Videos - Rides

[snaker]

Trust me, VN is different from China. If you go live here, you will not have any problem with 'freedom '. Many westerners work or live here even fell having more 'freedom' than in their homeland. One fact, doing business and earning (legal) money in VN is easier than in the West.

You (westerners) already knew and practiced the true democracy more than 2000 years ago. We only knew it since 1945, we could not have the same level as yours in democracy after a night. Same as our politics, it is more complicated than your thoughts and it could not easily change after a night. It needs time.

[Burgerman]

As you say. In time hopefully you will become a free country.

But right now, usuing a common set of standard qualifications, https://freedomhouse.org/country/vietna ... world/2020
Compared to say britain, https://freedomhouse.org/country/united ... world/2022
Map. https://freedomhouse.org/explore-the-ma ... &year=2022

So you might see it as free. But I am not sure I do. Or most in the west. Not yet. Heading in a better direction yes.

ECONOMIC freedom. https://www.heritage.org/index/country/vietnam
https://www.heritage.org/index/ranking

[Scooterman]

Fortunately most of the imigrants are still in the now socialist south in our once great capital. Where its hard to spot a white native british face.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/databl ... wales#data

[Burgerman]

According to your list we are 94% White Native in NE Lincolnshire. Althoug the census showed 96%. And much of the non city parts of the country is pretty high here too.

According to your list, London as a whole is now down to just 59% White native. Thats bad 41% are non white.
And some areas of london are as low as 34% White Native. Thats worse than even I expected. So as I said, hard to spot a white native.

Thats why its a violent crime ridden, poverty stricken socialist shithole.Run by a pakistani sotialist mayor. With at least 5x higher crime rate and all other bad metrics like drugs, rapes, single parent, prison record, child abuse, and education problems. And both murder and murdered proportions than the rest of the country, mostly black on black crime. Then they say its "racist" to have more black "stop and search"...

The capital is gone. Its no longer britain. Its no longer representitive or similar in its makup or its politics to the rest of the UK.

[snaker]

Driving up a mountain


youtu.be/xS-GEKB-1Y4

[Burgerman]

Is that a public road?

If so and it was here the local council would soon end up backrupt as all accidents and vehicle damage would end up paid for by tem as they would be sued.

Our roads must be kept servicable clear of danger, like overgrown trees and obvious damage that can cause say someone to crash a motorcycle or damage a car.

Yes there are a few pot holes etc here. And these are way worse than they were when I grew up. But nothing on that scale!

[snaker]

Yes, it's a public road

But there is no accident that happened here yet. As the road is not good, everybody must be careful when driving. Accidents usually happen more in good roads

[snaker]

VN streets


youtu.be/JzKFbp4cWsQ

[Dan]

Thanks for the video, you are a brave man. Traffic control measures seem to be very laxed to say the least and you're driving on the wrong site of the road

I see that there are sill a lot of Honda step through knock off's in Vietnam.

[Burgerman]

You must use the roads because even where pedestrian footpaths/pavements exist they are blocked every few meters with cars, other things and no ramps where junctions etc are. I would consider that dangerous too! It illegal to block the footpaths with cars, bikes, signs, chairs, etc here. So 99% of the time you dont have to use a road. Which has to be safer. And ramps or slopes on street corners are manditory.

These. Even in places a long way from busy cities etc. Its law. Also in most other countries in europe/usa etc. You need to lobby your local authorities. Make them do it. Better also for prams, etc. And even older people.

[snaker]

Does "Honda step through knock off" mean faked/cloned Honda? The price for a genuine bike (moped?) in VN is cheap enough. I think there is no reason for a faked/cloned bike exists. Ancient bikes exist and they might be faked. Someone prefer ancient bikes as a hobby but they could not find genuine replacement parts. They might use faked parts in those bikes.

VN is another planet. People think and live different from yours, your laws/rules won't work here

[Burgerman]

Does "Honda step through knock off" mean faked/cloned Honda?

Yes.They are cloned, half a dozen different chinese ones, same "copy", or similar, and half the price here. They dont have the quality or last as well.

[snaker]

Riding in a pine forest. The road is nice like in Europe


youtu.be/4i_xlV5MeVc

[Burgerman]

Thats looks great. Looks a bit unused that road. Pretty deserted. Do you worry about the chair stopping and you not being able to get home?

Somthing is rattling against the camera all the time I think? The sound is horrid!

[snaker]

No, I am not worried. In the worst case, my dad will drive and take me home. He can see me on maps and the app also shows the route to my location. Yes, the sound in camera is bad. Maybe it came from water bottles in my bag. When moving, they vibrated and caused loud sound. It happened only in that day, other days the sound was not that bad.

[Burgerman]

I stuck a little silicone rubber over the microphone on my gopro because the sound of 4 props and 4 motors on the quadcopter was terrible!
So I cant talk or it sounds like I am speaking into a glass. But it certainly helped the quadcopter sound. You still hear motors, but no high frequency, no wind noise etc.

https://www.wheelchairdriver.com/gopro/ ... uality.mp4
Ignore music, listen to dull motor sound!

[snaker]

A crazy ride in a hidden and quiet place. If stranded here, I could become food for some animals


youtu.be/pPjNDP8c-m4

[Burgerman]

We all are sooner or later!
But I prefer later.
You need a drone to see more for these videos!

[Williamclark77]

Great videos Snaker! I haven't gotten to completely watch them all yet but will soon. The last two videos look similar to where I live in the far south part of The United States. We will be back in Vietnam later this year. I hope to stay in some more remote places this time. You have a lovely country. Ho Chi Minh is far too crowded.

I was able to record some nice drone videos and pictures in HCM and Vung Tau. I got stopped by police two times and once by a soldier for flying my drone. The police were nice and interested in the drone. The second time a police officer "stopped" me he kept watching the screen and telling me to go to different places while "ordering me to return and land immediately." You could tell he knew I meant no harm and did not enjoy enforcing his orders. I was nice also. The soldier was much different. I didn't land quickly enough for him, and after landing, he followed me for a while.

In the south around and near Vung Tau people stopped me at least three times a day to take pictures of/with me. So many people wanted to touch my hair. The people there were much less shy about staring or taking pictures than here. As we were going down the side of the road one day a car stopped in the middle of the street. A few people jumped out and gathered around me, took pictures, rubbed my hair, jumped back in their car and left.

It was interesting. A few people we met said they had never seen a white person before, only on their phone or tv. I'm very white. So, I'm sure a white half robot with blonde hair, blue eyes, and freckles was quite a rare site. I felt like a celebrity! My wife did not find it nearly as entertaining and fun as I did, especially when it was girls. Speaking of the girls. The girls there. Wow. Your country is blessed in every part of it I have visited with beautiful women.

I hope to visit farther north closer to where you're from when we return.

Do people react strange to your wheelchair in some places?

[snaker]

VN is very diverse in everything (weather, nature, culture, tradition, lifestyle etc). Each province is like a totally different country. If you like nature and remote places you can visit the north half of VN. HCM city and Vung Tau are developed cities, the life there is better than other parts of VN. Girls there are also cooler and more sexy too. In less developed parts, the life is still fine but it's really difficult and inaccessible for disabled people.

VN is generally more 'free' than the rest of the world. I mean less laws, less rules. Or laws/rules exist but people do not care. You can fly drone almost everywhere expect sensitive places like military zones and government, council buildings, air ports etc. In the past, some foreign youtubers and some bullshit 'human rights' organizations came to VN, took videos then edited, falsified the content and announced untruth things about freedom, religion in VN. Therefore police gets more careful when seeing a foreigner taking video. But I see many foreigners keep flying drone without problem. You might have been a bit unlucky to meet those annoying polices that day.

I know in the west, the privacy is the most important thing. Nobody can violate the other's privacy. But in VN, people usually do not care about privacy of others or themself (me too). Many foreigners are very surprised of this 'culture' the first time they come to VN. Some like it, some don't. You seem an open-mined guy and suiting the lifestyle in VN

Powerchairs are extremely rare in VN. Your monster powerchair is even more strange to everyone. I bet they did not know you were a disabled person. They thought you were an engineer who were experimenting a special vehicle

When I go outside, especially in villages, locals sometimes stop me too. They want to watch my powerchair and see how it drives. Nobody wants to touch my hair or take picture with me. Maybe that's because I am not any special to them

[foghornleghorn]

Summer arrived for a few days (it has already gone again ) so I went on the train to the seaside


youtu.be/RAsUjSwjkWE

[Burgerman]

I went on a trip recently but to give wheelchair services a bollocking. Less scenic. But same strong sun. I managed to burn the top of my head which blistered and then went all scabby and tatty. Now I look rediculous.

I used to have hair there. But now not so much... So it burned.

[foghornleghorn]

Wear a hat. It would be embarrassing to die of skin cancer after laying in bed for years