False sense of security

matthanoi wrote:

I had a woman follow me round central Hanoi on a motorbike at lunch today. She started off curb crawling beside me as I walked for about five to ten minutes, trying to get my attention.

At first I tried my best to ignore her, then she drove up on the pavement and cut me off. I told her to go away and walked past, but she started following me, still driving on the pavement and getting dangerously close. I made a 180 and walked the other way, but she still followed although I told her many times to go away. Eventually she left when I said very loudly (in terrible Vietnamese) "Stop following me".

This was at lunch time in a very busy part of Hanoi (I ended up on the walking path at Hoan Kiem lake) and obviously no one lifted a finger to help. I have absolutely no idea what she wanted. Just another reminder that although Vietnam is generally a safe place, it still pays to be be careful.

Sounds like a hooker.

colinoscapee wrote:

matthanoi wrote:

I had a woman follow me round central Hanoi on a motorbike at lunch today. She started off curb crawling beside me as I walked for about five to ten minutes, trying to get my attention.

At first I tried my best to ignore her, then she drove up on the pavement and cut me off. I told her to go away and walked past, but she started following me, still driving on the pavement and getting dangerously close. I made a 180 and walked the other way, but she still followed although I told her many times to go away. Eventually she left when I said very loudly (in terrible Vietnamese) "Stop following me".

This was at lunch time in a very busy part of Hanoi (I ended up on the walking path at Hoan Kiem lake) and obviously no one lifted a finger to help. I have absolutely no idea what she wanted. Just another reminder that although Vietnam is generally a safe place, it still pays to be be careful.

Sounds like a hooker.

Maybe, but I didn't get that impression - she was mid forties and chasing me round the CBD at lunch time for ten minutes. I wish my Vietnamese was good enough to know what she wanted.

Jimpdxusa wrote:

How rampant is this attack on westerners HCMC or Da Nang?

I am in the US, Portland Oregon specifically which has its fair share of crime like most US city’s.  But I feel safe almost most all the time.  Stay away from sketchy areas, don’t do stupid things and I feel safe.

Unfortunately our minorities friends black/brown citizens feel more threatened for sure.  Such as the George Floyd case that is being tried as I type.  This kind of stuff as well as systematic discrimination happens all to often.

The US has way too much violent crime, lots of guns, shooting,  active shooters and mental health violent crime. Rape, assault, and such. At least from what I know there is significantly less violent crime in Vietnam.  True?

Reading some of these stories about Vietnam are kinda freaking me out.  How prevalent is this kind of stuff happening in Vietnam?

Violence towards expats and tourists is very rare.

Jimpdxusa wrote:

How rampant is this attack on westerners HCMC or Da Nang?

Reading some of these stories about Vietnam are kinda freaking me out.  How prevalent is this kind of stuff happening in Vietnam?

An American that is freaked out about violent crimes in Vietnam!?! LOL You guys open carry automatic assault rifles with full tactical gear on in the supermarket. It seems there's a mass shooting every week.

CoderX10 wrote:

An American that is freaked out about violent crimes in Vietnam!?! LOL You guys open carry automatic assault rifles with full tactical gear on in the supermarket. It seems there's a mass shooting every week.

Jimpdxusa wrote:

And yes I do own guns but prefer to carry concealed.

I sincerely hope you have no intentions of carrying or owning a gun while in Vietnam, concealed or not.  If so it would be all that authorities would need for a lifetime deportation order.

THIGV wrote:

Jimpdxusa wrote:

And yes I do own guns but prefer to carry concealed.

I sincerely hope you have no intentions of carrying or owning a gun while in Vietnam, concealed or not.  If so it would be all that authorities would need for a lifetime deportation order.

Jimpdxusa wrote:

Of corse not.  One of the reasons I want to live abroad is leave that craziness behind.  I come in peace with a desire to be of service. The hope is the have a safe, prosperous and peaceful life.  This thread is counter to what I seek and merely trying to gage what I might be getting into.  Geeze folks, just asking a question and I was not the one who brought up firearms. 

THIGV wrote:

Jimpdxusa wrote:

And yes I do own guns but prefer to carry concealed.

I sincerely hope you have no intentions of carrying or owning a gun while in Vietnam, concealed or not.  If so it would be all that authorities would need for a lifetime deportation order.

I think your wise to ask. I think any normal person would and should. To try and put some balance into what I have said...I have often told others that a women could walk across my city here in VN naked at midnight and never be touched. Now that is perhaps an exaggeration. But it is how safe I feel. My only point was to be cautious. Things are happening and it happens more then most of us are aware of. Simple things that we Westerners do could get you hurt here. For example stopping to render aid. Could very well get the crap beat out of you. Or if its a serious crime involved, get you implicated. Happens all the time with locals. I use to render first aid at all vehicle accidents I came across. Then my brother-in-kaw was hospitalized in critical condition for helping a person get to the hospital. So it is this normal small things that could lead to trouble. Different country, different culture. I would bet once you arrive you will enjoy it here and feel safe. You will never see road rage here. My word the way they act on the highway the entire country would be slaughtered by sundown.

Diazo wrote:

Jimpdxusa wrote:

Of corse not.  One of the reasons I want to live abroad is leave that craziness behind.  I come in peace with a desire to be of service. The hope is the have a safe, prosperous and peaceful life.  This thread is counter to what I seek and merely trying to gage what I might be getting into.  Geeze folks, just asking a question and I was not the one who brought up firearms. 

THIGV wrote:

I sincerely hope you have no intentions of carrying or owning a gun while in Vietnam, concealed or not.  If so it would be all that authorities would need for a lifetime deportation order.

I think your wise to ask. I think any normal person would and should. To try and put some balance into what I have said...I have often told others that a women could walk across my city here in VN naked at midnight and never be touched. Now that is perhaps an exaggeration. But it is how safe I feel. My only point was to be cautious. Things are happening and it happens more then most of us are aware of. Simple things that we Westerners do could get you hurt here. For example stopping to render aid. Could very well get the crap beat out of you. Or if its a serious crime involved, get you implicated. Happens all the time with locals. I use to render first aid at all vehicle accidents I came across. Then my brother-in-kaw was hospitalized in critical condition for helping a person get to the hospital. So it is this normal small things that could lead to trouble. Different country, different culture. I would bet once you arrive you will enjoy it here and feel safe. You will never see road rage here. My word the way they act on the highway the entire country would be slaughtered by sundown.

Diazo wrote:

Jimpdxusa wrote:

Of corse not.  One of the reasons I want to live abroad is leave that craziness behind.  I come in peace with a desire to be of service. The hope is the have a safe, prosperous and peaceful life.  This thread is counter to what I seek and merely trying to gage what I might be getting into.  Geeze folks, just asking a question and I was not the one who brought up firearms. 

THIGV wrote:

I sincerely hope you have no intentions of carrying or owning a gun while in Vietnam, concealed or not.  If so it would be all that authorities would need for a lifetime deportation order.

I think your wise to ask. I think any normal person would and should. To try and put some balance into what I have said...I have often told others that a women could walk across my city here in VN naked at midnight and never be touched. Now that is perhaps an exaggeration. But it is how safe I feel. My only point was to be cautious. Things are happening and it happens more then most of us are aware of. Simple things that we Westerners do could get you hurt here. For example stopping to render aid. Could very well get the crap beat out of you. Or if its a serious crime involved, get you implicated. Happens all the time with locals. I use to render first aid at all vehicle accidents I came across. Then my brother-in-kaw was hospitalized in critical condition for helping a person get to the hospital. So it is this normal small things that could lead to trouble. Different country, different culture. I would bet once you arrive you will enjoy it here and feel safe. You will never see road rage here. My word the way they act on the highway the entire country would be slaughtered by sundown.

"You will never see road rage here."
You need to read the local papers more often.

THIGV wrote:

I would rather take my chance with knives.

I tell my friends all the time...I think I can outrun a knife, but not against a bullet.

matthanoi wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

matthanoi wrote:

I had a woman follow me round central Hanoi on a motorbike at lunch today. She started off curb crawling beside me as I walked for about five to ten minutes, trying to get my attention.

At first I tried my best to ignore her, then she drove up on the pavement and cut me off. I told her to go away and walked past, but she started following me, still driving on the pavement and getting dangerously close. I made a 180 and walked the other way, but she still followed although I told her many times to go away. Eventually she left when I said very loudly (in terrible Vietnamese) "Stop following me".

This was at lunch time in a very busy part of Hanoi (I ended up on the walking path at Hoan Kiem lake) and obviously no one lifted a finger to help. I have absolutely no idea what she wanted. Just another reminder that although Vietnam is generally a safe place, it still pays to be be careful.

Sounds like a hooker.

Maybe, but I didn't get that impression - she was mid forties and chasing me round the CBD at lunch time for ten minutes. I wish my Vietnamese was good enough to know what she wanted.

Obviously, she was looking for a foreigner man who want to marry with Vietnamese girl. You may have missed a golden opportunity.

Jimpdxusa wrote:

How rampant is this attack on westerners HCMC or Da Nang?

I am in the US, Portland Oregon specifically which has its fair share of crime like most US city’s.  But I feel safe almost most all the time.  Stay away from sketchy areas, don’t do stupid things and I feel safe.

Reading some of these stories about Vietnam are kinda freaking me out.  How prevalent is this kind of stuff happening in Vietnam?

As colinoscapee mentions it's rare. As Diazo mentions, it's possible if you forget to be cautious. Do what you mention above (Stay away from sketchy areas, don’t do stupid things) and you should be fine.  The worst thing that happens to most people is a motorbike crash. Some of these, usually with the assistance of alcohol, are pretty serious and life-altering (coma/death).

Anyway, I feel safer here than in the USA, Cambodia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and especially Canada, where I nearly froze to death and died of boredom.

matthanoi wrote:

I had a woman follow me round central Hanoi on a motorbike at lunch today. She started off curb crawling beside me as I walked for about five to ten minutes, trying to get my attention.

At first I tried my best to ignore her, then she drove up on the pavement and cut me off. I told her to go away and walked past, but she started following me, still driving on the pavement and getting dangerously close. I made a 180 and walked the other way, but she still followed although I told her many times to go away. Eventually she left when I said very loudly (in terrible Vietnamese) "Stop following me".

This was at lunch time in a very busy part of Hanoi (I ended up on the walking path at Hoan Kiem lake) and obviously no one lifted a finger to help. I have absolutely no idea what she wanted. Just another reminder that although Vietnam is generally a safe place, it still pays to be be careful.

She may have been having trouble with her motorbike and thought you were a mechanic.

colinoscapee wrote:

Here is an example of road rage just last year.

Road rage.

I witnessed a road rage incident in VT on Tet's Eve between a young local couple (Vung Tau accent) on a motorbike and a family of tourists (Hanoi accent) in a Mercedes SUV.  The SUV tried to run the motorbike off the narrow Phan Chu Trinh street.   The local man managed to save himself, his companion, and his bike.  He then knocked on the SUV's door with curse words.  The SUV driver jumped out.  Curse words became flying fists.  Then the local man gave the tourist some good wallops with his helmet.  (I've always known those cheap helmets do not save life, but no one has ever told me that they could very effectively inflict harm on people.)

Pretty exciting stuff.  I would've continued to watch but my nephew didn't want to get involved and since I was a passenger on his bike, I had no choice but leaving with him.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

This thread sucks

I think this thread is super interesting.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

This thread sucks

Nobody is forcing you to read, or comment either for that matter.  You are free to unsubscribe.  However, as I understand that you generally use a phone to access, I won't bother with the computer based steps.

You won't be missed.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

This thread sucks

I think your very rude !

Regards

Mike

johnross23 wrote:

Canada, where I nearly froze to death and died of boredom.

Ciambella wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

Here is an example of road rage just last year.

Road rage.

I witnessed a road rage incident in VT on Tet's Eve between a young local couple (Vung Tau accent) on a motorbike and a family of tourists (Hanoi accent) in a Mercedes SUV.  The SUV tried to run the motorbike off the narrow Phan Chu Trinh street.   The local man managed to save himself, his companion, and his bike.  He then knocked on the SUV's door with curse words.  The SUV driver jumped out.  Curse words became flying fists.  Then the local man gave the tourist some good wallops with his helmet.  (I've always known those cheap helmets do not save life, but no one has ever told me that they could very effectively inflict harm on people.)

Pretty exciting stuff.  I would've continued to watch but my nephew didn't want to get involved and since I was a passenger on his bike, I had no choice but leaving with him.

Strickly unnecessary. Could have been settled with a singing duel (or should I say duet) on who can sing the longest and loudest.