Hanoi Train Street has attracted attention again after a tourist attempted to shoot a close-up video of a train but lost her phone in the process.
The story raises concerns about the safety of one of Vietnam’s most controversial sites where people often gather at the active railways just to take pictures and videos.
Though nobody is reported to have been hurt, the event serves as a good example of how seemingly harmless efforts to take beautiful photos can turn into an accident for those close to a moving train.
Tourists Film a Train From Dangerous Distance
It is said that the recent incident happened when a train was traveling through the area of Hanoi Train Street.
When the time for the scheduled train’s arrival came, tourists already gathered in the vicinity to see and film it. This place is well-known worldwide thanks to the fact that the railway passes through a narrow passage surrounded with houses, cafés and other buildings.
One of the tourists was a woman who sat extremely close to the railways. She was squatting and continuing filming a video as the above-mentioned train was approaching.
She didn’t retreat farther away but stayed next to the train tracks to get a video recording of the train from a close distance.
In the end, the moving train hit her mobile phone and knocked it away from her.
The train incident was recorded on video and posted on social networking sites.
The police department in Hanoi is analyzing the train incident that became popular on the Internet.
Once the video went online, law enforcement authorities got involved in the case.
A major of the Traffic Police Team 4 of the Police Department of Hanoi said that the law enforcement staff learned about the incident after having received information about the video via social media.
Preliminary investigations showed that the video was recorded in the Van Mieu area of Quoc Tu Giam Ward.
Still, the exact date and time of the incident are still unknown.
The investigation continues as the police are trying to figure out all the details of the incident to find out whether laws were broken.
Train Accident Not Recorded in the Area
The investigation into the incident provided an important piece of information.
Law enforcement worked jointly with the police of Van Mieu–Quoc Tu Giam Ward and confirmed that no train accident had been registered in the area in the previous week.
This implies that a train was not involved in the incident. It could have happened that the tourist’s smartphone was hit without an accident being registered.
However, authorities continued working in order to establish all the details of the case.
Though no train accident has been reported, this does not mean that the person is also safe. Being really close to the active railway line can pose serious danger even if this particular incident has resulted only in damaging the phone.
Why Hanoi Train Street Is so Famous?
Hanoi Train Street is one of the most famous tourist spots in the country.
The railway runs through a narrow corridor that consists of buildings, apartments, cafés, and shops.
When trains go by, tourists can see the surprising sight of a train moving through a narrow alley space.
The distinctive surroundings have increased the region’s presence in social media.
Pictures and clips featuring trains that come by just a few feet away from passengers have taken social media by storm.
A dramatic photo or clip is part of the attraction for many tourists.
Nonetheless, the level of popularity comes with a safety problem.
The Danger of Getting Too Close to a Train
The truth is, the train can be more dangerous than it seems from afar.
Big trains have huge momentum and cannot come to an instant stop. Though a train may look like it will get through without any problem, being right next to the railroad can be risky.
Even a small part of the train’s body can be huge.
Wanting to make the perfect shot can result in people not paying attention to their surroundings.
The case of a tourist’s smartphone is a good illustration of this. Although the person did not get hurt, her phone got hit.
If she had been slightly to the left, her life could have been in danger.
Law Enforcement Continues to Address Safety Problems
The law enforcement agencies are still coordinating with local cops to establish the facts of the case and replenish safety violations attributed to the railway safety corridor.
A group of officials has also been expected to be sent to the scene of the event to eliminate the safety-related violations.
Authorities have been trying to control tourists in the area repeatedly; the issue is that visitors gather around the cafés prior to the arrival of the trains.
The issue is not only about persuading tourists what to do.
Local entrepreneurs working in the vicinity have also been punished for breaching different laws.
However, the problem remains unresolved.
Crowding is a Big Issue
It is crowdedness that poses one of the biggest challenges for handling the situation on the Hanoi Train Street.
Visitors wait for the train on the railway in order to see it from the closest distance.
When visitors come together in a small area, it becomes harder for law enforcement agencies and local businessmen to keep the necessary distance.
Crowds can also cause psychological effects.
Tourists may assume they are being safe by merely following the actions of other people they see nearby the train tracks.
Consequently, an individual who had planned to keep a safe distance would move closer to the train tracks once they see other people taking pictures while standing near the tracks.
The Impact of Social Media on Risky Tourism
Social media has played a very important part in making Train Street places of interest.
The short videos of trains passing near people can be viewed by thousands of users all around the world and encourage them to visit the location.
At the same time, one of the problems is that these stunning videos are often taken with the smallest safety margins.
Many travelers may try to visit the places similar to the one they have viewed on the Internet and create a similar picture for themselves without realizing how dangerous it can be.
Regulatory Pressure on Local Businesses
Government officials are not solely focused on the needs of visitors.
Companies operating along the railway corridor have incurred penalties for failure to comply with the law.
Railway cafés are an integral part of the tourist attraction but can also create congestion in the surrounding areas.
As a result, the task of regulating the relationship between tourism, local businesses, and railway safety is quite difficult.
On the one hand, it is important for the authorities to get the positive effects of tourism, but on the other hand, railroad operations should remain safe.
At the same time, companies are attracted to the idea of receiving as many visitors as possible while tourists strive to feel the atmosphere of the region that attracted them here.
Authorities Say Less Awareness Is a Problem
It is reported that a high degree of ignorance among tourists and local residents continues to be problematic.
Therefore, educational work has become an important tool in the fight against the problem.
Officials emphasize to tourists that it is important to stay away from the areas where railway safety measures are in effect as well as from any dangerous behavior actions.
Nevertheless, the fact that more and more people show up for the sole purpose of seeing a train in the narrow corridor makes it difficult for authorities to implement the repeated notices they issue.
The problem becomes more pressing especially during busy tourist seasons.
Evidence Such as the Viral Video of the Incident Means More Scrutiny about Safety Issues in the Future
The new incident shows just how social media can help the authorities to be aware of certain cases.
In this case, the news was not reported from the place of the event; instead, it was spread via social media.
Consequently, the police started checking the facts of the video.
Thus, a new form of supervision appears for the authorities in places of tourism where incidents can quickly go viral.
A short video made by a tourist can gain a huge audience and attract public attention to safety issues that have been ignored for years already.
Should Tourists Visit Hanoi Train Street?
Tourists don’t have to risk their lives standing too close to the tracks to feel the rail atmosphere. They only need to follow local rules and stay in safe areas away from the rail.
The idea is to enjoy the location without turning into another viral incident.
What Tourists Should Know
Tourists who visit the Hanoi Train Street must see the railway as a transportation route, not a venue for taking pictures.
When the train comes, tourists should always listen to local authorities since they know best how to stay safe. In addition, people should avoid entering dangerous areas and getting distracted, for instance, by mobile devices.
It’s not worth risking your life for a nice photo.
Smartphones can be replaced. A human life can’t.
The case with the tourist and his phone is very minor compared to what might have happened in other scenarios.
The attraction gets its fame because of its unusual closeness of the trains to the surrounding city space but this same feature creates real risks of accidents if tourists step over the limits or get too close to the active railway road.
The Vietnamese authorities keep on looking into the issue, collaborating with the local police, educating tourists, organizing the crowd, and dealing with businesses that violate the law.
Nevertheless, mere enforcement is not enough to solve the problem.
It is important that the tourists and local residents alike understand that the Hanoi Train Street is not only an attraction and a place for photography.
The best memories from travels should be safe ones.
