A new phrase has cropped up in the local parlance of Vietnam: "The Hawaiian Shirt Patient," a reference to the growing number of tourists who collide with motor scooters on the country's busy streets. Foreigners often transpose their pedestrian behavior from home, assuming they're safe in crosswalks and on sidewalks. But Vietnamese cities are honking free-for-alls of two wheelers that can come at you from any direction at any time. Vigilance is essential unless you want to end up in the office of a Vietnamese neurosurgeon, many of whom are doing a brisk business these days in emergency operations.
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