Mind Your Manners

[Humphrey Bear]

On Saturday I caught a VN Aitlines flight to Saigon (HCMC).

About thirty people in a 200 seat Airbus.

So I had a three-seat block to myself, as did the guy over the aisle.

Before take-off he jumps up and starts taking photos. The trolley dolly asks him to cease and desist, as it is not allowed on VN flights. He responds with a comment about pretty gitls always like their photos taken or some such.

During the flight the cabin steward comes up and asks the guy to delete the photos (digital camers). The guy gets in a bit of a paddy and refuses,

At the end of the flight the steward again comes up and asks the guy ro hand over the canera so that he - the steward - can confirm that the photos are deleted. The guy refuses.

When we land we are all told to keep our sears while airport security remove one passenger.

Don't know what happened to him - but his feet did not touch.

So - welcome tourists to the friendly state of the Peoples Republic of Very Nasty.

(Believe me - the Viets are like no one else in SE Asia)

[Eff1n2ret]

"So - welcome tourists to the friendly state of the Peoples Republic of Very Nasty."

I know nothing about Vietnam, but people who don't do as they're told on aircraft ask for all they get. He broke the oldest rule in the jungle - Never say b*ll*cks to a witchdoctor.

[misterman21]

So he got what he deserved for being an ignorant <deleted>

[phaethon]

He broke the oldest rule in the jungle - Never say b*ll*cks to a witchdoctor.

LOL - so true

[jackr]

Yep, I'm with the others, he got what he deserved.

Is it true, however, that Vietnamese stall vendors tell you to <deleted> yourself if you don't buy anything?

[alyx]

Yep, I'm with the others, he got what he deserved.

Is it true, however, that Vietnamese stall vendors tell you to <deleted> yourself if you don't buy anything?

Well that is true in any part of the world

But this is not specific to Vietnamese, on the contrary I have always met nice people over there

Sure they insist a lot to sell but I have never seen anyone agressive nor using foul language (unless one is being rude to them I guess) and they smile

[PhilHarries]

Yep, I'm with the others, he got what he deserved.

Is it true, however, that Vietnamese stall vendors tell you to <deleted> yourself if you don't buy anything?

1. Agreed, in my way of thinking you do not go around taking photographs of people if they specifically ask you not to. Plus if you are on an aircraft you do as the crew asks or suffer the consequences. I was on a Malaysian flight a while back and on taxi-ing out to the runway there was this "gentleman" of swarthy appearance who insisted on gabbling away on his mobile phone. It took four requests from the stewardess before he switched the dam_n thing off. If I'd been one of the aircrew he'd have had to wait for a certain bodily function before he could use it again. But that's why I'm a mechanical engineer not someone in the public service sector.

2. Not in my experience based on Ha Noi and central Viet Nam. The manners of stall holders are no different to those in Thailand or any other Asian nation. They'll try and pressure you into a purchase, they'll try and rip you off and they'll smile a lot while doing it.

I like the attitude of observe the rules or take the rap. Much better than the current thinking in the west where all respect has been lost and no-one takes personal responsibility for their actions.

[Humphrey Bear]

Plenty of responses - and all seem to lay all the blame on the passenger.

Tersonally, with a plane carrying only 10% of it's capacity, and after all the aggravation the previous week at Su'boom, I would have expected a more restrained attitude from the cabin crew, even though the guy was basically in the wrong.

With trgard to the Viets, I do not like them. I worked here in year 2001 and came back at the beginning of this year solely because I thought I would be able to get budget flights back to my family at the week-ends. I was wrong - outside the main centres there are very tine-consuming connection problems.

Both HaNoi and SaiGon have in-your-face rip-off taxi drivers at the airport - not the best way ro greet travellers - the basic demand at SGN is for 300,000 dong to go to a city-centre hotel (US $ 20) when the meter price is 80-90,000 dong. Even when you insist on the meter, many taxis insist there is a minimum of 120,000 dong. So you start your visit with a dlaming row or get bilked of money. It always leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

SaiGon has aggressive beggars in the streets (in this workers paradise) and aggressive street vendors / shoe-shine boys, etc. Not so bad out in the country, but then everyone outside the main centres is dirt poor and grateful for any income. On out construction site theft is a daily occurance - organised by some of the sub-contractors we employ. Kilometres of earthing wire (copper) is dug up the night after it gas been laid. Equipment is stripped of starter motors, batteries and the like. Caught our security boys at it last month - removing cast iron drainage ditch covers with almost no value, but the scrap merchants were willing to pay by weight - and these were heavt.

In my office I have lost 5 baht packets of instant noodles, pens, pemcils and similar. If it is not nailed down someone will steal it.

Back to the topic - he deserved a ticking-off, but not arrest and (I assume) deportation. He was just a stupid prat, not drunk, not aggressive, not dangerous.

[britmaveric]

Well did they warn him what would happen? Mind you <deleted> deserves a bit of hassle for ignoring the requests of the flight crew.

[kingwillly]

well, mind you manners, anywhere really.

[Lancelot]

Well did they warn him what would happen? Mind you <deleted> deserves a bit of hassle for ignoring the requests of the flight crew.

Agreed! I wish more airlines would "discipline" these rude idiots

[kingwillly]

1. Agreed, in my way of thinking you do not go around taking photographs of people if they specifically ask you not to. Plus if you are on an aircraft you do as the crew asks or suffer the consequences. I was on a Malaysian flight a while back and on taxi-ing out to the runway there was this "gentleman" of swarthy appearance who insisted on gabbling away on his mobile phone. It took four requests from the stewardess before he switched the dam_n thing off. If I'd been one of the aircrew he'd have had to wait for a certain bodily function before he could use it again. But that's why I'm a mechanical engineer not someone in the public service sector.

do we really need to know he was of a 'swarthy' appearance?

[Rabeang]

I think he got what he deserved, he should have asked permission before taking the pictures. I can almost guarantee the stewardess would not have minded.

I enjoyed my time in Vietnam. Found the people to be about on the same friendliness level as the Thais. I didn't enjoy my trip to China though, some vendors told me to "F**** Off" simply because I couldn't speak Chinese.

[kingwillly]

Personally, with a plane carrying only 10% of it's capacity, and after all the aggravation the previous week at Su'boom, I would have expected a more restrained attitude from the cabin crew, even though the guy was basically in the wrong.

<deleted>?

so if business is slow a passenger can do what they want?

Nope, dont agree with that at all.

[chuang]

Next time around he may try to open the emergency exit saying he needs some fresh air...

[garyh]

Next time around he may try to open the emergency exit saying he needs some fresh air...

If business is slow then why not, it will be one less plane for them to find the money to keep it running. They should be grateful.

[JoeThePoster]

Fully agree with the "<deleted>" handle.

How important was it to click those photos anyway? That must be on the same priority level as the <deleted> that call their drivers immediately on touchdown to let them know they will be out of the terminal in 10 minutes to 1 hour depending on delays at immigration and baggage claim.

Edited December 9, 2008 by JoeThePoster

[PattayaParent]

Yep, I'm with the others, he got what he deserved.

Is it true, however, that Vietnamese stall vendors tell you to <deleted> yourself if you don't buy anything?

No, that's Hong Kong you're thinking of.

Never had anything worse than a smile and a joke with the street / stall sellers in Ha Noi.

[Richie1971]

Yep, I'm with the others, he got what he deserved.

Is it true, however, that Vietnamese stall vendors tell you to <deleted> yourself if you don't buy anything?

That is true - Tay lawn - Foreign C**t

No, that's Hong Kong you're thinking of.

Never had anything worse than a smile and a joke with the street / stall sellers in Ha Noi. - Because they've taken you for a ride

Must add my 100 dongs worth - I have lived in Hanoi for 8 months and gone to and from Vietnam from various destinations with various airlines and the Vietnamese passengers are easily the worst.

1. Use or try to use their mobile phones throughout the flight - I thought this was illegal

2. Bring their own food and water onboard wherever everyone else is forced to throw it away before entry to the departure lounge. (a stupid rule I agree but why is'nt it applied to everyone.

3. The street vendors in Hanoi (and most other vendors of anything) make the Thais seem like honest businessmen, they will steal the shirt off your back given half a chance. They are also very reluctant to give change for anything and turn the other way and start dealing with other customers while you are waiting for your change.

4. A smile and a joke becuse they know they have robbed you blind.

Aggressive and feral locals - Hanoi is a complete shithole with the biggest crooks on earth.

Edited December 16, 2008 by Richie1971

[warfie]

doubly stupid because he could have deleted the pics to satisfy the steward and then recover them again later

Edited December 23, 2008 by warfie

[hanno]

Apart from the fact that the idiot on the plane deserved whatever was coming his way, I am surprised at all the negative experiences posters have had in Vietnam. Some people seem to have encountered more crooks in 6 months then I did in more than 10 years Should get out of the foreigner ghettos more often

[sanukmakh]

I visited Vietnam for the first time a few months ago and didn't really have any bad experiences, but a couple of curious ones do spring to mind:

I stopped into a hostess bar in Saigon, and sat at the bar as I normally would do. The barmaid shoved a plate of peanuts in front of me, and I quickly made "friends" with a couple of the girls. I had a couple of beer, played around with the girls a little, and then decided to move on. When the bill came, the bartender had charged me 3000 dong for the bloody peanuts!! What the f***?? Nowhere in the thousands of bars I have been into has this ever happened - the peanuts are a freebie, nice and dry and salty so they make you thirsty for more drinks, which is where they are supposed to make their money; and of course I did not ask for them, they just pushed them in front of me.

Also at the departure area of the airport, the locals are not allowed to come inside and see you off, you have to say your goodbyes outside. This is just plain weird.

And yes, the touts and beggars can be aggressive - I had one girl chase me for a full city block one night, pleading for money.

[hanno]

When the bill came, the bartender had charged me 3000 dong for the bloody peanuts!!

Not really a rip-off but a common practice all over Vietnam, Vietnamese need to pay this. too (same goes for the face towels offered in many restaurants).

the locals are not allowed to come inside and see you off

True, but understandable in a way: when a Vietnamese travels, his extended clan will often come along: parents, grand-parents, neighbors, the dog; you get the picture. Where they to allow all these people in, their would be no room left for bona fide passengers .

the touts and beggars can be aggressive

Agreed, though that changes as soon as you move a little off the beaten path. The tailors, Tuk-tuk drivers and "real" gemstone sellers in BKK are pretty aggressive, too .

[Ulysses G.]

Well did they warn him what would happen? Mind you <deleted> deserves a bit of hassle for ignoring the requests of the flight crew.

As usual, brit is right.

Also, the guy was of "swarthy" appearance. That is got to be worth a few points.

[samiinjapan]

This will be same in any other airline or any other country ....