Getting stopped by the Vietnamese traffic police

This has been one of my favorite videos. In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), it is always good to wear a GoPro camera when on a motorcycle. Not so much with a motorbike but when I am on my Kawasaki Z300, I alway have my GoPro with me. It is a bit for protection in case of accidents but it also helps to deal with the traffic police.

In this incident, the police were set up to pull over all bikes that were in the farthest left lane. At this point of the road, bikes could be in the middle and right lanes. I always keep an eye out for traffic signs for this.

From the clip, you will notice that the two traffic police that dealt with me had their backs to me when the other policeman stopped me while I was in the middle lane. Hence, I knew I would win this argument. My Vietnamese friends say always fight a "fine" if you know you are in the right. Pay when you know you are in the wrong.

This clip occurred in October, 2017, when I first got my motorcycle.

Now, in December, 2020, the traffic police has started to clamp down on all motorcycle and motorbike riders. Safety is a big concern now with the large number of high powered bike accidents by Expats and local Vietnamese alike. It is a very good thing though I may have to remove my aftermarket exhaust for the stock one soon to abide by local laws.