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Seat Belts Not Necessary: Five Videos of Terrifying Traffic

by Justin Glow (RSS feed) on Jan 30th 2007 at 6:02PM

I'm in a video mood today. I spent the last hour or so going through YouTube and rounding up some of the best videos of bizarre traffic situations from around the world. And YouTube has a ton, let me tell you. Many of the clips brought back teeth-rattling memories from my recent trip to India, and I found myself flashing back to those times I traveled by rickshaw, unsure of whether or not I would arrive to my destination in one piece. I did, luckily, but not without some mental scarring.

With that, I give you the five fabulous videos, in no particular order:

Here's a good night shot of Cairo traffic. No sort of rules -- just use the horn as much as possible. I like it.

For the rest, please ...

This one from Taipei isn't that impressive in terms of traffic, but the guy holding the camera is a hoot! "Look at those crazy scooters, man! They're nuts! Your scooters are crazy!"

Watch these people negotiate their way through Saigon traffic on foot. Amazing.

This one is especially great, and if you've been to India, you'll know why. Even when things appear to be calm -- if only for a few seconds -- there's always bound to be a few cars blowing their horns and coming within inches of running you over. I miss that place.

And finally, a short one from Cambodia. Poor dude on a trike gets hassled by a cop -- it's a good thing he can reverse in that thing!

Filed under: Asia, Cambodia, India, Taiwan, Vietnam, Video

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Willy Volk Jan 30th 2007 6:22PM

I lived in Cairo for a year, and it was the noisiest year of my life. Amusingly (??), many Egyptians don't use their headlights, because they feel it's rude. Consequently, when they approach an intersection, they blast the horn, to let others know they're approaching. Needless to say, homes near large, poorly-lit intersections are not the swiftest selling.

ourman Jan 30th 2007 10:39PM

Welcome to my world. I've lived in Hanoi for two and a half years. The traffic is actually quite easy to deal with once you get the hang of it. What I will never get used to is the noise.

It's easily the worst thing about this city - a city that I love virtually everything else about it.

I'm upping and moving to Granada, Nicaragua soon. Everytime I flickr search for pics of Granada I love the sight of horse drawn carriages. A gentle clip clop on cobbled tiles sounds so much more appealing that a million scooter horns.

Bob Feb 5th 2007 11:38AM

The traffic in Cairo isn't that bad once you get the hang of it, and you do get used to the noise. What I found more interesting were all the people living under the bridges, right outside your 5 star hotel.

Katy Warren Feb 4th 2007 2:36PM

I don't know where your video from India was shot, but the first viedo of Cairo could easily have been Mumbai, save for the absence of scooters and those wonderful yellow and green taxi's. The constant beep beep of the horn (always the polite toot toot, coming through, not the obnoxious American BEEEEEP, get out of my way.) It goes 24/7 and yeah, I miss it too.