy (in one word)