Sitting behind the driver or wandering on the road myself, I still see a wider way than the narrow road: people's hearts open up ways out of traffic jams.
Cute sign at Dien Bien Phu roundabout, District 1 - Photo: NGOC AN
I took the opportunity to write these lines while waiting for the tech-based car driver to pick me up. Looking at the map, I saw that he was still stuck in the middle of the red map.
But I believe people will soon adapt to this change like any other change.
Because whether sitting behind the driver or wandering on the road myself, I still see a wider way than the narrow road: people's hearts open up ways out of traffic jams.
That's when the motorbike taxi driver sitting on the corner shouted: turn around, go this alley, if you go straight you'll get "caught in a bunch".
That was when Aunt Hai sold beef noodle soup in a small alley and always paid attention to tidying up the tables and chairs so as not to disturb passersby.
Yet there was a time when I kept to myself my "tricks" of shortcuts to avoid traffic jams. While the people here themselves "discovered" shortcuts, not afraid of affecting their daily lives.
Making road signs and installing convex mirrors to help people safely escape traffic jams - Photo: NGOC AN
For example, to get to Huynh Khuong Ninh Street (District 1), you usually have to go from Dinh Tien Hoang to Vo Thi Sau and then turn back to Phan Liem, which are usually one-way streets or have traffic jams during rush hour. There is a street that few people know about, called Hoa My Street.
It is called a road but in fact it is no different from an alley, only a few hundred meters long, and less than two meters wide in some sections, but it can connect to all other major roads such as Phan Ton, Phan Ngu, leading to Dien Bien Phu, Mac Dinh Chi...
People here can completely consider this an internal road when the majority of households here are native residents.
But they meticulously make road signs, install convex mirrors to help road users see easily, and make speed bumps to limit speed and avoid accidents...
Right at the beginning of the street, there was a lady selling soft drinks who kept reminding people to drive slowly and then enthusiastically gave directions.
"I also prepare a few sentences by heart to give directions as clearly and concisely as possible so that people can understand immediately," she shared.
Every day, countless parents pick up and drop off their children at Huynh Khuong Ninh Primary School, countless shippers' deliveries pass by, and even "outsiders" like me get to enjoy this convenience.
Gradually, I found myself familiar with this street, loving the old people sitting drinking coffee in front of the small communal house, the old lady selling rice rolls in front of her house... Sometimes when I want to eat something, I stop here to thank them for their kindness.
The beverage seller gave directions and kept reminding people to drive carefully on Hoa My Street - Photo: NGOC AN
And I know there are hundreds of alleys and streets like that in this livable city.
Right at Dien Bien Phu roundabout, District 1, there is a helmet repair shop with the words "Helping people with directions".
The handwritten lines were written by someone else, and the person giving directions simply thought: "Sitting around doing nothing, I'm just helping people. If this place is off by an inch, it'll take them a mile, wasting their time, poor people."
I often find small joys, my own "escapes" like that in Ho Chi Minh City. And I'm sure you will also discover lovely turns in this land of 10 million people, if we slow down together these days!
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/long-nguoi-mo-ra-nhung-loi-thoat-ket-xe-20250116105940671.htm
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