A video of a foreign man scolding a Vietnamese motorbike driver on a Hanoi walking street surfaced on the internet recently, sparking widespread debate on whether or not he was out of line.
While there seems to be consensus that the woman was in the wrong for driving through a pedestrian zone, there’s a split between those who feel that the foreigner should have acted aggressively to address the infraction.
Online comments by Vietnamese didn’t take issue with the action of the foreigner, instead viewing it as a source of embarrassment for the country.
“Watching this video, I’m blushed. I feel embarrassed for myself. To let a foreigner laugh at us is an embarrassment to the country,” wrote one on VnExpress.
“A justified action of a foreigner, do we see now? This is our culture. If we switch the foreigner with a local man, what would the girl’s actions be? I think everyone knows the answer to that,” wrote another.
Conversely, foreigners seemed to agree with the aggressive man in principal, but took issue with the methods used to communicate his frustrations.
“He's a complete idiot - if he doesn't like how Vietnamese traffic works, he can go home. He shouldn't be travelling if he has that attitude towards other ways of live. Also shouting and screaming at a girl half his size who might not speak the language - not very brave. I might have some respect for him if he asked politely. I really wish this video ended with her kicking him in the balls,” wrote one commenter on the video’s YouTube page.
Given the lack of context for the video, these online debates amount to conjecture, rather than a definitive answer as to who was right or wrong.