(Quang Ngai Newspaper) - The first car imported into the Central region in the early 20th century had a convertible top, low chassis, and could only carry 1-2 people. After that, many types of cars were born. Among them, there was a special type of car that left a deep impression in the memories of the people of Quang, that is the "do - vom" car. Those were the bus trips carrying many memories of the previous century.
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| The "dumb - vomit" bus running the Quang Ngai - Tam Ky - Da Nang route in 1972. PHOTO: Bettman Corbis |
In the 50s and 60s of the last century, the popular type of vehicle was the French-made "đờ - vom" (Renauld Goélette), the same model as the Peugeot. Phi Long Tien Luc used this type of vehicle to run the Quang Ngai - Quy Nhon - Da Nang route and the Central Highlands provinces. The same type of vehicle but each province had a different paint color. In Quang Ngai, the upper part of the vehicle was painted light red, the lower part white. In Quang Nam, the upper part was red, the lower part yellow. Therefore, passengers could see the color of the vehicle to know the locality, the route, the departure place, and the stop. The color of the vehicle also reminded them of their hometown, wanting to take the vehicle home to ease their homesickness. The further back in time we go, the rarer the image of such buses becomes.
| In the past, passengers who rode the "dumb - vomit" bus had a humorous saying that made them laugh: "Riding the "dumb - vomit" bus is so tiring that you want to vomit." Every trip, every journey always had inconveniences. The bus ran a few kilometers, the conductor stopped to pick up and drop off passengers, a few more kilometers, the roof was filled with water, ran a few more kilometers, and stopped to fix the bus. Passengers sometimes had to join forces with the conductor to push the bus to start the engine. It took forever to get to the destination. However, it is still a memory of a time that many people remember fondly. |
Luckily, Bettman Corbis's photo collection, taken in 1972, captured the moment the "dumb - vomit" car stopped in Thang Binh district (former Quang Tin province) to pick up passengers and load goods. The car was painted red and white, with the route Quang Ngai - Tam Ky - Da Nang clearly written on the side of the car. The car was packed with passengers, a woman was clinging to the back, and on the roof were many types of goods such as baskets, trays, cabinets, tables and many bicycles. The goods on the roof of the car were from passengers trading from Quang Ngai to Tam Ky, Da Nang and vice versa. Many of the passengers in the car could be students studying far from home such as high schools and universities in Quy Nhon, Da Nang, Hue.
In the late 80s, the means of transport for passengers traveling within the province, short distances were usually buses. During the subsidy period, because of the scarcity of gasoline, "dumb-vomit" buses were often equipped with coal-burning engines. The back of the bus had a rocket box, so it was called a rocket bus. Every time the bus jolted, coal would fall and scatter. When going uphill, the bus conductor had to hold a can and run after it, knocking on the coal box to make it fire, and in case the bus stopped, he would immediately wedge the can into the wheel. The driver and bus conductor had their faces smeared with road dust and coal dust. When they left, they were neat and white, but when they returned, their clothes and faces were black...
At that time, the demand for travel and transportation was very high but there were not many specialized vehicles, so cars carried both people and goods. Cars were often loaded with goods on the roof, people clung to the back of the car, even sitting on the hood. The pedals at the back of the car, when crowded, also had nearly ten people clinging to them. In the 1980s, there was only one trip a day to the mountainous districts. From the familiar "dumb - vomit" car frame, it was improved and modified into a 3-axle car to carry passengers.
The "do - vo" is a "medium vehicle", only running on inter-provincial routes of a few hundred kilometers, longer inter-provincial routes have vans and large vehicles, this type of vehicle is longer, wider, and can carry more passengers. The "do - vo" trips on National Highway 1 were once familiar, closely associated with the lives of the people of Quang Nam. This type of vehicle also went to the mountains and plateaus to trade, connecting the lowlands with the highlands. Through old documentary photos of "do - vo" vehicles, many unforgettable memories of the past are recalled. For those living in foreign lands, the shape and color of the vehicle, the license plate... are always images that remind them of their homeland. And those who lived through the subsidy period, when looking back at old images of trips full of memories, all feel moved, with indescribable emotions because of a difficult time...
TAN VINH
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