After spending some time in Vietnam you come to realize that one thing is pretty inescapable, the constant honking of horns is everywhere. I feel though, that I may have figured out the honking etiquette, it seems to me like the food chain.
The large vehicles (buses and trucks) honk at everything smaller than them. Vans, mini buses and cars honk at the motorbikes, the motorbikes honk at each other and the bicycles. The bicycles get out of the way.
Pretty simple, although you should consider the following rules of the game too:
• Honk if you decide to drive on the wrong side of the road at a fast pace on a blind corner.
• Honk if you see an animal.
•Honk if you see an unattended motorcycle – better safe than sorry.
•Honk regularly. It’s for the best.
•Honk before overtaking anything.
• Find your own honking rhythm. Ten honks in quick succession is not unacceptable, especially if you are transporting a coach load of people through the night on a sleeper bus.
•Honk on a boat at Halong Bay – well why not?
Please feel free to add your own rules if I’ve missed any!
Courtesy of Karen (through twitter):
•Honk at a temple! (mostly in Bali but I think it fits in Vietnam too) Thanks :)
