CRUNCH

I really should have called this blog the "The Vietnam Taxi Experience" because so far most of my dramas/experiences have revolved around the simple task of getting a taxi to work and home again.

I thought I pretty much had it down pat for a while there. I live in this kind of odd building and because it's brand new the drivers don't yet know it. So calling a cab.. in english...can be a waste of time. Instead, I cruise down to my favourite cafe, or Gloria Jeans in desperate, enjoy a latte or ca phe sua da (vietnamese iced milk coffee) and get the staff to call me one.

The way it seems to work in my area is that each company 'owns' a building. So the company that I should use is Mai Linh - the most reputable. Actually, let me just clarify reputable.. they actually know how to change gears, brake and can generally find their way to District 1. The have meters that work and MOST of the time know pretty much where they are going.

Unfortunately the taxi company that 'owns' my building and therefore line up outside it are Taxi Future. These 80's looking black and gold Fords. I was told to not take these by my boss as they are apparently dodgy. One day last week I was running late and couldn't be bothered calling a Mai Linh so jumped in a Taxi Future. The guy had NO idea how to drive and kept stalling the whole way into town. We barely made it and I was late anyhow. I then tried it again, but just around town and had no major dramas.

Well yesterday morning I had a 9am meeting and was yet again running late. We had a huge presentation to a potential new client that afternoon so it was all a go go too. I had been talking with my yanky boss about how funny the 'Taxi Future' cars are we couldn't decide if they were really as dodgy as their reputation. So with this in mind I jumped in a Taxi Future yesterday morning with hardly a second thought and just hoped they guy knew how to drive.

He didn't.

In fact, he couldn't even get from 1st to 2nd gear. No shit. We were driving in 1st gear almost the whole time until I motioned for him to move the gear into 2nd.. which he tried to do... with no clutch. CRUNCH! on the gears. O god. I haven't driven a manual car in years but I could have done better than this guy.

We were about 1/3 of the way into town and I was thinking... how the hell am I going to get out of this situation and just praying that we made it to District 1 so I could get out.

We didn't.

Half way up the bridge between District 7 and District 4 he stalls. Instead of putting his foot on the brake (yes... obvious I know) he just sits there playing with the gear stick. In the meantime we are rolling backwards, in traffic, down a hill/bridge. Coming up behind us, at a decent pace is a bus.

CRUNCH!

yes. that would be the sound the bus slamming into the back of us. Fortunately I could see it coming so braced for myself. The taxi come off pretty badly. In the meantime I just wanted to get the fuck out of there as a crowd was gathering. I pryed the door open and managed to fight my way through about 50 motorbikes only to realise I was on a bridge. So I had no choice but to walk over the bridge into District 4 (real vietnam remember?). Not somewhere I would choose to be walking... let alone dressed up in a silk shirt and 3 inch heels.

I got down the other side and stood there thinking for a second only to get my only little crowd gather around me. I was shaking a bit from the impact and knew there was no chance I was going to get another cab in that spot. I was literally talking to myself saying... "ok Cara. This is all just another little adventure. What are your options? It's too far too walk. You can keep going until you get a cab. Could be a while. Maybe buy some flip flops. Doubt they'll be in your size. You could get man sizes. or you could try and find a moto driver. I wonder how much that would be? Would it matter. I'd pay someone $50 to get me the fuck out of here right now!"

By then about 20 people were gathered around me all talking to each other in Vietnamese and I heard the magic word "You want Moto". I turned to the guy who was shaking a helmet at me. I looked at him and said "Bow New? - Dong Khoi?" (how much to Dong Khoi St) to which he laughed and we agreed on a price. I climbed on and must have looked quite the sight in what I was wearing. He asked for my business card and took me straight to the door of the agency. It was actually quite a fun ride through the peak hour traffic. I'm so use to being in an air conditioned cab I didn't mind being 'amongst it'. I looked a right mess by the time I walked in the door but at least I had a good story to tell. :)